CHRIS’S TOP 10 TIPS FOR SUPERB STAR SHOTS

1

BULB MODE

While he primarily shoots in

Manual mode, Chris is often limited to maximum shutter speeds of 30 secs. When he needs to shoot for longer he’ll use Bulb mode.

2

TURN THE SELF-TIMER OFF

Any delay between shots when shooting star trails will appear as gaps in between the trails, so switch the self-timer off, and use a remote release cable.

3

AVOID LIGHT POLLUTION

It’s best to travel as far as you can from the bright glow of city lights, as these can limit how ‘dark’ the sky is. Visit www.darkskydiscovery.org.uk to find a dark-sky zone near to you.

4

IN-CAMERA NOISE REDUCTION

With low light levels and high ISO values, digital noise can be a problem. Many cameras have a Long Exposure

Noise Reduction feature, which can be applied to exposures longer than 1 sec. This method requires a second ‘blank’ exposure to be taken, so it’s not suitable for star-trail sequences.

5 USE THE ‘500’ RULE

This rule helps you work out the exposure needed to take pin-sharp star shots by dividing 500 by your focal length – so, for example, at 20mm your exposure can be no longer than 25 secs. With modern high-resolution cameras it’s worth being conservative and reducing the exposure length even more to ensure sharp stars.

6

BUDDY UP!

When venturing out at night with your expensive camera kit be sure to team up with a photographer friend to stay safe and have fun together.

7

LOOK OUT FOR CELESTIAL EVENTS

The night sky is ever-changing, and from lunar eclipses to meteor showers, and comets whizzing past to solar flares, resources like the BBC Sky at Night Magazine can help you plan shoots throughout the year.

8 POWER UP!

Cold nights and shooting for long periods will drain your batteries, so make sure you charge up, and also take plenty of spares.

9

STOP YOUR LENSES FOGGING

Condensation forms when you bring a cold lens into a warm home. Wipe off moisture with a microfibre towel, then leave the lens in your kit bag in a cold room so that it can acclimatise slowly.

10

BRING A BACKUP CAMERA

Bring a spare camera and tripod so that you can work on alternative angles to keep you busy while your main camera is recording deep-sky or star-trail shots.