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OUTDOORS PHOTOGRAPHY
Standing beneath night skies and gazing up at the stars is a truly magical experience. And now, thanks to advances in camera technology, it has become easier than ever to get out there and take some amazing photos.
Want to try your hand at astrophotography? Here are our top tips for the best ways to capture the beauty of the starry skies.
Before you go out to shoot, don’t forget to check the weather, as you’ll need a clear night sky to get great star shots. However, partial cloud cover can add atmosphere to your photos of the night sky, so be creative and use it to your advantage. If the clouds are relatively still, you’ll have fewer problems with them looking blurry in shots where you’re using a long exposure. As with all long exposures, keeping the camera stable is crucial to avoid unwanted light trails or blur. Use a tripod to capture crisp, clear images of starry skies and watch out for wind, which can cause clouds to move and spoil your shot.
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To get the best shots, you’ll need to head out into nature and away from any light pollution. City lights will overpower stars and so will a full or even half moon. There are some well-known places in the world where you can take incredible shots of the Milky Way (such as Death Valley in Arizona), but just by driving outside your local town you should be able to find a spot free from artificial light.
To shoot starry skies, you’ll need to take control of your camera, so change the mode to Manual and try out some of the different settings detailed below.
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Skies filled with pinpricks of stars are one of the most striking things you can photograph. However, you might want to consider including other elements to frame your shots to bring more interest to your image – such as a building, mountains, landscape features or a reflective lake. Sometimes stars alone can lack perspective or personality, so always look for something unique that you can capture.
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Star trails can look dramatic and intriguing. You'll need plenty of time and patience, a tripod and a remote shutter control. The effect is caused by the Earth's rotation; the stars stay in the same place!
Capturing these fantastic lines of light is a challenge, but one that can produce stunning results. First, you need to locate the North Pole. You can do this using one of the many star chart apps available for your smartphone. Shooting the North Pole as the focal point of your photo and using a long exposure will result in the circular pattern around a central location, as seen in the accompanying image.
Stars don't give off much light, so use a high ISO (800, 1600 or higher) to capture their movement. Take care and experiment before attempting a long exposure, as the higher the ISO, the more likely you’ll encounter ‘noise’ in your image.
The maximum shutter speed available on many cameras is 30 seconds, so for a longer exposure, use the bulb exposure setting in Manual mode. This allows you to keep the shutter open for as long as you want to, simply by pressing it to open or close. Set your focus to infinity. Experiment and review your shots before trying a longer exposure of around 30 minutes. Then review your shot again. It may take a few tries – and a few patient nights – before you get the rewarding results you want.
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