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Mikko
@mikkolagerstedt
One thing I love to capture is night photography. In this thread, I'll share a bit about how I capture and edit my night photographs. It all starts with a plan: What am I trying to capture at any given time, and when is the best time to do so? Let's dive in. Later, I'm doing an AMA, so if you have questions, keep that in mind. :)
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Mikko
@mikkolagerstedt
It's possible to just head out at night and wish for the best. Sometimes it can work, but astrophotography is a lot about planning. I usually start my planning with the moon phase. It's the timing of when the moon is visible and at what time. View the moon phase. After you know what dates are best for the photograph you want to capture, you should check the weather forecast to have a clear sky. Timing is also essential for astrophotography, and it can be a bit tricky if you want to capture the core of the Milky Way. From March to September in the Northern Hemisphere and September to March in the Southern Hemisphere, you will get the most impressive view of the Milky Way. It's because the earth spins around on its axis and how the angle changes in different seasons.
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Mikko
@mikkolagerstedt
Before selecting a place for your shoot, check out a light pollution map and find a place with less light pollution. I recommend leaving a city or at least shooting the night sky outwards from the city. Use tools like PhotoPills or TPE for location scouting and to figure out where the Milky Way is in the night sky. In the Northern Hemisphere, look towards the southern skies to see the galactic core. The core will start to be visible due southeast (Spring), due south (Summer), or southwest (Fall). In the Southern Hemisphere, look towards the south of skies to see the galactic core. In this case, the center will start to be visible due southwest (Spring) or southeast (Fall and Winter).
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Mikko
@mikkolagerstedt
When you have done your planning thoroughly, you can now enjoy the best part: taking photographs. However, if you struggle to get sharp stars in your photos, practice the infinity focus point on your lens. You can do this when it's still bright outside or use a bright light in the distance to focus the lens using autofocus or manually with the viewfinder. When you see the stars or far away objects as small & sharp as you can get, the lens is focused on infinity. Take note of the focus point on your lens and see if you can find it manually. This process makes it much easier to shoot the stars later. Use the rule of 500 for your camera settings. Your shutter speed equals 500 ÷ equivalent focal length so, if your full-frame equivalent focal length is 20mm, the rule of 500 means that you use a shutter speed of 500 ÷ 20 = 25 seconds. The most common settings I use are ISO 3200–8000, 20–30 seconds exposure, aperture 1.4–2.8.
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Mikko
@mikkolagerstedt
The most common settings I use are ISO 3200–8000, 20–30 seconds exposure, aperture 1.4–2.8. When you are ready at your planned location, take a moment and search for compositions and foreground elements that are interesting to you. Use the Milky Way as a compass, so it complements the foreground elements. It's easier to find a composition if the goal is to have the Milky Way work with the framing. When you find a shot that you enjoy, take the first shot and see if you can improve it by moving your camera. Remember that you should try to expose the photograph to the right side of the histogram, which helps you achieve more information in the shadows and less grain.
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Mikko
@mikkolagerstedt
I have written some tutorials about my editing process you can find if you would like to take a look how I edit something like this scenery! https://mikkolagerstedt.com/blog/5-steps-to-create-dreamy-astrophotography-using-a-dual-exposure-technique
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