Tips on how to photograph the night sky. What equipment you'll need, what things to take into consideration, and what apps are helpful to have. Originally presented as a lecture at the Richland Public Library on November 15, 2012 by Scott Butner. Scott Butner is a professional photographer with over 40 years behind the lens. After 29 years fighting pollution and crime, he returned to the camera full-time and opened Scott Butner Photography. To view more photos, book a session or just get in touch with Scott, visit http://www.scottbutner.com

1. Photographing the Night Sky
Richland Public Library Lecture
November 15, 2012
Scott Butner
http://www.scottbutner.com/

2. What I’ll Cover
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Introduction
What you’ll need to take night sky photos
Some camera basics
Shoot the moon!
Shooting the stars and the milky way
Catch a falling star
The northern lights? In Washington?!
Useful resources

3. Introduction

9. What you’ll need

10. Essential equipment
• A camera with the following:
– Manual control
– A [wide angle] lens of f/2.8 or faster
– Usable ISO of 1600 or higher
– Remote release or self timer
• Tripod
• Flashlight
• Backup flashlight
• Appropriate clothing

11. Scouting locations
• Scouting locations ahead of time is VERY
important
– Finding safe parking/ingress/egress and
noting hazards
– Finding good terrestrial objects
– Noting power lines, road signs, other easy to
miss visual impediments
• Take notes! Note mileposts, landmarks,
etc.

12. Finding dark skies
• Dark skies are increasingly hard to find in
our region
– Typically need 30-40 miles from medium
sized metro area to find reasonably dark skies
– Clouds, dust, haze will exacerbate this
– Localized light sources can often be
incorporated or obscured

14. A few words about safety
• Think ahead for
safety!
– Park well off the road
– Scout ahead if
possible
– Wear “safe shoes”
– Always have a
backup light
– Be aware of your
surroundings

15. Some camera basics

16. The Bucket of Light
ISO
Shutter
speed
f/stop

17. ISO – How big is the bucket?
• ISO is a measure of
how sensitive the
camera is to light
• The higher the
number, the less light
is needed
• But high ISO ratings
also generate more
noise (grain)
ISO
200
ISO
400
ISO
3200

18. f/stop – How big is the hose?
• f/stop is a ratio
between the lens
opening and focal
length
• The smaller the
number, the more light
it allows in
• For most night
photography, wide
f/stops (f/1.4-f/2.8) are
essential
Typical f/stops: f/2.0
f/2.8
f/4
f/5.6
f/8
f/11
f/16
f/22

19. Shutter speed –
How long does the water flow?
• Shutter speeds tell us
how long the camera
allows light to hit the
film/sensor
• MOST night
photography requires
long exposures (> 1
second)
• Photographing the
moon is a big exception

20. Putting them together
• Different combinations of ISO, f/stop and
shutter speed produce the same amount
of light – but not necessarily the same
results
– 3200 ISO @ f/4, 30 sec
– 3200 ISO @ f/1.4, 4 sec
– 1600 ISO @ f/2.8, 30 sec

21. Some “typical” exposures
• Milky way, rich star field
– 1600 ISO, 30 sec @ f/2
• Bright stars, planets
– 1600 ISO, 15 sec @ f/2-2.8
• Moon
– Full: 200 ISO, 1/500 sec @ f/8
– Half 200 ISO, 1/125 sec @ f/8
– Crescent (highly variable!)
• Lightning
– 400 ISO, f/5.6-8, timed for flash*

22. Shooting the moon

23. Tips for shooting the moon
• The moon is both the easiest and the
toughest of night sky objects to shoot
– Highly variable (but predictable) brightness
– Very narrow range of opportunities to capture
“optimal” shots
– Dramatic “big moon” photos require big
lenses

29. Shooting the stars and milky way

30. General night sky tips
• In general, find the darkest, “cleanest”
skies you can – not easy these days!
• Be aware of moon phases. Too much
moonlight hurts
• Clouds can be good picture elements but
amplify any light issues
• Try to include some foreground elements
for scale, dramatic relief

32. Tips for photographing stars
• Modern cameras can disclose detail you’d never
see with naked eye
• Find the sweet spot for getting point-like stars
– Very wide or fisheye lenses – 30 sec
– Moderate wide angle – 20 sec
– “normal” lens – 10 sec or less
– Apparent motion greater as you move away
from celestial pole

36. Making star trails

37. Making star trails
• Star trails can provide a dramatic way of
showing the earth’s motion
• But long exposures demand a very dark sky!
– 7-10 minutes is about the shortest exposure
that makes sense
– Effect varies with focal length and distance
from celestial pole
• StarTrails software can greatly simplify the job!

39. Photographing meteors

40. Tips for shooting meteors
• Frequency of meteors is less important
than brightness/duration
– Lyrids, Taurids both known for producing
bright fireballs
• Use the highest ISO, widest f/stop you can
muster
• Be sure field of view extends 20-30
degrees beyond the radiant
• Best strategy is to use lots of moderately
long exposures and hope for the best

41. Key meteor showers
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Orionids – THIS WEEKEND!
Geminids – December 13-14, 2012
Quadrantids – January 3-4, 2013
Lyrids – April 21-22, 2013 *
Perseids – August 12-13, 2013 *
Orionids – October 20-24, 2013
Taurids -- Nov 4-6, 2013
Leonids – November 17-18, 2013 *

44. Northern Lights

45. Tips for northern lights (aurora)
• Northern lights are not common in our
area, but do occur several times/year
• Usually prefaced by 24-48 hours of
warning
• Require a very dark northern horizon
• Exposures comparable to that for milky
way (e.g., 20-30 sec, f/2.8, ISO 3200)
• Can disclose detail not seen by naked eye

48. Next year’s comet
• Comet ISON due to
be visible in late 2013
• Projected to be
brighter than full
moon, visible during
daylight hours
• Potential for a once in
a lifetime sight!
Photo of Comet Lovejoy by Luis Argerich
Used under Creative Commons
http://www.flickr.com/photos/lrargerich/7394541294/

49. Some handy resources
• Handy apps
– TPE (The Photographer’s Ephemeris)
– Moon Phase calendar
– StarTrails.exe
• Web sites
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http://www.wunderground.com/radar/radblast.asp?ID=PDT&type=N0R
http://www.gi.alaska.edu/AuroraForecast/NorthAmerica/2012/11/13
http://www.skyandtelescope.com/observing/ataglance
http://www.spaceweather.com/

51. For more pictures….