Set the white balance to tungsten or daylight (though remember that you can change this in post-processing), and tell your camera to record in Raw plus JPEG formats. This will keep the stars sharp, though finding the exact dial position on your lens that maximises sharpness will be a matter of trial and error. Now focus the lens on infinity, ensuring that autofocus is deactivated. A 10-22mm lens (or thereabouts) with an aperture of f/4 is OK, but most night-sky photographers will use a lens that reaches f/2.8 or lower.įirst, set the camera to manual mode. That means using the fastest, widest lens you can. The trick to successfully photographing the night sky is to let as much light in as possible from as much sky as you can. Setting up your cameraĪ full-frame camera can pick up all kinds of light phenomena. It can be useful to arrive somewhere before dusk to scout-out some locations to try, then wait until at least an hour after sunset. Look for something interesting or unexpected to place in the foreground, such as a church, a tree, vehicle or a lake (the latter might even reflect star-light). It’s often overlooked by night-sky photographers, but it’s just as critical as it is for any landscape image. Once you’re in a dark, moonless place at the right time, think about composition. Plan to go on a night-sky shoot from one week before new moon to a few days afterwards to ensure there will be no significant moonlight between dusk and midnight. Just as critical in avoiding light pollution is to think about the moon. The International Dark Sky Association certifies a global network of Dark Sky Parks, while the online light pollution map and the dark site finder are also useful. When you’re starting out, find a location away from artificial light, which means only one thing: go to a place where there aren't any people. That’s not to say that you can’t capture stars from a light-polluted city – in fact, such images have a novelty value – but it's much more difficult. If you’re going to successfully capture the light of distant suns hundreds and thousands of light years away, you'll need two things: a clear sky and darkness. A certified Dark Sky Park means you're away from artificial light.
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