TOP TIPS CORE SKILLS FOR ASTRO PHOTOGRAPHY

Learn how to compose for the stars and set up your camera for after-dark astro photography

01 PLAN WITH AN APP

It’s easy to predict where the galactic core, moon or constellations will be using an astrology planning app. So, you can plan your shoot days, weeks or months ahead. An app like Photopils has a night AR mode that overlays star positions on your phone camera view.

03 CAMERA SETTINGS

A high ISO, wide aperture and long exposure are key to capturing the Milky Way. Here’s a stock exposure to get you started: set your camera to Manual exposure mode with ISO3200-6400, and set your lens to a wide aperture, such as f/2.8. As for shutter speed…

05 FOCUS ON INFINITY

Focusing can be tricky in the dark, as autofocus may hunt around without snapping on to anything. Use Live View and zoom in, then use manual focus to lock on to a star or other distant bright spot. After the first shot, zoom in on playback to check stars are sharp.

02 MINIMIZE MOONLIGHT

The Milky Way is clearest at the new moon, as the sky is at its darkest. But you can go out at other times; here the moon was in its first quarter. We waited until it dropped below the horizon (check your stargazing app for moonset), at which point the sky gets darker.

04 CALCULATE SHUTTER SPEED

…stars constantly shift across the sky because of the earth’s rotation. If exposure is too long, motion causes them to streak. The movement is more pronounced with longer lenses. A useful rule of thumb for max shutter speed is 500/focal length – 25 secs for us.

06 INCLUDE LANDMARKS

Approach this like a landscape project and think about foreground – what can we include to complement the night sky? Landmarks like the tower here add context to the scene, plus it gives you the opportunity to try light-painting the foreground with a torch.