How to shoot a beautiful starry sky, the actual combat of SLR equipment for starry sky photography in summer

how to shoot the beautiful starry sky

1. Preparation

First of all, you need to find a suitable location under the right conditions, so as to increase the chances of taking wonderful photos. Generally, people who live in prosperous cities with serious light pollution can hardly see the night sky full of stars. You need to go to a remote place, away from the light pollution in the city. Choosing a sunny night will also help. Check the weather forecast in advance, and you certainly don't want to be obscured by thick clouds.

during a long exposure, it is very important to keep the camera completely still, so you must use a stable tripod. To avoid touching the camera during exposure, a cable release is also useful. Any small tremor will affect the exposure effect. When you start to press the shutter, one trick is to cover the lens with a piece of dark cardboard, and then remove it once the camera stabilizes.

Second, clear photos

As the earth is turning, it is difficult to take a clear picture of the starry sky unless you have professional telescopes and other equipment. The longest exposure time should be limited to about 15 seconds without obvious tremor. In order to get a clear picture of the stars, you need to choose a sunny night. Choose as large an aperture as possible, such as f/2.8, and set the shutter speed between 15 and 2 seconds. You also need to set the sensitivity. For the purpose of noise control, ISO 1 or 2 is ideal. But you may have to increase the sensitivity for accurate exposure.

third, the star track

The first thing to understand when shooting the starry sky is that the earth is turning, which means that the stars will move when you finish shooting. This is called the "star track" effect, as you can see in the diagram. In order to capture the star track picture, set the aperture as large as possible, from f/1.8 to f/4, and set the focal length to infinity, and then aim the camera at Polaris-Polaris will stay still while other stars will rotate around it.

similarly, you need to set the sensitivity. At first, the sensitivity was ISO 1. In order to increase exposure, sometimes you need to give in to noise. The exposure time varies according to the light projected by the moon. If it is a new moon, the exposure time is about 1 hour; For half a month, control the exposure time to 2 minutes. This is just an attempt to use the available light. But remember, the longer the exposure time, the longer the star tracks will appear.

Fourth, equipment

Remember to bring some basic items, which will make your whole shooting smoother. First of all, a flashlight will facilitate you to set up a camera and find a flat place to put a tripod. Just don't leave the shutter on when you press it. Secondly, if you shoot for a long time, bring one or two spare batteries. Thirdly, without touching the camera, you can use a chronograph or timer to check the exposure time. Finally, if you feel tired or tired, a chair or bench is quite useful.

5. Going out to practice at night

Shooting the stars is very exhausting, especially for a long time to wait for an exposure. However, when you take the photos you want, it is also worthwhile. You can also go out to shoot the moon at night. This is a good practice opportunity, which can help you master some basic essentials.

it is difficult to capture the pictures in the starry night sky with the naked eye, but once you master some basic exposure setting skills, you will find it not so difficult. What you need to do is to keep practicing and use composition to find the right conditions. After one or two attempts, you will take good photos.