Photographing the Stars as Points of Light

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First: Read this blog post on Tips for Photographing the Stars as Points of Light for more description then follow these steps. 

http://blog.jenniferwu.com/blog/quick-tips-to-photograph-the-stars

• Wide Angle Lens. 14-35 full frame, 10-22 for crop sensor cameras.

• Shutter Speed 15-30 Seconds. Example settings no faster than listed:

o Full frame: 14mm at 30 seconds, 16mm at 25 seconds, 24mm at 20 seconds, 30mm at 35mm at 15 seconds.

o Crop sensor: figure out the actual focal length for you lens and use the shutter speed  numbers above. For example if you have a Canon Rebel camera and you are using the 16-35mm at 16mm. Multiply 16mm x 1.6 = 25.6mm. Use the number of seconds for a 24mm lens. If you are using a lens that tells you the actual focal length, you do not need to apply the multiplication factor. 

• Wide open aperture. F/2.8 or faster.

• Set ISO. At f2.8 on a dark night ISO 6400. f/1.4 at ISO 3200.

• Set White Balance to Kelvin temperature 3400 to 4400.

• Set the lens to the focusing point or just backed off from infinity

• Focusing on the stars

• Tape the lens

• Turn off auto focus on the lens

• No filters

• Use the lens hood

• Take Photo and review on LCD screen

• Check histogram and sharpeness

• Check the white balance. Change Kelvin temperature to what you want

• Turn off Long Exposure Noise Reduction

 

Focusing Method 1

• Focus on the moon with auto focus. I use the center focusing point for focusing on the moon or star. Then turn the lens to manual focus.

Focusing Method 2

• Focus on a distant subject, such as a mountain, or say 100 feet away. Look at your lens and check to see where it focuses at for that focal length. Remember that or mark your lens. Turn lens to manual focus.

Focusing Method 3

• Focusing – place a bright star in the center of the frame (use the center focusing point to find it). Use the magnify button to zoom in to the star. Manually focus on the star using a loupe. The star should look small.

 

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Photography Night Sky: A Field Guide for Shooting After Dark.

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Quick Tips To Photograph The Stars!

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20100716_Yosemite_449_16x24.jpg

Yosemite National Park is just a few hours away from me and I love photographing there both by day and at night. I especially enjoy to shooting at night because people go to sleep, I felt as if I had the park all to myself. I photographed the image above in Yosemite National Park during the summer of 2010 at f/1.4, 20 second, ISO 1600, 24mm lens, Canon EOS 5D Mark II. Photographing the stars as points of light without star trails can really create a beautiful image. Our eyes see the Milky Way as a band of light in the sky and the camera picks up the colorful gases and more stars making the sky even more incredible. The digital camera allows for stars to be photographed at very high ISO with lower noise than with film cameras. Here are a few of my tips for photographing the stars:

What Lens to Use?

First, use a wide-angle lens, such as 14-35mm actual focal length. This will allow for less movement of the stars and keep them more as points of light. The longer the focal length of the lens, the faster the shutter needs to be to stop the action and have the stars as points of light.

What Shutter Speed?

Next, set the shutter speed around 15-30 seconds or less. I typically use 20 seconds with a 24mm lens on a full frame sensor. If you see movement in your images after reviewing them on the LCD screen on the back of the camera, then try using a faster shutter speed.

What Aperture is Best?

This will vary depending on how much light is in the sky. For a dark night, try a wide-open aperture to get as much light into the camera as possible such as f/2.8 or f/1.4. If you have moonlight, then you can set your aperture to f/4 or higher.

What ISO Setting?

It is important to set the ISO high enough to get a good exposure because you don't want to have to lighten the images in post processing which will increase the digital noise. I put the camera in manual metering mode and set the exposure so that it is on the plus side by one or two stops. For a very dark night without the moon, try using an ISO of 3200 or 6400 to get you in the ballpark for the exposure.

Where to Focus? 

Be sure to focus on the stars. The easiest way is auto focus on a distant object during the day and tape the lens or focus on the moon at night. Be sure turn off the auto focus so it doesn’t change while your shooting. Using live view is another way.

There is something very special about photographing at night with the beauty of the stars overhead. For me, it is both calming and peaceful. I hope by following my "quick tips to photograph the stars" you are able to take some amazing photographs.

Go Shoot the Stars!

Jennifer

During the day I scouted for a location to return to at night. I was photographing with my friend Chris and when we returned at night, he no longer wanted to shoot! I walked out into the river to a rock bed to get a close foreground element of the moving water. Chris said to me, "if you fall in the river, be sure to hold up the camera and I will save it".  I guess he has his priorities! I didn't include much of the sky because there was so much ambient light from the moon. Photographed at Zion National Park at f.2.8, 30 seconds, ISO 1600, 16-35mm II at 16mm, Canon 1Ds Mark III.

Look for foreground elements such as rocks, mountain silhouettes or trees. The bristlecone pine tree is silhouetted against the stars with the Milky Way placed off center to balance the two elements in the scene. This image was photographed in the White Mountains, California at f/1.4, 20 seconds, ISO 2000, Canon 5D Mark II.

 

Check Out the Book

Photography Night Sky: A Field Guide for Shooting After Dark.

Print edition and  Kindle or More Info

How to Photograph a Meteor?

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Meteor over Lake Tahoe photographed at f/1.4, 20 seconds, ISO 1250, 24mm lens, Canon 5D mark II. Photographing meteors are much like photographing stars as points of light. It might seem like a good idea to have a longer shutter speed to be sure to capture the meteor however the longer exposures, such as those done with star trails, make the meteors appear faint. Be sure to get away from city lights to someplace dark. Check the weather for clear skies. Here are a few more tips.

What Settings to Use?

Photograph meters using the same techniques as photographing stars as points of light. Use a wide-angle lens and set it to a wide open aperture such as f/2.8. Then set your shutter speed between 15-30 seconds. If you see stars as lines when reviewing the images on the LCD screen then use a faster shutter speed. Set the ISO to 3200 to 6400 on a dark night (depends on how much moon light is available) to make sure to get a good exposure. Be sure to focus on the stars. The easiest way is auto focus on a distant object during the day and tape the lens or focus on the moon at night. Be sure turn off the auto focus so it doesn’t change. Using live view is another way.

 Where to look?

Look toward the direction of where the meteor showers are coming from. For Camelopardalis/Giraffe look to the North. For the Perseids meteor shower generally around Aug 12 look to the Northeast around 11 pm. Keep in mind that the meteors can happen from any direction.

Being Prepared Favors a Great Shot! 

When I tried photographing meteors I found I missed many shots because I was fiddling around. I was pointing the camera in the wrong direction, changing a lens or recomposing. Now I take an intervalometer and set it to take photographs continuously so that I am likely to get a shot. I use the Canon Timer Remote Controller TC-80N3,  set to two-seconds between shots and then I let it do the work. I sit back and watch the show. I delete all the images later that don’t have any meteors.  I just love digital. I would have never done that back in the days of shooting film.

What if I Don’t See Any Meteors?

If you don’t see any meteors, you can still take some shots of the night sky and stars as points of light. In  May look for the Milky Way in the morning hours before dawn. For August, we are looking through the mass of the Milky Way throughout the night starting after dusk. Look for a band of white light in the sky. The camera will pick up the colors and gasses our eyes can’t see!

Have fun. I hope you catch a shooting star! Jennifer

Check Out the Book

Photography Night Sky: A Field Guide for Shooting After Dark.

Print edition and  Kindle or More Info