How to Shoot AstroPhotography

So you just stumbled across an epic photo of the night sky captured in the mountains and are asking yourself, “how did they do it?”. Although this photography niche may take lots of time and patience to master, your first astro shot may not be as difficult to capture as you think. In today’s blog we are going to run through some simple tips to get you on your way to capturing gorgeous nightscapes. 

Gear

We’ve all heard the age old question of “what camera did you shoot this with?”. One that we are all familiar with and to be fair is somewhat applicable in this circumstance. The fact of the matter is some cameras perform better in lowlight conditions than others. In an ideal situation we’d recommend a full frame camera as they typically provide superior low light capabilities. Something that can shoot at higher ISOs while providing a cleaner image. This is ideal but not necessary. You can take amazing astro shots with either a crop sensor or micro 4/3s sensor camera as long as you adjust your settings accordingly. 

Lenses are also a major consideration for astro photographers as a “faster” or wider aperture lens will often help to produce better results. We recommend anything with a f2.8 or lower aperture as these lenses will allow more light into your camera without having to crank your ISO up as high. Common focal lengths for astro shots typically range from 16-35mm as wider lenses will allow you to capture more of the sky. A wider lens can also help create a more dramatic scene by allowing you to capture both the sky as well as the landscape.

Tripods will be essential for this type of photography. You will be reducing your shutter speed to allow more light into your camera’s sensor and increasing the chance of unwanted motion blur if the camera is not properly locked off. Given that many astro locations require a bit of hiking or trekking we recommend using a tripod that is lightweight but provides plenty of stability. Our top tripod recommendations from ProMaster are the XCM 528CK and Specialist 532CK.

To help further reduce the possibility of camera vibrations we recommend using a remote shutter release. Or, if your camera has a built-in interval shooting mode, use this setting and allow your camera to take care of the rest. If your camera does not have a built-in intervalometer they are a relatively cheap addition to your kit. We offer both wired and wireless shutter releases as well as timer remotes that work with an array of camera systems.

Choosing a Location

Time to get down to one of the most important elements of this equation. Where are you going to shoot your astro shot? In theory, this could be done in your backyard or right down the street on your local hiking trail. Not all locations provide the same conditions - light pollution is a major issue in more densely populated areas. You’ll want to be in an area with darker skies as this will provide a much cleaner image of the stars. Luckily, there are several websites such as lightpollutionmap.info that highlight areas with a greater level of light pollution. Doing your research here is crucial as it will impact the quality of the image you will be able to capture.

As well as this, you will want to know what the star activity is like in your region or desired photography destination. Luckily, for the modern photographer there are numerous websites that can provide excellent visuals on how the sky will look on a particular night and the conditions you can expect to come across. Use light pollution maps, star mapping softwares, and a few quick searches on best astrophotography areas in your region, and you will be well on your way. 

Time to Shoot Your Shot

So your gear is ready to go and you’ve found the location you want to photograph. Everything is lining up just right! Now it's time to set up the shot. We recommend shooting in manual mode as this will provide you the best control over your image. Once you have your camera set on your tripod make sure you are shooting in both jpeg and raw as you will appreciate the flexibility of raw files in post processing. No raw? No problem, just fire away with jpegs and do the best with what you have!

Now we recommend opening your aperture to the widest possible setting. From here you can move to shutter speed. Setting the proper shutter speed is crucial. This can be accomplished by both using your eye to determine how the image looks or by a general rule of thumb known as the 500 Rule. To determine the proper shutter speed you can divide 500 by the focal length you are shooting at. For example, if we were shooting at 24mm, we would likely shoot at a 20 second shutter (500/24=20.8). While this rule is not absolute, it provides an excellent benchmark and starting point for those looking to get into astro. 

So you have your shutter speed set and your aperture wide open, now the only exposure tool you have left is ISO. You can slowly dial up your ISO to help raise your exposure to a usable level. You may notice some “noise” or grain introduced into your shot and this is typical when raising ISO. Often this can be easily removed in post production but the goal should always be to get the cleanest image in camera as possible as this will simplify your editing. 

Time to focus. Literally, it’s time to focus your camera on your subject. We recommend using manual focus for this as autofocus may have a hard time picking up on the stars themselves and you may be left with an unflattering image. Many camera systems have focus assist providing a highlight around whatever object is in focus in your image. This will help you dial in your focusing distance and get beautifully sharp images. 

You’ve got all your settings dialed in so now all there’s left to do is hit the shutter or set up your camera's intervalometer and let it do its magic. Although it may take some practice, we’re confident that you’ll be taking some banger astro shots before you know it!