When the light begins to fade for many photographers, it’s time to pack up the camera and head home. However, this is the perfect time for the budding astrophotographer to practice those photography skills that will help capture some fantastic night sky shots. For the more experienced astrophotographer, this is the time for capturing the mysteries that they know the sky holds.
Astrophotography isn’t for everyone, but if unveiling the mysteries of the night sky and capturing them in a photograph is something that you want to try, this guide could help. Here, we offer brief astrophotography for a beginner’s guide.
Get the right equipment.
With astrophotography, the right camera is even more important than any other photography type. This does not mean that you need to spend thousands of pounds, but it does mean that you should expect to pay a reasonable amount. This implies a DSLR camera that has the option of interchangeable lenses and manual controls. This type of camera has a superb low-light sensitivity, making it an ideal choice for this type of photography. It will offer you minor color shifts and noise – these are the things that will muddy your photos and make all of your efforts to get a great photo fruitless.
What you need is to be able to shoot faster exposures. While a good camera will come with a lens that will provide you with reasonable images, it is worth investing a little more in a wide aperture, wide angle lens. This will give you much better quality and less noise.
The other piece of essential equipment that you will need for astrophotography is a good-quality tripod. If you want the best chance of great photos, you need to reduce noise and things like camera shake, which means using a tripod rather than holding your camera. When it comes to astrophotography, every little thing that you can do will certainly help.
Patience
The biggest thing that a beginner in astrophotography needs to remember is that patience is the key to taking great photos. Once you have set up your camera, you will probably spend a long time just waiting for the right shot to come along. This is not like pointing your camera at a landscape and clicking. Unfortunately, everything needs to be just right.
Setting everything up correctly is vital because it will be ruined if your camera moves even the slightest bit when you take your photo. Using a timer or remote control can be an excellent way to reduce the camera’s risk of moving.
Bring a light
When you are trying to photograph a night sky, bringing a light along may seem a little silly. However, if you want to see your camera correctly to set it up correctly, and you want to make sure you don’t accidentally knock into it and spoil your careful setup, then light is a must. You could use your light for light painting. This involves lighting up landscape parts to make your photographs more interesting.
Practice
The best photographs take time, and this means practicing. So when it gets dark, get out there with your camera and take photos. The digital age means you can shoot as many photographs as you want and see what works and what doesn’t. Over time, with practice, you will find your images improving. There are apps that you can use to check the condition of the night sky as well, and these will help you determine when the best time is to take your photos.
Hopefully, we’ve now given you the basics to help you begin your journey into astrophotography. Why not grab your camera and head out to your favorite spot to try it out.
