Milky Way Photography – Ultimate Guide try-photography.com/milky-way-photography-ultimate-guide February 5, 2019
let’s talk about photography the milky way. So I couldn’t shoot anything my life was photography in the Milky Way. But I will show you everything right from the camera settings and the planning and also I will give you some tips about photography in a milky way. That will give you better images. Hey, Whats up everybody. Today we talk about Milky Way Photography. Recently I published a new blog about Moon Photography Tips please check out.
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Milky Way Photography Tips So first let’s talk about the camera settings. Before starting with the other camera settings. The first thing I would like to clarify is always shoot in RAW. So the images you are going to get will have the details. But it won’t be visible straight out of the camera in post-processing. You actually have to pull the details from the raw file and the only the raw file will give you so many details. So make sure you’re always shooting in RAW. When your photography some milky way or any astrophotography.
Now let’s talk about the camera settings. Let’s talk about the focal length first so always use the widest focal length that you have. Now I have a reason why I am saying so so actually in a milky way photography. The focal length is related to the shutter speed so whatever the focal length is the shutter speed will be dependent on that and that brings. Me to the 500 rule the 500 rule states that the maximum shutter speed. You can keep forgetting stars pinpoint sharp. And avoiding the star trails is 500 divided by your actual focal length. Silhouette Photography TipsBird Photography Tips Milky Way Photography. Now before I go into the calculations let me clarify. What exactly actual focal length is so depending on whether you are using a full frame camera. The focal length will be the actual focal length but, if you are using a crop sensor camera your focal length will be the focal length. You’re shooting at into the crop factor so make sure you’re calculating that perfectly and then 500 divided by the focal length. Will be the maximum shutter speed you can expose your camera. For like, for example, suppose your actual focal length is 50 mm so 500 divided by 50mm is 10 seconds. 2/6
Now why I said that you have to shoot at the widest focal length available. The first reason is that if you have a wider focal length. When you divide it by 500 you will get longer shutter speed and you want a longer shutter speed. Just because it’s so dark you want more amount of light hitting the camera sensor to get the details from the Milky Way galaxy.
The Aperture for Milky Way Photography On the safer side and just to get those pinpoint sharp stars. So now let’s talk about the aperture. Now since the idea is to get a maximum amount of light because it is so dark you have to use the widest aperture. Your lengths offer so my lens offers me the widest aperture of f28 so whatever widest aperture. Your lens offers always use that whether it be 3.5 for your kit lens or 1.8 or 2.8. Because you want more amount of light hitting the camera sensor.
The ISO For Milky Way Photography Now let’s talk about the ISO even though you are using a wider aperture. Even though you’re exposing your camera for 20 or 30 seconds. It is so dark that you have to raise your ISO to more than 3200 or even 6400. I would always recommend to start with ISO 3200 and later check the images or the histogram to see what kind of details you are able to capture. If you feel you are getting a good image stick with ISO 3200 or if you feel you’re shooting a darker image. You can shoot at ISO 6400 the tip is don’t shoot dark images at lower ISO don’t be afraid to increase your ISO and shoot a properly exposed image.
The Focus For Milky Way photography
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Because that will give you the most optimum quality now let’s talk about focus. The question is sort of if it is so dark how will I exactly focus. The solution to that is first, of course, increase your aperture. I mean shoot at the wider aperture increase your ISO and then use manual focus. Once you are in manual focus there are two options that you can go with the first option. Is like taking a brighter star which is in your frame and then like focus at infinity the infinity marking in your layer. Can be actually wrong sometimes so make sure you’re focusing on the brightest star. Or otherwise, you can always carry a torch with you and place it at the distance. And then focus at that light even that will give you a sharp infinity focus. So always make sure that the stars is in focus. Because it would really be very bad that you try so hard for shooting and later. When you go home you see the images are actually blurred. Make sure the focus is stacked up so that you’re getting good details.
The White Balance for Milky Way Photography Now let’s talk about the last camera setting and that is the white balance. For a shooting Milky Way Photography or any Astrophotographs. I generally start with around 3,300 Kelvin but you can also start with our tungsten white balance preset. So the tungsten white balance preset is a very good starting point for shooting Astrophotographs. And since you’re always shooting in RAW you have the flexibility of changing the white balance in post-processing. You can start with the tungsten white balance and later adjust the colors as you want. Now we are done talking about the camera settings.
The Planning for Milky Way Photography 4/6
Let’s talk about the planning which is also equally important so camera settings. Is something you know right but planning is really really very essential. When you want to shoot Milky Way the first thing is the location. So the location I was shooting is actually away from the city it was around 3 to 4 hours drive away from the city. So that I will get less light pollution now you can’t see the Milky Way galaxy right. From your home just because the light pollution may be too much so you want to make sure you’re going to someplace. Where the light pollution is less and you can see the stars. Milky Way Photography.
Check The Weather
The next thing you should check is the weather. You don’t want hazy and cloudy weather because that will actually come in between you and the Milky Way Photography. So make sure you’re shooting at a very good and clear weather condition. You can check your weather conditions at different websites on the Internet. The last thing I check always is the moon face so it’s always better to shoot during the no moon time. Because if you have moon in the sky you won’t be able to see the galaxy very clearly and that will come in between your images. Make sure you’re shooting around the new moon days so that you get the best possible image. Now mostly you are good to go.
Let’s talk about some additional tips. Milky Way Photography. That will be helpful the first obvious tip is to use a good sturdy tripod. You obviously need a good sturdy tripod because you’re shooting a longer exposure and you don’t want a shaky image. Just 5/6
because you didn’t have a good tripod the next thing is to use a remote. I always suggest using a remote while shooting longer exposures. Because when you press that shutter button you don’t want your camera to shake. Because of that, it’s totally fine if you don’t have a remote. You can also set a timer so that the contact between the hands and the camera. Is not there when the camera starts taking the image the next thing is to turn off any kind of image stabilization. That your lens has because since the camera is on a tripod.
You don’t need any kind of image stabilization interfering the last tip. I would like to give you is carry some additional lights with you. Because you won’t be able to see the camera buttons in the dark and you also want to paint the foreground. That brings me okay let it make it second last. That brings me actually to the last step that is also very important and that is the composition. Of course, the milky way is a very important part of the image. But also complement it with a good foreground or a good composition. Maybe use something to place it in the rule of thirds and compliment that milky way. You don’t want your milk evil images looking very normal and cliche makes it look interesting with some interesting compositions. Milky Way Photography.
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