Dave's Free Star Photography Tutorial

Tweet

Thank you for all the visits that made this the Number 1 Star Photography Tutorial on the web:)  Feel free to leave a comment below if you would like to see a new section or topic added to the tutorial. As goes for all my posts and tutorials, this one is dynamic and will keep changing and being added to over time. The top of this page lists all of the services I provide to help you learn star photography, the free tutorial starts right below that. Enjoy!

So you're ready to capture all the beauty of the night sky? Read on, you will master the technique in no time using my free tutorial provided below. If you would like to learn exactly how I process all my star shots in Lightroom and Photoshop then pick up a copy of my Star Photography Post Processing Video Tutorial & Under the Stars Lightroom 4 Presets. I also provide In the Field Star Photography Workshops where you will shoot at the exact place that I took the shot below, plus many other great locations where I provide expert instruction and ensure you get some amazing star photos! For those of you that just want to learn and watch how to post process these shots my Online Post Processing Group Workshops will do the trick.

Under the Stars Ultimate Package Deal

( $24.99 ) 

Get my Under the Stars Lightroom 4 Presets and the Complete Collection of my Star Photography Post Processing Video Tutorials for one low price!

Overview:

I have been getting a million & one questions lately about how I take pictures of the night sky. It's really cool to have so many people interested in the subject so I made this quick tutorial to help you get started. There is also a ton of  free content/tutorials at www.DaveMorrowPhotography.com/learnphotography.

I'll start out by answering the most frequently asked question of all, "How do I find the Milky Way in the sky?". Well unfortunately it is a very easy answer,  if you can’t see the Milky Way with your naked eye, it will be very hard to capture any better on camera. That being said let's get started!

What You Need:

-A very dark night. I always check the moon phase prior to shooting. If the moon is out you are not going to capture the Milky Way very well. The less “light pollution” the better. This link should help you to find some dark spots in your part of the world.

Light Pollution Map

Here are two more programs that I like to use prior to going out for a star shoot.
( THEY ARE FREE )
Stellarium - This is a free program which allows you to plan were the stars you want to shoot will appear in the sky. The learning curve is a bit steep, but well worth the effort. Plus you learn a lot about our Universe in the process.

The Photographers Ephemeris - I use this program nearly every time I shoot for sunrise and sunset. For star photography it is always good to know when the moons rises and sets and how bright/big it will be on any given night, this program also provides that functionality.  You can also pick it up on your iPhone for 7.99$, which is well worth it, trust me!

-Tripod, the sturdier & taller the better. I have a 72” tripod by Really Right Stuff which is great for shooting stars due to the fact that I can look up at my camera while shooting.

You can check out the following links to see What's in My Camera Bag or The Complete list of my Gear, Gadgets & Other Good Stuff.

-A Camera with Manual Mode functionality. 

The next few items will extremely improve your star shots but are not necessary.

-A timer, especially if you do not have a 35mm sensor. This is key for taking exposures longer than 30 seconds.

-A wide angle lens with a very “fast” aperture. Meaning the number under the “f” is low.  This will help you to pick up as much light as possible. 

-I shoot with my Nikkor14-24mm f/2.8G or Nikkor 16mm f/2.8 Fisheye lens for all my star shots. At f/2.8 they are both VERY fast lenses.

The 500 Rule:

Some people call this the 600 rule, but 500 is much more conservative for a sharper image. This is key to getting clear star shots. To ensure that you don’t have “trails” following your stars take 500 and divide it by the focal length you are shooting at. For those of you that are not shooting with full frame cameras make sure to take this into account. I have provided a chart that gives a few common sensor sizes and their maximum exposure times. This will also help you understand how the rule works. If you exceed the noted maximum exposure time the picture will exhibit "star trails". Feel free to print it out and keep it in your camera bag when going out to shoot the night sky.

Camera Settings & Equipment:

Provided below are the camera settings and equipment that I shoot with, this doesn't mean there is a correct or incorrect way to shoot, these just work best for me. Different cameras work better/worse in different situations, so experimentation is key. At the bottom of the page I have also provided some other great night photography camera and lens options for both Canon and Nikon users of any skill level. Just click on "Photography" in the interactive menu to get started!

Camera Model: Nikon D800

Lenses:
Nikkor14-24mm f/2.8G
Nikkor 16mm f/2.8 Fisheye

Tripod: 
BH-55 LR Ballhead 
TVC-34L Versa Series 3 Tripod 
BD800-L: L-Plate for Nikon D800/800E
 

Camera Mode: Manual

Metering Mode: I personally use what is known as Matrix Metering on my Nikon D800. Canon calls this same function Evaluative Metering. As an experiment, when shooting star photography, I tried all the different metering modes my camera has to offer and Matrix clearly won.

Focal Length: Anywhere from 14-24 mm but usually wide open at 14mm unless I am shooting with the Fisheye lens then my only choice is 16mm.

F-Stop: f/2.8, or whatever your lowest aperture value is will best capture the Milky Way. I prefer to play in the range of f/2.8 through f/4 for star photography.

Shutter Speed: 30 seconds is my standard. Sometimes I will shoot anywhere to 50 seconds in order to catch more of the “Far away” light in my shots. Just remember a longer exposure picks up more light, which in turn means you will see stars that are farther and farther away from our planet. On the other hand light sources closer to our planet will appear brighter at longer exposure times.

ISO: Anywhere from 2000-5000, my sweet spot seems to be 5000. Keep in mind depending on your camera these high settings may increase the noise exponentially. Play around and see what you get, starting at ISO1000 and working your way up is never a bad idea.

Focus: I usually focus at infinity, take a practice shot to see how it looks then adjust focus from there. Usually infinity works just fine. If you really like something in the foreground then take two shots. One to get the stars then a second for the foreground. These can be manually blended together in Photoshop for a sharp image. I cover these techniques in my Star Photography Post Processing Video Tutorials.

Final Words of Advice:

Play around with your BIG THREE, aperture, exposure and ISO until you are getting the shots you like. Each of them directly reflect on each other and the amount of light that hits your sensor so a slight change could make all the difference in the stars you can see.

Star Photography Cameras & Lenses:

Below I have provided a selection of cameras and lenses that will work great for night photography. A range of different models and price points are included so there should be something for everyone. The menu is interactive, just click the "Photography" button to get started.

Here are a few of my star shots. Click on any of them and select the "Show Details" option above the picture. By selecting "info" you will be able to see all of the picture's EXIF data.