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Silent night, starry night: Photographer Travis Novitsky on the Lake Superior night sky
February 23, 2026
“Oftentimes the most notable quality of the night is the silence,” photographer Travis Novitsky told the crowd at a recent program in Bayfield. “To hear that silence you need to push everything out of your mind and let yourself truly be in that moment. That’s why I like the night sky so much. It’s the easiest way I can quiet my mind and just be there in the present. When I’m gazing up at the sky, especially on such a quiet night, I feel utterly and completely relaxed and refreshed.”
Spirit Tree under the Milky Way – Travis Novitsky photo
Travis Novitsky’s program, a part of our Dark Sky Star Bright festival, was given to an appreciative crowd at Honest Dog Books. Mixing humor and passion as well as his heritage as a member of the Grand Portage Anishinaabe Nation, Novitsky gave the audience an inside look at the life of a night sky photographer and a deep appreciation of the human connection to the stars.
Novitsky told the audience, “This is a subject that resonates with a lot of people. And almost everyone I meet seems to have some sort of connection to the sky that is of the utmost importance to them. Or if they don’t yet have a connection to the sky, they have this desire, the really strong desire to experience the sky for the first time and develop a connection.”
“Travis Novitsky was the perfect addition to our Dark Sky Star Bright festival,” says Jeff Rennicke, Friends of the Apostle Islands Executive Director. “His voice speaks with authority and reverence for the beauty of the night sky over Lake Superior. It is impossible to hear his stories, to see his stunning photographs, and not feel a stronger connection to the stars above us.”
In case you missed it, click below to watch a video of the program created by TJoseph Media for Friends of the Apostle Islands.
You can purchase a copy of Travis Novitsky’s book, Spirits Dancing: The Night Sky, Indigenous Knowledge, and Living Connections to the Cosmos on our website. Click here to see our coverage of the inaugural Dark Sky Star Bright Festival. We and Bayfield Chamber of Commerce look forward to doing the festival again next year, January 15-24, 2027. Make plans to join us then in Bayfield.
Friends would like to thank the sponsors of our Starry Skies Initiative, of which the festival is a part.
Additional topics related to this article | Community Outreach | Conservation | Interpretation | night sky
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