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When and Where to Shoot

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      Light is quite absent when it comes to shooting in the dead of night. To counter this issue we want to capture as much ambient light that the sky provides. To do so we must find a forecast of none to few clouds  and a night with NO moon. Unfortunately, the clouds interfere with capturing the stars and the moon is an added illumination to the night sky. (both, affect the contrast and vividness of the stars) Another caveat to look for is the location to which you are shooting. When I had first learned about light pollution I had thought it was a conspiracy, however, the artificial light from cities, street lights, etc. very much so affects the details and colors of the stars. So, before you think of taking star photos find a location with no light pollution, no moon, and no clouds! those are three things to be aware of. Now Let's Get Into the Setup.

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The Setup

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     The tripod is obviously used for holding the camera in place, but what is a star tracker? What's the purpose of such? This piece of machinery, when used correctly, will track the stars to maintain sharpness in a photo during long exposures. A star tracker is not the most feasible thing to use, but when used correctly... Will create astonishing images! We will go more in-depth with star trackers later on. Moving further into the setup, a tripod mount is what attaches the camera body to the tripod or star tracker. The camera body should be a full frame sensor, but nothing smaller than a APC-S sensor size. This is optional, but on high wind days a bag of weights hooked beneath your tripod will help keep it in place. Next, a timer would be handy for those super-long exposures. (Your phone could be your timer). Lastly, the proper lens is quite imparative, therefore, a separate section will be dedicated to that.

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DSLR vs. Mirrorless 

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      There is one key difference to know between a DSLR and a mirrorless camera when talking about night photography. The main goal is to capture as much light as possible right? Well, when referring to a DSLR, the light passes through a mirror. The mirror minutely requires more light to pass through when compared to a camera with no mirror. In simpler wording, A DSLR camera is slightly worse in low-light situations. Another difference between the two is the sharpness of the image. A mirrorless camera has no mirror, therefore, what the camera captures is directly through the sensor, while a DSLR reflects from the mirror before reaching the sensor. Because of this, a slight loss of sharpness in the image occurs with DSLR's.  A question to ask yourself is... Do I want to spend the extra $1,000 - $2,500 for a slightly sharper and better low-light mirrorless camera? Do your own research as to what kind of camera body woould suit you best.

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Finding the Right Lens and Tracker 

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       The lower the f-stop # the more light is captured in a shorter amount of time. Why do we want a lens that captures light quickly? Well... the earth rotates and long exposure shots need a steady subject to capture. We counter this issue by using a star tracker, a fast lens, and a wide focal length. 

Compatible Star Tracker

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        Remember how we had briefly mentioned star trackers? Here are three things to consider when renting or purchasing a star tracker: Make sure the tracker supports the weight of your camera and lens, do research on the brand and model. Lastly, the portability and weight of the product. There are other warnings to look after for much advanced deep sky astrophotography, but those three things are all you need to consider before buying.

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Using the setup

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       Once you have found the right lens, the best star tracker, a sturdy tripod, and a pretty decent camera body... you are ready to prepare for the shot!  Assuming that you have found a location of good Astro shooting, the settings for your camera are the most important thing to have right!  Earlier in the blog I have gave bullet points as to what settings would work accordingly. Simply follow what was mentioned above. A couple things to know about your setup is keeping a time of each shot. This will help you figure out how long your exposures should be. The other thing is to use the delayed shutter time setting in your camera when you press the shutter button. Doing such will prevent your camera from capturing the jitter it creates when you touch your camera. If needed the bag of weights for keeping your tripod sturdy from prevailing winds is also good to prepare for. The main piece of the set to worry about is the star tracker and knowing how to use it. There should be a view finder on the tracker for finding Polaris! What is Polaris? Well, it is the North star and the way to find it along with the billions of other stars out there is to first find the Little Dipper and the Bigger Dipper. Look for the end stars of the two dippers and this should lead your eyes to Polaris. If you are located below the equator will not see Polaris, but the farther North you are the more likely you are to spot the star.  Find what works best when it comes to your settings, time of exposure, and the rest of your setup. In the bullet points I mention manual focus. There is a trick that people do when taking star photos. When pulling the focus of the stars, slightly miss the focus. Doing such will visually make the stars look bigger and will reduce the noise in the image. Ok now, let's recap on using the setup. Find Polaris, pull focus manually, follow the proper camera settings, time your shots, use weights if needed, and remember to shoot with a delayed shutter. 

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      Shoot Away!

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Click here to learn the process of revising and editing your Astro photo!

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