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Photographer Andrew Whyte has taken some amazing photographs of the night sky over the Brecon Beacons, using the α7Sdigital camera, a professional, portable 35mm full frame interchangeable lens camera, whcih is particularly well suited to low-light conditions

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While we pour over the work of architects and designers, it's easy to forget sometimes that nature has all the best designs. Just look up at the sky on a clear night and you'll see the marvels of the cosmos- a sight more awe-inspiring than Michelangelo's paintings on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.

Capturing the complex beauty of the stars, planets and constellations has always been tricky and even until recently required specialist equipment. But new technology, such as the Sony a7Sdigital camera are making it easier for armature photographers to snap the firmament than it's ever been before.

These shots were taken by Andrew Whyte in the Brecon Beacons and Northumberland National Park and mark the clocks going back, and nights across the UK getting darker, this weekend. Whyte, who specialises in long-exposure photography, used the Sony a7S on a series of overnight shoots in Northumberland National Park (Europe's largest International Dark Sky Park) and the Brecon Beacons (one of only five areas in the world granted International Dark Sky Reserve status).

The images depict a range of stunning locations throughout the areas of natural beauty, including the Milky Way above Elf Kirk viewpoint in Northumberland National Park and Pontsticill Reservoir in the Brecon Beacons National Park.

The images were taken on the Sony a7S, a professional, portable 35mm full frame interchangeable lens camera. The camera is particularly well suited to low-light conditions as it has unrivalled sensitivity (up to ISO 409600), so the amount of light it can collect is dramatically increased compared to conventional cameras.

Bob Mizon, from The British Astronomical Association, commented on what the British public can expect to see over the winter months: 'As British Summer Time ends on October 26th and we revert to 'real' time, stargazers and photographers both dedicated and casual can look forward to longer observing sessions outside.

Town dwellers may see many of the brighter stars, and planets, from back gardens, but, with a little effort, they can visit unpolluted rural sites and take advantage of the many recently created Dark Sky areas of the UK.

'The winter night sky offers many wonders: Orion, the Geminid meteors, the tangled clusters of Perseus... It is nature's grandest free show, and yours to enjoy.'