COMPOSITION AND A CATCH-22
Depending on when you’re shooting, the Milky Way may be more vertical or horizontal. Try capturing as much of the core as you can. You may need to take several shots and stitch them together in Lightroom later.
Try to get a nice object in the foreground to add interest to the shot. Here’s the catch-22. If you shoot at new moon in a dark area, the foreground will be too dark but the stars will be at their brightest. If you shoot during a full moon, then the foreground will be lit but the stars will be a bit washed out.
Finding a happy medium is part of the challenge. Sometimes you can light up parts of the foreground with a torch, but be careful. A little bit of light makes a huge difference over 30 seconds. Try ashing light for just a second or two to “paint” the foreground.
This photo of Devil’s Golf Course in Death Valley was lit by a torch for a split second. The glow on the horizon is from a small town about 30km away. In the photo of Moonrise at Pambula Beach Surf Club, the beach, surf and headland was lit by the surf club’s toilet lights behind Paul and from the moon rising.