ON LOCATION SHOOTING STARS

Plan your night-time astro shoot to capture the Milky Way

01 BRING A TRIPOD

Tiny vibrations can ruin star sharpness, so it’s vital to have a strong, sturdy tripod. It’s also important to prevent camerashake by setting mirror lockup or a two-second delay, so that (for DSLRS) the mirror doesn’t cause vibrations. A wireless shutter release can also help to prevent shake caused by touching the camera.

04 MAXIMUM DARKNESS

The darker the surroundings, the more visible the Milky Way will be. Seek out a place away from cities, towns and other areas with light pollution. We went to Butser Hill in the South Downs National Park, which is one of seven designated dark sky reserves in the UK.

02 THE GALACTIC CORE

The Milky Way appears as a band of stars across the night sky. The centre – or core – is clustered around the supermassive black hole Sagittarius A, and it’s this that looks most impressive in Milky Way shots. The core is visible March to October in the Northern Hemisphere, and February to October in the Southern Hemisphere.

05 FAST LENS

The most important piece of kit for Milky Way photography is a fast lens. Ideally, you need a lens with an aperture of f/2.8 or wider to ensure the faint light from distant stars is captured on your camera’s sensor. However, you can still get good results at f/4.

03 CLEAR SKIES

Cloud cover will ruin your chances of seeing the stars, so check the weather before you head out to make sure it’s going to be a clear night. The website Clearoutside.com is great for planning stargazing or astro photography. It tells you the chances of a clear sky, as well as the moon phase and moonset time.

06 HEAD TORCH

A head torch is essential for moving about in the dark. Use one that has a red lamp as well as a white one, as the red light allows you to see in the dark without spoiling your night vision. Ideally, find a lamp that allows you to switch the red on without having to cycle through the white lamp modes.