Quick Tips for Planning Your Astrophotography Photo Shoot
- Is it sufficiently dark so as to avoid light pollution?
- Does it afford you an unobstructed view of the sky?
- Are there landscape elements you can include in the shot, like a mountain range, trees, or manmade objects like buildings or bridges that add interest to the scene?
- How long does it take you to get to the location?
- Is the location open to the public?
Looking at photos like the one above, it's no wonder why so many people want to take on the task of photographing the night sky.
Astrophotography is something that, not all that long ago, was reserved for serious enthusiast and professional photographers that had the necessary (and expensive) gear to get the job done.
However, in recent years, the quality of consumer-level cameras, lenses, and other photography equipment has improved greatly, making endeavors like night photography much more plausible, even for the hobbyist photographer.
Being out under a blanket of stars taking photos is a wonderful and exciting experience, to be sure. And seeing good results when all is said and done gives one as great a satisfaction as any.
But that success starts long before you're out in the middle of nowhere, just you and your camera gear.
That process starts at home, in the planning stages of your astrophotography photo shoot.
I won't claim that the planning stage is all that fun. But what I will say is that it is a crucial step that you must undertake if you're to get the best possible results.
Let's explore a few tasks you need to tackle in the planning stages of your night photography adventures.
Location, Location, Location
An obvious aspect of the planning process is nailing down a location for your photo shoot.
You can start by checking out examples of astrophotography online. Photographers almost always indicate the location at which the photo was taken, so you can find some good spots for your photos simply by looking at where others have gone.
Once you have a rough idea of good shoot locations, use Google Maps to get a better idea of its location relative to yours.
There are a few things about your selected location that you need to bear in mind:
Answering each of the above questions will help you determine the best spots for your astrophotography. Now more than ever, you can use technology to help you answer these questions.
For example, you can use websites like Dark Site Finder (shown above) to locate areas near you with the least amount of light pollution.
It's as simple as entering your chosen spot and perusing the map for any bright areas. The darker the area on the map, the less light pollution there will be to interfere with your shot.
Something else that will help you is if you visit your selected locations during the day. That gives you a chance to scope out the area, make decisions about specific spots where you'd like to setup, and identify areas that give you the view you need of the sky while also incorporating interesting elements into the foreground for an improved composition.
Identify a Target
Of course, having a shoot location is just part of the puzzle.
You also need to identify the type of photo you want to take.
Are you heading out to grab a long exposure of star trails moving across the sky?
Do you want to capture a photo of the Milky Way?
Is there a particular constellation you want to feature?
Again, these are questions that are vital to your planning stages, and which can be answered by using any number of astrophotography tools available to the modern photographer.
One of the best apps out there for identifying your target is Sky Safari.
Just download the app to your iOS or Android device, and you can immediately pinpoint just about anything you want to photograph, be that the moon, the Milky Way, or any number of constellations.
In fact, there are over 200 celestial bodies in the Sky Safari library, so you'll have plenty to choose from in terms of your subject for your astrophotography adventures.
Get Necessary Permissions
Earlier, I noted that when selecting a location, a primary question to ask yourself is whether or not it's open to the public.
You might very well find that the place you most want to set up your shoot is on private land.
Rather than rolling the dice and hoping you don't get caught trespassing, it's recommended that you get the necessary permission to be on that property.
If it's owned by an individual, a quick call or visit might be all that's needed to get permission to be on their property.
Many public spaces might be free to use, but some require some sort of a fee, be that a camping fee or an entrance fee, that serves as permission for you being there.
Still other areas might restrict how many people have access, like some national parks. If that's the case, you might find yourself needing a permit to be in the area. You might also find yourself on a long list, too, which makes it all the more necessary to plan your trip well in advance.
If you can do those things, you might just find that once you get into the field that it's easier than you thought to capture stunning photos of the stars and other celestial bodies.
Get the Gear
Naturally, part of the planning process is getting yourself outfitted with the tools you need to make the best photos.
Apart from the usual suspects in your kit - your camera, a few lenses, a sturdy tripod, an intervalometer, and so on - a special astrophotography mount is a must-have item if you want the best results.
The Star Adventurer Astro Package from Sky-Watcher USA pictured above is a top choice for photographers that want clear, sharp images of the night sky.
It has a built-in shutter release, that way you can compose the shot and fire the shutter remotely, giving you those sharp images you desire without the worry of camera shake.
This gadget also tracks celestial bodies for you, meaning that no matter what the object is you've selected to photograph, it will keep that object in full view as it moves across the sky with sidereal, lunar, and solar tracking modes.
Better yet, the Star Adventurer is user-friendly, so even if you're a novice, you can learn how to use it quickly so you get out in the field sooner. It's easy to setup and is highly portable too, so once you're out in the field, the setup process is minutes, not hours.
With low power consumption, you can rest easy that the Star Adventurer won't drain your batteries, and since it comes with lifetime firmware updates, you have the peace of mind that your mount will be up-to-date for the duration. You can even create time-lapse videos with preprogrammed speeds built right in!
Planning an effective astrophotography photo shoot takes a good deal of time, but the more effort you put into it, the better the results will be. If you're after breathtaking photos of the night sky like those seen throughout this article, be sure you take the time to find the best locations, identify a target subject, get the necessary permissions, and equip yourself with an astrophotography mount.
If you can do those things, you might just find that once you get into the field that it's easier than you thought to capture stunning photos of the stars and other celestial bodies.
