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.

 

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