Do you want to capture the night sky with a beautiful and interesting landscape? In this tutorial, I’ll teach you my process in astrophotography, from gear to capturing the photographs.
Whether you are new to astrophotography or an experienced nighttime shooter, I think you can learn a few tricks fr…
I’ve admired Mikko Lagerstedt’s work for years (and am still kicking myself for not buying a print when they were affordable), and read his astrophotography mini book a whole back, but also thought this article boiled down some specific tips quickly:
“From March to September in the Northern Hemisphere … you will get the most impressive view of the Milky Way.” “Use tools like PhotoPills or TPE for location scouting and to figure out where the Milky Way is in the night sky. In the Northern Hemisphere, look towards the southern skies to see the galactic core. The core will start to be visible due southeast (Spring), due south (Summer), or southwest (Fall).”
“Use the rule of 500 for your camera settings. Your shutter speed equals 500 ÷ equivalent focal length so, if your full-frame equivalent focal length is 20mm, the rule of 500 means that you use a shutter speed of 500 ÷ 20 = 25 seconds.”
“expose the photograph to the right side of the histogram, which helps you achieve more information in the shadows and less grain.”
Probably need to reread that book before I try night photography again 🤔 I feel a little stymied on night photography by our deep forested landscapes, so you really need to scout a location in advance that will have a view of the sky.