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R E S O U R C E S |
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SKY PHOTOGRAPHY TIP SHEETS
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Camera
Body:
Almost any camera―either
digital or film―will
work for photographing the night sky, as
long as you can adjust it manually take time
exposures of 10 seconds or longer (an
all-automatic camera probably won't work
well for nighttime sky photos, I'm afraid).
For film, an older mechanical camera
body―one that doesn't use batteries to open
the shutter―will usually work best. That
doesn't mean that your automatic or
semi-automatic camera won't work. It's just
that long exposures tend to sap battery
strength, and you may find yourself changing
batteries more frequently than you'd prefer.
Always carry with you plenty of spare
batteries and a battery charger.
Digital cameras can do a great job if
you can set them for a fast ISO (200 or
400), and don't need to take exposures
longer than about 30 seconds or so. And
don't worry about using a light meter; it'll
work only for your daytime photos!
[Dennis' Recommendation: For film, a
mechanical, all-manual camera body is best;
many digital cameras also work well.]
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Lenses:
Nearly any
kind of lens will work for shooting the
night sky, but normal or wide-angle lenses
are the best choice for most shots. You may
even find telephoto lenses useful at times.
Most important is that the lens be as
'fast' as possible (i.e., have a small
f/ratio like f/2.8 or smaller). Zoom
lenses also work, but they're not usually
very 'fast'. Typically lenses don't provide
sharp images when used 'wide open', so if
your lens is extremely fast, it's always a
good idea to stop down by 1/2 or one stop.
[Dennis' Recommendation: Use as fast (f/2.8
or lower) and as wide-angle lens as possible
for most shots.] |
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Filters:
Most people believe that keeping a
relatively inexpensive filter (such as a UV-
or skylight filter) on a lens will protect
their more expensive lens from harm.
Anyone who's ever bumped their lens and had
the filter glass scratch the front surface
of the lens knows this is worse than no
protection at all. In addition,
keeping an inexpensive filter on a lens
forces light to pass through a
low-quality piece of glass before it ever
enters your much more expensive and higher
quality lens. In other words, the
image is doomed to mediocrity before it's
even been captured by the camera.
Only use
a filter that will help produce the image
you need―for
example a polarizer, a diffusion filter,
star filter, ND gradient filter, etc.
―and
then make sure it's the best quality filter
possible. If you want to protect your
lens, keep the lens cap on. That's
what it's for!
[Dennis' Recommendation: Never use a
filter unless it will help create
the image you want. Then remove it, and replace
the lens cap. |
Tripod:
This is
not the time to use a flimsy tripod.
It should be strong enough to hold the
camera steady for long exposures. If you've
got more than one camera but have only one
tripod, you'll spend lots of time removing
your camera and replacing it, and you'll
miss some great shots. Either take along one
tripod for every camera you've got or extra
"quick-release plates" attached to each
camera, but don't overdo it. Two should be
more than enough. If you want to beef up a
lighter tripod, hang your camera bag from
the tripod's center post.
[Dennis' Recommendation: Always use a
sturdy tripod.] |
Cable
Release/Remote
Control:
A quality remote―whether for film or digital
cameras―costs a bit more but will work much
more reliably than an inexpensive one.
It should be the kind that locks, keeping
the shutter open for long time exposures.
If you can, have at least one spare
since cable releases can
break, and their batteries can wear out
during long exposures.
[Dennis' Recommendation: Have at least
two quality locking cable releases or
electronic remote control devices.] |
Batteries:
Few things sap the strength of batteries
better than long exposures. Keep at
least one or two sets of spare batteries
handy; if you see the power level of
the batteries dropping, replace them with
fresh ones―before
they die. And make sure you have spare
batteries for everything you'll be
using―camera, remote controls, digital
storage units, etc, and a charger.
[Dennis' Recommendation: have
spare batteries (and a charger) for every
electronic device you have.] |
Film:
The key
to night sky photography is fast film. This
is represented by a high ISO number: ISO 200
to 400 work great. Various film types
respond differently to the light from the
night sky; which you use is a matter of
preference―you'll get as many opinions as
there are night sky photographers. My
preference is for shooting slides, and I
always recommend this for beginners. My
films of choice are Kodak E-200 Professional
and Fuji 400-F Professional, and both are
available as "consumer grade" films (which
are considerably less expensive): Kodak EliteChrome 200 and Fuji Sensia 400. These
films can be found in most quality photo
stores and online. Since I tend to bracket
a lot, I plan on using 2 or so rolls per
night; your numbers may vary.
[Dennis' Recommendation: Try Kodak E-200
(also EliteChrome 200) or Fuji Provia 400F
Professional (Sensia 400)] |
Digital
"Film":
Just like with analog film, the key to night
sky photography is a fast ISO setting for
your electronic detector. ISO 200 to 400
both work great for night sky photography
but, the higher the ISO number, the more
likely there will be "noise" in your
images. Since the color response of digital
cameras to star and sky light can be
controlled, the white-balance should be set
to "daylight", if possible, or altered to
produce the colors that are most pleasing to
you. The real advantage of digital imaging
is the immediate feedback.
Quality photos with exposures more than a
minute or so are just not possible with
digital. For this you will need film.
[Dennis' Recommendation: Start with ISO 200
and a white-balance set to "daylight", and
make changes as you go.] |
Digital
Memory:
Before capturing digital images, it's
important to ask yourself what your final
product will be. If you plan to use the
images for a website or e-mail, you need
only small, low resolution images. If you
wish to produce prints, larger files with
higher resolution will be necessary. Either
way, you'll need a fairly high-capacity
memory card for the camera, and at least one
or two spares. You can never have enough
memory. To free up your cards and to back
up your work, consider having a means for
storing captured images, such as a laptop
computer or other dedicated storage
devices.
[Dennis' Recommendation: Have at least one
spare memory card and a storage device to
which you can download your images.] |
What
about Video?
Despite how bright and dramatic the night
sky can appear to the eye, it's nearly
invisible to even low-light video cameras.
High-end consumer video cameras might see
something, but will also display quite a bit
of noise.
[Dennis' Recommendation: If you have a
video camera, you can certainly try it out...
just don't expect much!] |
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Digital
Animation:
One
way of capturing time-lapse motion pictures
of the night sky's movement is through
digital animation. By taking a series of
exposures with a digital camera fixed to a
tripod, one can use a variety of computer
software to assemble an "animated GIF".
While image sequences can be captured by
hand―with a timer to assure equal intervals
between frames―it's best to use an automatic
electronic intervelometer (available only
with some high-end digital cameras) to
assure precision. Even though it's only
necessary that individual images be
relatively small and low-resolution, a large
capacity and fast memory card is extremely
important.
[Dennis' Recommendation: If you're
computer-savvy, try animation sequences with
a digital camera, intervelometer, and a
fast, high-capacity memory card.] |
Exposures:
These depend on several
factors: what kind of lens you've got, film
speed, and what you want to shoot. To
assure that something comes out, plan to
'bracket' your exposures―taking some over
and some under what you 'think' is correct.
In other words, plan on three or four
exposures for every photograph you want.
Better to take too many than not enough.
Don't worry about 'wasting' film; film is
relatively inexpensive―and digital is
free―compared to returning home with
nothing!
[Dennis' Recommendation: Bracket well and
don't be concerned about "wasting" film or
digital space.] |
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Keeping
Records:
Many
digital cameras record camera settings along
with the images but, if you're shooting with
film, be sure to keep an accurate log of all
important settings for each frame. That
way, when your photos are processed, you'll
know what produces the best results for your
next outing.
[Dennis'
Recommendation: Log details of all your
shots and study these after the shoot to
learn what works and what doesn't in various
situations.] |
Processing
and Printing:
If
you shoot film, always take your night sky
photos to a custom lab. Most "fast" labs
will not know how to print your nighttime
negatives. This is one reason I
recommend you shoot slides. You can
tell the processor to leave them un-cut and
un-mounted, and you'll then be able to
compare your images, the frame numbers and
your notes. You can then select the best
images, mount them yourself with simple
cardboard or plastic mounts, and have them
printed or scanned.
[Dennis'
Recommendation: Always use a custom
professional lab for processing and printing
your night sky photos.] |
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NIGHT SKY
PHOTO CHECKLIST |
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To enjoy the dark night sky, all you really
need is your eyes. If, however, you
wish to photograph the sky, consider using
the following items: |
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Film or digital camera(s) |
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Note pads (or logbook)
and pens |
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Fast normal & wide angle
lens(es) |
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Tools for minor repairs |
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Fast color film or memory
cards |
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Lens cleaning supplies |
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Good cable releases or
remotes |
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Flashlight covered with
red cellophane |
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Sturdy tripod(s) & quick
release plates |
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Spare batteries for
everything & charger |
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Equipment manual for
everything |
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Laptop or other digital
storage device |
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Timer |
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Knee pads for viewing
through low tripod |
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EXTREMELY
IMPORTANT:
Learn to operate your equipment before
heading out the door. Be sure to test
everything well in advance, and take a spare
of everything that could possibly break
down. Remember: "Murphy" is a night sky
photography fan too! |
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And be sure to visit the
SkyScapes
Gallery to see the types of photos that
are possible with only a simple camera and
tripod! |
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