One of the sad things about living in the suburbs close to a couple of major cities is light pollution mucking up my attempts to see the stars. Last night was very gloriously clear and lovely outside. so I stepped out for a bit on my balcony and gave it a go.
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| ISO800 14mm f/10 30sec |
#1 - A SOLID tripod. I'm not talking about a $20 job from walmart. You're going to need something that has a head which when locked into place is really firm and (if you're going to be out in it) something that won't go all wibbly wobbly if a mild gust of wind comes about.
#2 - High ISO. The above was shot at 800 to reduce inherent noise in the image. NOW THEN, the reason I was able to get away with this is just exactly because I'm in an urban area with a LOT of light pollution. If I was out somewhere gorgeous like Yellowstone with minimal light pollution I'd crank the ISO up to 1600 or maybe even higher to maximize the sensor's ability to pick up that gorgeous startlight.
#3 - A remote (optional, but preferred). Now, if you REALLY want to get nitty gritty and awesome, get a remote (corded or wireless) so you can shoot in mirror up mode and get absolutely no camera shake at all.
#4 - Weather appropriate clothing. Case and point for me I was doing this in shorts and a tshirt while it was a stunning 36*F outside. I could get away with it though by jumping in and out of my house through the patio door. Now, when I did some astral photography while I was in Japan it wasn't too cold, but I was doing it during the summer when I was acclimated to summertime heat so when it got a little chilly I actually had to bust into my hiking pack (I was on top of a mountain in the Hakkoda Mountains, Japan) and pull out my space blanket. Kind of inconvenient to hold it on and manipulate the camera at the same time.
SO, there you have it. Happy shooting and feel free to leave a comment if you have any questions!
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