How to shoot the Milky Way
THE MILKY Way is one of the most magical subjects in the night sky and, although photographing it may seem daunting, some solid photographic technique could unlock this stunning scene and result in spectacular captures.
Finding the Milky Way can be quite straightforward. head to an area of low-light pollution and use an app such as PhotoPills to view the Milky Way via augmented reality, as this will drastically cut down your set-up time and will help you to frame a successful composition.
Select a wide, fast-aperture lens, such as a 16-35mm f/2.8, and place the camera on a tripod to keep it steady. Switch to manual mode and dial in a starting exposure of 30 seconds at f/2.8, ISo 1600 before adjusting the ISo to account for light levels. the aim should be to control the exposure by keeping the shutter speed at or below 30 seconds to prevent any stars from turning into trails.
Some photographers use the ‘500’ rule, where 500 is divided by the lens’ focal length. Using this method will give you the maximum shutter speed you can use before stars turn to trails.
If you are planning to shoot a lot of astrophotography, the Pentax k-1 is a good camera choice as, not only does the camera offer 36 megapixels of resolution, but it also boasts an astro-tracer feature that follows the movement of the stars so you can achieve sharper imagery.