Scott Aspinall canoed across fast-moving, frigid waters in the dark of night above Saskatchewan’s tallest waterfall with one goal in mind: photographing the Milky way core centered over Nistowiak Falls. Aspinall had never seen an image of Saskatchewan’s northern waterways quite like this.

“This may be the only shot ever taken of the falls from that side,” Aspinall said, questioning what he had gotten himself into. Aspinall is a renowned landscape and astrophotographer from Saskatchewan. His work captures the beauty of western Canada, often under the night sky. He uses a modified camera and tracking equipment to shoot long exposures of light from galaxies that are so distant from us, their light waves have been stretched by the universe's expansion.

To capture this image under the right conditions, the stars needed to align. “I'm not even sure there's a possibility of getting the Milky Way core outside of this window," Aspinall said. The center of the Milky Way galaxy is densely packed with billions of stars, producing a bright band of light in the night sky. Our view of the core changes seasonally as the earth orbits the sun. In the northern hemisphere this vibrant part of galaxy is most visible during summer months.

Northern Saskatchewan’s sparse population means light pollution is minimal, making it a prime location for night sky viewing. However, the waterfall is so far north that the nights never truly become dark during the summer months. This makes spring and fall the best times to capture images of the core in the north.

The moon cycle limits opportunities further: fuller moons reflect the sun's light, brightening the night sky. The days around the new moon are optimal for astrophotography.

All these factors meant Aspinall only had a short window of time – just several hours during a select few days in an entire year – to get the shot. And that was dependent on Aspinall actually making it to the falls.

It's not easy to get there, especially so late in the season. The trip involves navigating more than 30 kilometers of cold water. When the wind gusts, the conditions can become daunting. Adding to the complexity of this shoot, Aspinall needed to get to the east side of the falls to compose the shot -- an area beyond the beaten path.

Aspinall is an experienced backcountry hiker, but he was unfamiliar with navigating lakes and rapids. He teamed up with Clint Austin, a skilled guide with Churchill River Canoe Outfitters (CRCO), to make the journey safely. They had planned a three-day trip on the water to bring Aspinall’s vision to life.

When Aspinall arrived in Missinipe to meet Austin at the CRCO office, it became clear that the weather conditions were going to pose a real threat to their goal. Their plans would have to change. They would only have small windows where views of the skies wouldn’t be obstructed by thick cloud cover. Wind gusts were expected to reach 54km/h, which meant they had to postpone paddling to the falls for a couple of days. It looked like the only opportunity to capture the photo would be the last day of Aspinall’s trip north — meaning he would have just one night to try and get the shot.

Austin expected the wind gusts would still be strong on open water sections along the route. There were also sections of fast-moving water and a set of rapids to navigate. “There’s going to always be a chance you're going to spill over,” Austin told Aspinall. “You do not want to be downstream of a canoe…it will crush you” The dangers associated with these risks were elevated by the frigid water temperatures.

Aspinall was feeling nervous about canoeing after Austin’s safety briefing but also excited to get moving. Both men were feeling excited to conquer unique challenges ahead. “A lot of firsts on this trip,” Austin said, “We’re going to be doing something completely new tomorrow.” As far as either of them could tell, no one else has ever captured a photo like this. Aspinall has never seen other astrophotography images from this location and Austin couldn’t find anyone with experience paddling over to the east side of the river where Aspinall needed to go to compose his shot. The morning that they set out for the falls was dreary. Thick cloud coverage dropped snow and sleet across the landscape. It took most of the day's light for Aspinall and Austin to paddle and portage to their destination.

As Aspinall approached their destination the sound of the falls grew from a soothing hiss to an immersive roar. “This doesn’t feel like Saskatchewan,” said Aspinall in awe, exploring the west side of the river. Above the falls the waters looked deceptively calm. Subtle swirling on the surface indicated the water’s current moving towards the edge of the falls.

Austin expertly maneuvered their canoe across the river above the waterfall and together they hiked downstream through the forest. They moved cautiously towards the tree line, searching for a vantage point of the falls on the cliff’s edge above the river. Aspinall let out an excited shout, “this is incredible” he said, “The falls are impressive from [the other] side but from here, they’re gorgeous.” As the sun set, the clouds passed overhead and gave way to clear skies. The conditions were perfect.

Aspinall tethered himself to a tree and scrambled down the cliff onto a ledge. Standing in the spray of the falls, he locked his camera into position “I’ve never worked so hard for a photo in my life,” he said. Aspinall captured the shot he had dreamed of — an image showcasing the cascade of Nistowiak Falls against a backdrop of our galactic core. “It’s an unforgettable experience,” he said.