Three skills of celestial photography

Being in a city, we sometimes feel deprived of the ability to appreciate the sky in Starlight Glimmer. For people who like to watch the stars, pollution is really a big worry. Fortunately, with the help of photographer Michael Shainblum, we were able to experience the magical power of the universe. Michael Shane Bloom is a time-lapse photographer who often works in San Diego. He will tell us about astrophotography's experience and skills.

Photograph taken by Santa Barbara (American city)

The Dreamy Beauty of Yosemite Canyon (USA)

1: Prepare:

Before shooting the Milky Way, it is important to know where it will be and what it will look like at that time. The Milky Way can only be seen in summer. When the Milky Way appears and launches depends on which month it is. Michael Shainblum will use iPhone applications, such as Starwalk or Photopills, to calculate when the Milky Way appears, when it retreats and when it is most beautiful. You can also use these programs to check the phase of the moon to ensure that the sky will not get dark. Around the new moon is the best time to photograph the Milky Way.

Know the weather and check the content to be filmed regularly. The weather in the area is also very important. A very important consideration is light pollution. National parks are usually a good place to photograph the Milky Way. You should shoot at least one and a half to two hours' drive from the big city, so that the starry sky you see will look much better.

desert dream

2. Equipment:

Michael Shainblum uses Canon 6D, because it is strong in low light conditions, and even high ISO will not produce too much noise. This doesn't mean that 6D is the only machine suitable for astrophotography, but Michael Shane Bloom prefers to use it. Most of the photos of the Milky Way were taken at 14-20 mm, so that we can see most of the core of the Milky Way, and we can also take pictures of our scenery or prospects.

As for the lens, Michael Shainblum suggested choosing f/2.8 to let as much light as possible in. If the budget is limited, you can take a look at Rokinon's 14mm 2.8 lens, which is very suitable for shooting night scenes. Michael Shainblum's photos were taken with it, and the photos and edges were quite sharp and clear. If you have enough budget, Nikon's 14-24mm 2.8 can take extremely sharp images at night. Canon also has many good shots suitable for night shooting. As for other equipment, they are generally solid tripods, with cables released and headlights lit.

night falls

Step 3 shoot:

The picture format taken by Michael Shainblum is always RAW, because when you shoot RAW, the white balance is irrelevant and can be adjusted later. Michael Shainblum will use tungsten lamp mode, and Michael Shainblum likes blue tones. Of course, this varies from person to person. How can we focus accurately and shoot clear stars? Infinite focus doesn't necessarily work, because every shot is different. Michael Shainblum believes that the most accurate focusing method is to set the camera to live view (adjust the brightness of the screen to the brightest), zoom in ten times, and focus on distant rays or the brightest stars in the sky. It will take you a few minutes to find the stars bright enough, but this technology will give you the clearest image.

There is a standard and widely used exposure combination for shooting Galaxy, namely 30 seconds @ f/2.8, ISO 3200. The reason why ISO is so high and aperture value is so low-key is to let the most light in. If you use Canon 6D, sometimes turning on ISO to 6400 won't make much noise. If the focal length is found to be below 20-24mm, it is necessary to slow down the shutter speed and reduce the blur of the stars. For this reason, Michael Shainblum suggested setting the exposure time to 15-20 seconds instead of 30 seconds. If you are an experienced astrophotographer and like exposure mixing, you can use the cable to release the exposure foreground 1-5 minutes and mix it with the Milky Way, so that both the Milky Way and the foreground can be exposed.

The tree of life

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