The International Dark-Sky Association designates areas committed to protecting the view of the stars. Escaping Light PollutionĪn easy way to ensure you’ll have an amazing view of the stars is by visiting a Dark Sky Park (). A great view of the stars requires as little light pollution as possible and being there during the right moon phase. The most important element to capturing a successful photo of the stars begins with the location. See photos in this article come to life in an inspiring timelapse video. A red light in your headlamp will help keep your night vision intact while providing enough visibility to navigate safely. Trail illumination is safety equipment at night, especially in wilderness areas where you’ll find the best conditions for astrophotography. If you don’t have any of these, setting your camera’s shutter delay timer to about five seconds should eliminate camera shake caused by activating the shutter, but when taking multiple exposures for star trail composites or meteor showers-or whenever you’re shooting on Bulb exposure mode-a remote of some kind is essential gear. If your camera doesn’t have a companion smartphone app that allows remote control, an optional hardware remote or mechanical shutter release cable will help avoid any shake from manually pressing the shutter. Ensuring that your camera stays steady during these exposures will be critical in achieving a sharp image. Typical exposure times at night can range from five to 30 seconds-or much longer if you want to capture star trails. The iconic Big Sur coastline provides surprisingly dark skies with incredible views of the Milky Way. These are generally great choices, but select your focal length to best suit the composition you have in mind. When it comes to picking a focal length, don’t limit yourself to the traditional wide- or ultra-wide-angle lenses used for astrophotography. Since the edges of our frame at night will be filled with pinpoint stars, any flaws of a lens will be much more apparent.
Selecting a lens that is sharp from edge to edge is also especially important. Prime lenses sometimes offer even faster apertures, which can be a huge advantage for picking up extra detail in both the sky and foreground. Ideally, your lens will have a fast maximum aperture of at least ƒ/2.8. The right lens will make a world of difference at night. Features that assist with long exposures and remote control options via smartphone apps are great to have. While certain cameras will produce cleaner results at higher ISOs than others, most DSLRs and mirrorless cameras released in the last five years or so can achieve quality results. While there are “ideal” selections in each of the following gear categories, there are also ways of adjusting your shooting technique to compensate for equipment shortcomings.
These tips will help you head out under the night sky to capture beautiful photos of the stars. Astrophotography today is more accessible than ever before. Over the last few years, with camera sensors continuing to improve in extreme low-light situations, the technical challenges of astrophotography have eased.
To come back with the best possible image, it’s important to head out with the right gear at the right time. The conditions for astrophotography can prove to be very challenging to shoot in and push our gear to its limit. When it comes to taking photos of the night sky, we often find ourselves driving and hiking hours from any artificial light source, relying only on the stars and airglow in the atmosphere to light our entire frame.
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