Amateur Photographer

Shoot for the stars

Capture stunning starry night scenes with tips and techniques from renowned landscape pros David Clapp and Guy Edwardes

-

David Clapp

Visit www.patreon.com/davidclapp for video-based lessons, Zoom talks and more. David Clapp FRPS has been a full-time profession­al photograph­er for 15 years and leads global workshops. An RPS judge for Applied and Travel, he undertakes commission­s worldwide, works for Canon UK and is represente­d by Getty Images.

It’s not too long now until the Milky Way season is upon us. The summer months see a flurry of nighttime activity as photograph­ers scurry out into the night sky in search of otherworld­ly imagery. Although it may seem from the ouset that astrophoto­graphy is restricted to those with profession­al equipment, today’s technology is so good that literally everyone can enjoy it, even with the kit they already own.

Although astrophoto­graphy can be approached at any time of the year, the summer months are by far the most enjoyable. The reason for this, is not only because it is warmer, but the night sky unveils its most incredible feature – the galactic core, the very centre of our Milky Way galaxy. Between the months of May and late August, the core becomes visible above the horizon, which is at its most prominent in the south of England, which is where a lot of high-quality imagery is created.

It may not be apparent, but you could already own the equipment you need for astrophoto­graphy, especially if you are a portrait photograph­er. Lenses with a minimum aperture of f/2.8 (often referred to as fast glass) are extremely versatile in most photograph­ic genres,

from press photograph­y to portraitur­e and also astrophoto­graphy. The brighter the lens, the more light-gathering potential under the veil of darkness.

What about different camera types? Mirrorless or DSLR? Both can be used effectivel­y for astrophoto­graphy, but DSLRs excel in the dark, because they are far easier to compose when the light levels are very low. Mirrorless cameras rely solely on the sensor to view the compositio­n, meaning a blast from a powerful head torch is necessary to get compositio­n right, but both cameras are easy to critically focus.

APS-C or full frame? The biggest issue is noise, which is relative to pixel size or photosites. The APS-C camera with a relative 24mm x 18mm sensor size often has smaller pixels than a full-frame equivalent of 36mm x24mm. The tighter packed the photosites, the more susceptibl­e to overheatin­g, which generates noise. Casting this aside, the 1.6x crop is very much welcomed by astrophoto­graphers reaching out towards deep space objects in particular. Although the choices of APS-C f/2.8 lenses are more limited, use full-frame glass for a greater choice. A 16-35mm f/2.8 for example, works perfectly on APS-C and full frame.

So, what do you do when shooting under a dark sky and your camera is a little underpower­ed? The moon can also be a great asset. Shooting in moonlight can lift your images out of black and provide an all-important light source to add dimension across the landscape. Unlike the sun, its reflective surface changes in size, so the intensity ‘waxes and wanes’ as it reaches full moon/new moon respective­ly. In 2007 I took my first astro image with a Canon 5D and a 17-40mm f/4L lens, shooting the landscape as a full moon rose over Dartmoor. With a maximum ISO 400, the quality levels were significan­tly lower than anything achievable with today’s cameras, but the adventures were utterly amazing!

If the darks are simply too dark, then light painting is a great option to add some extra tones to otherwise featureles­s shapes. Leave the 18000 lumen torches at home – all you need is a cheap 250 lumen head torch and some well-thought-out creative decisions. Use the torch to lift dark spots or to illuminate the foreground. Move away from the camera before light painting – preferably move left or right – otherwise the picture will simply look flat and uninterest­ing.

When you’re shooting at night, make sure your first attempts are not dynamic landscapes or seascapes. Many photograph­ers make the mistake of previsuali­sing a complex foreground to background image, that requires f/16 to get everything in focus. Although this is achievable by focus stacking, it is way too complex for a first attempt. Keep the tripod high, one-third land and two-thirds sky, to make it all about the night sky but with a landscape element.

What, where and when

Find some popular locations near you that others photograph – there is

nothing wrong with this. Familiarit­y will give you a very good idea of how to approach subjects, the difficulti­es that lie ahead and more crucially how to stay safe. There are three immediate subject difference­s – landscape, seascape and night sky. The latter, although included in the other two, means just photograph­ing the sky itself, without a terrestria­l element.

Firstly, astro images can work at any time of year, but the best season is most definitely the summer months, when the Milky Way’s galactic core is above the horizon. It is best to be in the south of England to take advantage of this, but the density stars are much more apparent regardless. The Milky Way is visible in the SE to SW region. Just remember the further north you are in the summer, the lighter the skies will be and the less the Milky Way will be visible.

Starting with the land, think about simple landscape scenes – a single tree with stars above. These can be taken on farmland (with permission) or a national park. A favourite of mine is Dartmoor National Park that not only provides characterf­ul trees in abundance, but also unusual granite outcrops which can make exciting compositio­ns.

Architectu­re found on open ground, such as towers, chimneys and even old mine buildings, make great subjects. Putting a detailed night sky behind these buildings transforms them far beyond their usual historical character. The beauty of using a building is that it can be approached from multiple angles, not only throughout the night but also as the seasons change.

Shooting from a remote beach can provide tranquil astro scenes, but this can often be a little lacking. For something truly interestin­g it is best to choose a sea stack or a similar large feature and to stand back away from it, simply to minimise any issues with depth of field. Rocky outcrops and characterf­ul cliffs such as the southeast-facing Durdle Door in Dorset are popular for a reason.

Finally, dark sky (low light pollution) areas can provide some fabulous places to shoot the night sky itself. If you are considerin­g using an astro tracker, these places are great for capturing some truly world-class imagery with the right atmospheri­c conditions. Avoid thinking these dark sky places are remote wilderness, think coastline too. Your holidays this year could be to a remote island – think the Outer Hebrides or perhaps the mountains of Tenerife, renowned as a true astrophoto­graphy mecca.

 ??  ??
 ??  ?? Below: Multiple images stacked together with light painting from two different directions Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, 16-35mm, 30sec at f/5.6, ISO 800
Below: Multiple images stacked together with light painting from two different directions Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, 16-35mm, 30sec at f/5.6, ISO 800
 ??  ??
 ??  ?? Saddle Tor in Dartmoor, photograph­ed in moonlight. This was the very first image I took at night some 14 years ago. With camera performanc­e at a minimum, it reinforces the point that a good concept beats camera technology Canon EOS 5D Mark I, 17-40mm, 30sec at f/5.6, ISO 800
Saddle Tor in Dartmoor, photograph­ed in moonlight. This was the very first image I took at night some 14 years ago. With camera performanc­e at a minimum, it reinforces the point that a good concept beats camera technology Canon EOS 5D Mark I, 17-40mm, 30sec at f/5.6, ISO 800
 ??  ??

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from United Kingdom