Ever wanted to photograph the Milky Way but didn’t know how? Here’s your 5 step guide!
Wishing you clear skies! 🌌
1 - Equipment The best results will come with a wide angle lens 14-24mm, and a tripod. However, you can still get great photos with modern smartphones.
2 - Planning You’ll need a location that's dark, and free of light pollution -often met by south-facing coasts, though they can be achieved inland. Choose a moonless night, and time your session for when the Milky Way core region is high in the sky You can use apps such as PhotoPills, or SkySafari to help plan.
3- Scouting Familiarize yourself with the area, and find a foreground to complement the stars. It can be difficult to find your way in the dark!
4 - Weather Needless to say, you need clear skies, and avoid high winds, so check weather forecasts.
5 - On location Set to manual focus, and aperture wide as possible. Expose for 10-20s to avoid star trails. Experiment with ISO levels. Use a timer to minimise camera shake. It will vary by camera, lens and location, I typically start with 10s, f/1.8, ISO1600 and adjust as needed. Use stars to focus.
richardleighton
Wishing you clear skies! 🌌
1 - Equipment
The best results will come with a wide angle lens 14-24mm, and a tripod. However, you can still get great photos with modern smartphones.
2 - Planning
You’ll need a location that's dark, and free of light pollution -often met by south-facing coasts, though they can be achieved inland.
Choose a moonless night, and time your session for when the Milky Way core region is high in the sky
You can use apps such as PhotoPills, or SkySafari to help plan.
3- Scouting
Familiarize yourself with the area, and find a foreground to complement the stars.
It can be difficult to find your way in the dark!
4 - Weather
Needless to say, you need clear skies, and avoid high winds, so check weather forecasts.
5 - On location
Set to manual focus, and aperture wide as possible.
Expose for 10-20s to avoid star trails.
Experiment with ISO levels.
Use a timer to minimise camera shake.
It will vary by camera, lens and location, I typically start with 10s, f/1.8, ISO1600 and adjust as needed.
Use stars to focus.