For most urban dwellers in our country and around the world, an inky black night sky bejeweled with innumerable dazzling stars is something they have rarely experienced in their lifetimes. Such is the cost of modern living.
Not on GoMissing trekking tours though! On our treks, not only would you get a chance to sleep under the stars and admire the night sky in its full glory but also lap up the opportunity to get that perfect picture of starry starry night.
To help you capture that perfect moment, we have put together this basic night photography guideline that tells you which equipment you will need and steps you need to take to get started.
Nightscape: Credits
Equipment
Manual Control Camera
You will need a manual control camera. What this means is that you should be able to change the shutter speed, the aperture and the ISO settings independent of each other. A DSLR or a mirrorless camera would suffice.
A Tripod
The thing about nights is, well, that there’s not much light. Hence, you need to keep the shutter open for a time period of a few seconds upto a minute or even more. To minimize jitter and improve stability of your camera you will need a tripod. You will also require a cable release or a remote control for taking the picture – this is important because some shots will take up to 30 seconds.
Lens
To shoot a nightscape, it is always better to have a fast and wide lens. So any lens that has an aperture of 2.8 or above and focal length of at most 35mm would allow you to cover a wide enough area.
Steps to follow
1. Switch off autofocus
Yes, to shoot the night sky, you will have to switch off autofocus and focus at infinity. Turning the focusing ring all the way to the infinity mark can lead to this outcome.
2. Find Right Location
Find a good position. This would be easy as on GoMissing treks we reach our campsite before sunset and so you would be able to scout perfect locations before nightfall.
Starscape: Credits
3. Shoot RAW
This is a must as getting good night sky photograph actually happens after the shooting is done, when you get around to editing your photographs. It is always best to every so slightly underexpose your photographs as you can always get more details from your shadows when you have shot in RAW format.
4. Increase ISO
At first look, a high ISO seems counterproductive. Surely, you would want to decrease noise? But if you look at it properly, a high ISO will allow you to have a faster shutter speed and avoid star trails and decrease the chance of hot pixels. By shooting RAW, you will be able to combat noise post production.
With these basics, you will be able to easily capture images of the night sky in all its dazzling glory.
Want to enjoy a starry night? Call us or click below to find more about our various treks where the stars shine bright like diamonds in the sky!
Mail us at: info@gomissing.in or call: +91 – 82853 49989.
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