Astrophotography Tips

For all passionate photographers seeking to capture a variety of shots of the night sky; these tips are useful regardless of whether you’re using a simple camera lens on a tripod or a telescope for deep sky shooting. No doubt it is crucial to have a minimum of a DSLR camera and a basic lens on a sturdy tripod rather than a telescope in order to shoot a quality astrophotography image. 

Tripod Stand

A sturdy tripod is extremely important for capturing night sky due to the long exposure in order to achieve the steadiness. Find a tripod with a ball head because, with this, you can point the camera straight up and stay away to avoid movements.

For beginners; first select an area with a wide swath of the night sky which could include your backyard, outdoor space or even your balcony for your set up. This spot should give you a chance to shoot a commonly known constellation.

A bright galaxy, nebular or star cluster are also attractive shots. For more detail and help in setting up and selecting a shot, the planetarium software is very useful.

For those who have been following this blog and are experienced in deep-sky astrophotography; you may find more tips and recommendations on the latest equipment but enjoy this post as a revision. The rest who are interested in useful tips that are practicable this post will provide the relevant information to feed your enthusiasm.

Proper Settings

The right settings to capture the night sky extend to the set-up of the DSLR camera and lens. Most concerned photographers asking about the proper settings are often targeting the Milky Way over a beautiful landscape. It is important to note that the same settings that work on a stationary tripod will also be appropriate for a telescope for imaging deep sky shots.

Despite my many years of experience in astrophotography with a DSLR camera, I have maintained some settings and techniques.  This is because there are certain aspects of technical practices that are generally applicable to a variety of astrophotography. This general techniques, as well as settings, are useful in shooting the night sky with a basic camera.

Camera Lens Aperture

A high-end camera lens is recommendable because, with the aperture wide open, it is able to give attractively clear images. I would recommend the Canon 200 f/2.8 but it depends on how much you are willing to spend.

It is crucial to take into consideration how lenses perform. When they are stopped down from their fastest aperture, they tend to perform better. Consequently, you will be able to achieve sharper images of stars even with less chromatic aberration. Some quick things to note on settings are;

• Set to manual mode

• Switch the white balance to daylight

• Use RAW image format

• The exposure length should be 30 seconds

• Use a fast aperture of F.2.8-F/4

• Use at least an ISO of 400-1600

Camera Delay Timer

Since we target long exposure images and aim to capture the deepest sky objects possible, we have to leave the camera shutter for a long period of time. This helps to collect the dim lights from space. However, complexity arises with the movement of the night sky. It either needs to remain perfectly still or move with the sky to attain the desired quality of starlight.

The slightest movement distracts the camera and might ruin the desired image. The slightest distraction may be caused by even touching the camera to take the shot. It is, therefore, crucial to use the in-built delay timer to capture such images without actually touching the camera. In most cameras, it ranges between 2 to 10 seconds.

A remote shutter may be an easier substitute for the timer. I consider the shutter release timer is more effective in controlling captures because it keeps you completely away from the camera to increase the chances of clear images without trails. These cables make it possible to shoot a series of shots and give durations longer than 30 seconds.

Manual Focus

Adjusting your focus of an astrophotography image is the first initial huge step in becoming conversant with taking good shots. Your camera lens needs to be on manual focus mode. Autofocus mode may not focus on the small and dim stars. 

To focus, first, find the brightest star in the sky or the moon before you turn the live-view mode of the camera.  Using the setting we have described earlier in this post, you will be able to view at least one bright star.

Zoom into the brightest star on your screen gradually. You may then adjust the focus of your lens until to have a small pinpoint of light. To achieve this sharp image, you will have to shift back and forth several times.

In order to ensure you have the smallest and sharpest possible pinpoint images, you may take test exposures to help compare the results. To distinguish between the sizes of the stars, keep the image preview zoomed in as you shift between the images.

Day Item White Balance

Day time white balance is commonly known as a RAW mode. You may, therefore, set your camera to RAW image format and achieve the white balance so you will not be caught up striving to attain these settings.

The white balance settings provide the most accurate color rendition of the image shot. It was designed to achieve to produce the accurate colors of the sun so they are appropriate for the stars.

There are cases where the sky may appear pink or a hue of orange. There is no need to worry as this means the shots were taken in a region with light pollution. In such a situation, you may use Adobe Photoshop color balance tool to restore your background into a neutral grey or blue color.

ISO settings

There are no specific definite solutions to selecting the appropriate ISO settings for the camera in astrophotography.  Since DSLR cameras mostly create noise with an increase in the ISO as well as the increase in sensitivity, avoid high ISO settings. 

Instead, first, find a balance between the amount of noise and the light collected. This balance will help find the correct ISO setting. Use at least an ISO of 400-1600

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