Harun Mehmedinovic

Harun is the cinematographer and co-producer on Ice on Fire, a Leonardo DiCaprio-produced feature documentary for HBO which premiered in the Official Selection at Cannes Film Festival 2019, and a co-cinematographer on Akicita, a documentary film which premiered at Sundance Film Festival in January 2018.  

He is a regular video and photography contributor to BBC Earth, and has contributed photographs and videos to Vogue Italia, National Geographic, Astronomy Magazine, BBC Travel, Discovery Science, and Blindfold Magazine. Harun’s photography work has been featured by various media outlets, including The New York Times, Wired, Time, Forbes, NPR, CNN, Gizmodo, Slate, Los Angeles Times, LA Weekly, Vice, and Washington Post. It has also been the subject of a TEDx Talk.

Harun is the author of three books, portrait series Seance and Persona, as well as the Astrophotography Book and Timelapse Series: SKYGLOW. His videos have been used at various events, most notably by The Rolling Stones on their ZIP CODE tour & 2016 Tour, Pink Floyd's Roger Waters 2016 Tour, Desert Trip Concert, Paul Simon's 2018 Farewell Tour, and Cosmic Gate music video "am2pm," and National Park Service’s “100 Years” centennial video; among others.

His photograph of the cloud-inverted Grand Canyon was listed among the 2015 best travel photos of the year by National Geographic, and in 2016, he was on the BBC Earth Instagram team that won a Webby Award for “Best Photography and Graphics.”

Prior to his venture into photography, Harun’s film In the Name of the Son premiered at Telluride Film Festival and won over thirty international awards, including Shanghai, Savannah, and Cleveland film festivals. It was the first live action short film to receive an exclusive screening for the members of United States Congress on Capitol Hill.

Follow Harun:
www.bloodhoney.com
Instagram: @skyglowproject
Twitter: @skyglowproject
Facebook: Harun Mehmedinovic

Gavin Heffernan

Gavin is a filmmaker and screenwriter whose photography and timelapse work has been featured in many venues worldwide, including The Rolling Stones ZIP CODE tour & 2016 Desert Trip performances; the 2016 Roger Waters tour; and trance duo Cosmic Gate’s am2pm music video, which he co-directed with Mehmedinovic, whom he met while they were both attending the American Film Institute in Los Angeles.

Gavin’s timelapses can also be seen on Virgin America flights; BBC Earth; Bravo’s first scripted show Girlfriends’ Guide to Divorce; the LA 2024 Olympics Bid; the National Park Service “100 Years” centennial video; and numerous media outlets such as Time, National Geographic, CBS News, USA Today, and Wired.

Borrego Springs, California named the 2014 edition of their annual town festival after Heffernan’s Borrego Stardance astrotimelapse, and October 25th was subsequently named “Gavin Heffernan Day” in San Diego County.

As a screenwriter, Gavin and writing partner Adam Robitel co-wrote Bad Hat Harry’s psychological horror feature, The Taking of Deborah Logan (2014), and helped rewrite Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension (2015) for Paramount Pictures. They are currently working on the upcoming Hong Kong sci-fi disaster film Imago (2017) for Cristal Pictures.

Follow Gavin:
www.sunchaserpictures.com
Instagram: @gbheffernan
Twitter: @GavinHeffernan
Facebook: Sunchaser Pictures

writing CONTRIBUTORS

Eric Betz | www.ericbetz.com
Tyler Nordgren | www.tylernordgren.com
Phil Plait | www.badastronomy.com

PHOTOGRAPHY CONTRIBUTORS

Nathaniel Smith  | www.nathanielsmithphotography.com
Tom Piekunka | www.piekunkaphotographicimagery.com
NASA International Space Station Image Archive

PRINT HOUSE

Balfour|Taylor Specialty Books

BLU-RAY PRODUCTION

CD Video Manufacturing, Inc.

EDITOR

Michael Juliani

DESIGNER

Design: Amer Mržljak | Fabrika.com

PUBLICITY

Rebecca Feldbin | Core PR Group

Founded in 1988, the Dark Sky International (formerly International Dark-Sky Association) is dedicated to protecting the nighttime environment and our heritage of dark skies through quality outdoor lighting. Light pollution is an environmental threat that harms our planet and robs us of the opportunity to experience the wonder of a natural night sky. Since its founding, DSI has taken the lead in identifying and publicizing the adverse impacts of artificial lighting on wildlife, the climate and health.

Outdoor lighting in the U.S. alone uses some 120 terawatt hours of energy per year. DSI estimates that at least 30 percent of light generated is wasted due to poor design, releasing 21 million tons of CO2 into the air every year.
IDA advances light pollution abatement by working with manufacturers, planners, legislators and citizens to provide and implement lighting that is energy efficient, cost effective and dark-sky friendly.

DSI’s conservation program, International Dark Sky Places, was created in 2001 to recognize excellent stewardship of the night sky. Designations are based on implementation of stringent lighting management plans, outreach programs to educate the public about night sky protection, and provide access to the night environment provided through stargazing parties and events. Since 2001, DSI has certified more than 70 such places in 15 countries across six continents.

The good news is that light pollution, unlike many other forms of pollution, is reversible and each one of us can make a significant difference! However, being aware that light pollution is a problem is not enough; spe-cific actions can be taken to limit incorrect, excessive, or unnecessary use of light. You can start by minimiz-ing the light emitted into the night sky from your own home and community by following a few simple steps: 

• Use fully shielded, dark-sky-friendly fixtures. That means lights that shine down, not up into the sky.

• Install timers, motion sensors and dimmer switch-es, and turn off lights when not in use.

• Use long-wavelength lights with a red or yellow tint to minimize negative health effects and reduce impact on the night sky.

• Keep your blinds closed.

• Use right amount of light

Educate your family and friends on matters related to light pollution. Many people are unaware about the negative impacts of artificial light at night to human health, wildlife and the environment. By being an ambassador and explaining the issues to others you will help bring awareness to this growing problem and inspire more people to take the necessary steps to protect our natural night sky.  For more information, please visit: www.darksky.org