Shoot the stars

Forget zenith skies – creating a balanced frame with foreground is key to an interesting starry shot

Producing a masterpiece relies significantly on understanding of location. Try not to think of the landscape complementing the night sky; instead, anticipate how the night sky might complement the landscape.

Composition-wise, captivate the viewer by combining land and sky elements, and closely follow general landscape principles. Rules are made to be broken, but the rule of thirds usually has its uses, creating a smooth and balanced image. If the objective is to include big skies, shoot as wide as possible and try and keep the lens angled from around zero to 15 degrees.

With longer focal lengths, the task becomes more complex; correct alignment with prominent features is crucial. Highlight certain landscape elements, concentrate on details, tides, flora; use structures, and of course reflections. Another factor to remember is that skies don’t have to be completely clear, and patchy clouds can add as much impact at night as in the day.

1

Camera settings

First, look at White Balance, set a high ISO-noise reduction and switch to Manual focus. The focus point will vary between the sky and foreground, so you might want to take one frame for each and then stack them together.

2

Set a wide aperture

Apps like PhotoPills will help you to calculate the best shutter speed to use with your given focal length for sharp stars. Use a wide aperture, set the lens to infinity, locate a star in Live View, then magnify in and adjust until it looks razor-sharp.