Shoot low-light landscapes
Focus on the untamed features of natural landscapes and incorporate astro techniques
Shooting landscapes in low-light conditions can yield incredibly alluring images. Many low-light landscapes instil a sense of excitement, combined with a feeling of peculiar unease, due to a fundamental mistrust of the dark. Equally however, this type of setting can appear tranquil and create a unique connection between the viewer and the location. This makes landscapes especially compatible with astrophotography; including astro subjects in your compositions provides a rare sense of scale, with even the most expansive of scenes seeming small in comparison to the celestial subjects beyond.
When seeking compositions consider favouring broad vistas, as these complement the sweeping nature of the sky and permit a wider and more inclusive framing. Regarding exposure, aim for an intermediate setting that matches all areas of the frame. In wild landscapes, with little artificial light, contrast will generally be low, so exploit this in order to maximise the tranquil tone. A good practice is to either aim to capture equal levels of detail in both the foreground and sky, or to focus on one area more than the other. As long as this bias appears intentional, loss of detail in small areas of the frame is permissible.
For the former strategy, consider the rule of thirds and compose with your horizon falling on one of the appropriate proportions. This will ensure there is enough of a focus on one part of the frame to hold the viewer’s attention. In this situation, while a more even exposure is the goal, try maintaining a slight bias towards exposure for the sky, since this can easily turn solid black due to a deficit of light gathering by the imaging sensor, from the distant stars. When choosing to allocate a greater focus on the night sky, compose using a 7/8th structure to show an impression of the foreground, but with more frame space occupied by space above the horizon. This will avoid any large areas of black on the foreground, or overexposed detail at the bottom of the frame.