Hone Your Skills In Astrophotography

Astrophotography can be so challenging, yet so rewarding. Some of the factors that you need to consider or rather makes astrophotography worth it are the right equipment, the time of the month best suited, and a photographic awareness as a photographer to shoot at the right time. Planning is definitely an important part of photography and this is what the digital photography classes teach.

Give Astrophotography is advanced style of photography; there is a need to have thorough experience and knowledge about how shutter speed, aperture, and ISO work.

That is not to say you have to have an expensive camera in order to shoot astrophotography, but it does need to have manual settings. For the highest level of control, one has to work on the manual mode.

A wide angle lens is best for astrophotography. Also known as a “fast” lens, as in, a lens that lets a lot of light in with a wide aperture (e.g. f2.8, f1.8), they work better for astrophotography.

Calculation of shutter speed is also important in astrophotography and we tell you why. Since the earth is constantly rotating, you just can’t pull off the shot you want by merely pointing your camera and leave your camera’s shutter open indefinitely. The stars tend to blur after a period of time. This effect can be put to great effect at times, but for a traditional shot of the Milky Way, we need the stars to remain sharp.

For calculating the shutter speed, you have to apply the 500 rule. The calculation goes something like this: the exposure time is 500 ÷ lens focal length.

If you are looking to get great photos of the stars at night, you need to have clear skies. The key is to plan ahead so you can have the best chance of getting the results you want. Keep tabs on weather and so there are no unforeseen delays in the shoot.  

New moon period is where there is no moon in the sky. Due to the sheer brightness, it can make stars disappear, which is the last thing we want! A new moon or at least a crescent moon is the prime of the astrophotography. The window for photography is short and it is obvious a bit more planning needs to occur.

Another consideration is light pollution. The primary reasons for such pollution are the street lamps, house lights fuelled by various oils. The city environment is such that you can barely see stars at night and this attributes to the light pollutions. A simple way with which you can tackle this problem is accessing the light pollution maps available for free online. This can help you find the clean and green space!

In the wake of the ongoing pandemic which continues to cast apprehensions, a digital photography course in the field of your interest in most suitable. Moreover, it can let you learn the nuances of photography at the comfort of your home and safety.