Having trouble with your astrophotography? Here are some tips and tools that can help you to capture stunning night sky images, no matter what gear you're using.

Gear You Need

To get started, you'll need a camera body, a wide-angle lens, a tripod and a L-Bracket depending if you use a tripod or a mini-tripod. Start with what you have, even an f/4 lens will do the job, trust me. But if you're serious about astrophotography, consider investing in a lens with a wider aperture, ideally between f/1.4 and f/2.8. If you want to take it even further, you can use a tracker or modify your camera for astrophotography, but I won't dive into that.

Planification ( and not only for astro)

Here are a few key factors to consider when planning your astrophotography session: You'll need a dark sky with very minimal or no clouds, no moonlight, and a location far from light pollution to capture the best possible images.

Here is a list of App I use :

• Windy is my go-to app for weather forecasts. It allows you to check different cloud layers, view satellite radar, and access a wealth of other useful information.

• Clear Outside is platform that provide cloud coverage in various locations. I like to have another source of information.

• PhotoPills is an essential tool for planning both before and during your shoot. It helps you pinpoint where the Milky Way, sun, and moon will rise and set, along with much more. The app offers a wealth of information, but you'll need to understand how it works to make the most of it. I recommend checking out their website to get familiar with its features.

• Photo Ephemeris is another useful tool, similar to PhotoPills, but with the added advantage of a web interface for desktop use. While PhotoPills is only available on mobile devices, TPE allows you to plan your shots from your computer, which can be more convenient at times.

• Aurora : For aurora forecasts, I use a combination of SpaceWeatherLive & AuroraAlerts together. I think these two tools complement each other perfectly, providing a comprehensive view of aurora activity.

• Time And Date is another excellent resource for checking the moon phase, as well as moonrise and moonset times. It also provides detailed information for the sun and much more, making it a valuable tool for planning your photography sessions.

• Google Earth Desktop App is an excellent tool for scouting compositions and previewing the terrain before visiting a location. If you familiarize yourself with its features, it can be a valuable resource for planning your shoots.

Scoutting and Composition

First, immerse yourself in your surroundings by walking around without your camera. Take a moment to connect deeply with nature and the environment around you, observe the subtle beauty of flowers, textures, and foreground elements that satellite images can’t capture.

Before you start shooting, use your phone to experiment with various composition ideas. You can also use PhotoPills, whether you’re aiming to capture the Milky Way or a sunstar. Snap screenshots of inspiring compositions, but don’t settle there. Keep moving, exploring the surrounding area, and discovering new perspectives. Embrace the adventure and let the ever-changing landscape inspire you, rather than staying in one place and capturing countless images from the same viewpoint.

Also, consider incorporating a strong foreground with leading lines to guide the viewer’s eye towards the main subject, ensuring the composition is well-balanced as you would with a standard landscape shot. Remember, the Milky Way alone won’t convey a compelling narrative.

Camera Settings

I am using Nikon Z system but if you are using another brand, I am sure you can find equivalent settings if not the same:

• Low Light Auto-Focus : ON (in Nikon Z camera you can find this setting un Custom Setting > Autofocus > Low Light AF )

• Make Sure to have the Back Button Focus activated, so your camera will not focus when you will press the shutter button

• If you have the Nikon Z8, Make sure to enable the Starlight View mode, Custom Setting > Shooting/Display > Starlight view (photo Lv). Don’t forget to turn it off if you go back to normal shooting, or just configure an astro mode in your bank/user settings.

• Use the Pin Point Auto-Focus and focus on the brightest sky

• If you are struggling with the auto focus:

  • You can use the electronic zoom and manually focus until you can see the sharp stars on your camera

  • You can also activate the Focus Peaking if you want

  • If you are still struggling, on Nikon Z, you can turn the camera OFF and ON. The focus will be automatically set to infinity

  • Otherwise, use a headlamp or torch on your subject (tree, mountain, person …) the time you focus then turn it off for the shoot.

• White Balance : set between K 3600-4200 (this is optional but I always have it set for my astro shot)

• Exposure Delay set to 3 seconds at least to avoid any kind of shake when pressing the shutter

• Noise Reduction (NR) : Avoid using noise reduction as it will double the time you need to wait before taking your next shot. For instance, if you take a 20 second exposure, you'll have to wait an additional 20 seconds for the noise reduction process (making the shoot lasting 40sec + the exposure delay you set). Reserve NR for longer exposures, such as those lasting 60 seconds or more.

• Aperture: Use the widest aperture available for your shots. Remember that some lenses, like f/1.4 or f/1.8, often perform best at around f/2. Familiarize yourself with your lens, experiment with different settings, and examine the corners and star sharpness after taking a photo.

• Shutter Speed: Depending on your lens's aperture and focal length, you can typically use exposure times ranging from 13 to 20 seconds.

• ISO : Don’t hesitate to push your ISO up to 12800 if you're using a full-frame camera. If you're working with a crop sensor or an f/4 lens, starting at ISO 6400 is a good baseline and can still yield very acceptable results.

Conclusion

Use the gear you have, and don't hesitate to experiment with different light sources like a headlamp or any other light you have on hand, it can be especially useful with an f/4 lens. If you have a tent use it also.

Feel Free to check my Astro Section, where you can see examples of dark sky photography captured with a Fujifilm XT4 paired with the XF16mm f/1.4 and XF10-24mm f/4 lenses, as well as my Nikon Z7ii/8 with the 14-24mm f/2.8 lens.

If you feel lost with all that information, don’t know where to start with your camera, or have question feel to reach me on social media :)

Thank you so much for stopping by