I attended a house party last week to celebrate a friend’s 40th birthday. We were all fortunate that the day was a particularly bright and warm one, weather-wise, and the majority of the time was spent in his garden. The celebrations went on quite late into the evening and with the help of an outside heater we were able to enjoy the gathering outside until about 11 pm. At one stage I just happened to look up to the sky where I was able to view a large number of stars and thought to myself that this would make for a great photo or series of photos. But what are the best ways to photograph the sky at night?
1. It is advisable to have your camera placed on a tripod as this helps to ensure that the camera remains steady during long exposures. If you do not have access to a tripod, it’s simply a case of trying to manually keep the camera as steady as possible. This is easier said than done.
2. It is beneficial to use a wide-angle lens (f/2.8 or lower) as this can help to capture more light.
3. Take advantage of the Remote Shutter Release function on the camera as this can help to reduce camera shake.
4. I would take a few practice photographs as this can help to check for things like composition, exposure and focus. As with most things in life practice makes perfect, or near to perfect. There is no rush to get things to the level that you are hoping for, so there’s no need to get frustrated if the shots don’t improve as quickly as you had expected.
5. Experiment with including additional things in the photos such as bushes, fields, trees, monuments, buildings, and even people, that may appear in the foreground. These can help to enhance the photographs and aid the story of the shot. If you feel that they detract from the overall look that you were hoping for then it’s simply the case of deleting these photos in favour of pure sky-at-night shots. We are all different and we all have different likes and dislikes. There is no hard or fast rule as to what is best; just go with what you like the most.
6. Avoid light pollution where possible. Fortunately, there are light pollution maps which can help you.
Once you have taken a series of photographs that you are happy with it is then worth using software such as Adobe Lightroom to make any changes that you feel necessary to things like exposure and contrast.
Taking photographs of the night sky is an activity that the whole family can enjoy, or it can be a fun evening activity with friends, or something that you could have fun doing on your own. Experimenting with different camera settings, and with or without additional subject matters to be included in the photos, along with plenty of practice will soon enable you to take photos that you’re proud of.