The term “Milky Way” derives from its appearance as a dim un-resolved “milky” glowing band arching across the night sky in which the naked eye cannot distinguish individual stars.
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Milky way photography is one of the most popular subjects for many photographers. People who are interested in astronomy or astrophotography also find it to be a fascinating subject. However, photographing the milky way could be a great challenge because its distance from the earth has made it impossible to be detected with the naked eye. But do not worry because we have provided tips to help you capture crisp milky way images. In this article, you will learn the best camera settings, lens, equipment, and every other necessary thing that would help you successfully photograph well-defined images of the galaxy, either as a professional or beginner in astrophotography.
What objects should be in the ideal Milky Way photo?
An ideal Milky Way photo should showcase the galactic core and a captivating foreground in a dark sky location. Use a wide-angle lens to capture both the Milky Way and the foreground.
Quick Camera Settings for Milky Way Photography
Aperture – f/2.8 -f/3.2
Focal length – 24mm-35mm
ISO – 1600-6400
Shutter speed – 15-30 seconds
Mode- Manual
Camera exposure- 80-120 seconds
White balance – Auto
How Can You Photograph The Milky Way?
Photographing the milky way could be challenging, especially for people starting astrophotography. However, with the correct information, tips, equipment, techniques, and practices, anyone can easily capture some crisp images of the galaxy.
Equipment Needed For Milky Way Photography
1. A Suitable Camera
To capture the Milky Way, you need a camera with good low light sensitivity, capable of taking long exposures. We have many cameras capable of capturing the Milky Way, but it is vital to make sure that your camera can take long exposure photos. If you have a point-and-shoot camera or an entry-level DSLR, you may want to consider upgrading if your exposure time is limited to 30 seconds or less.
2. A sturdy tripod
You will need a well-built tripod that can hold your camera firmly for long. A sturdy tripod is vital and contributes significantly to the clarity of your images. Heavy-duty tripods are more suitable for this job. But, you can use any sturdy tripod capable of withstanding harsh weather conditions. You can start with the K&F Concept 62″ DSLR Tripod if you want to save yourself some money. But if you are interested in getting a long-lasting tripod, you can purchase the Peak Design Travel Tripod (5 Section Aluminum Camera Tripod).
3. A remote shutter release
You have to prevent camera shakes during astrophotography, so a shutter release is also an essential tool for milky way photography. You can use a wired, wireless, or phone app shutter release or your camera’s inbuilt self-timer. You can download the best remote shutter release app from the google play store or apple store.
4. A wide-angle lens
Taking pictures of the Milky Way can be complicated because of its low visibility to the naked eyes. So, the camera needs a lens with a wide aperture to capture enough light. A typical camera lens will only let in about one-tenth of the light available on earth. Therefore, you need an ultra-wide lens to magnify and capture faint sky subjects. We have provided a list of the best ultra-wide-angle lenses for astrophotography here.
5. A good sky map application
A sky map application helps you track and identify stars and other planetary subjects. The sky map application is not a compulsory instrument for night sky photography, but it is advised. Best sky map applications for Android and iPhone gadgets include Star Walk, PhotoPills, SkyView lite, Solar Walk, and SkySafari.
Related Article: “ How to Use a Speedlight? Photography Tips For Beginners “
Professional Tips For Milky Way Photography
Here is a detailed step-by-step process to help you photograph the Milky Way like a pro.
1. Plan your shooting
You must plan your shooting during the day using the best sky map applications to determine when and where the Milky Way will be visible at night.
A. Find a good location
After finding out where the Milky Way will appear, you must pick a suitable location to shoot the photographs.
- Find a relatively dark area. The darker, the better.
- Avoid light-polluted areas such as cities and construction sites.
- Try to find an area with a clear view of the sky. If possible, find a place away from trees and buildings that can obstruct or partially hide the sky from your broad visibility.
For your safety or security reasons, ensure to discover and establish a good location during the day.
B. Be mindful of the weather
The weather condition plays a vital role in the success and clarity of your milky way photographs. Ensure to check the weather forecast and prepare accordingly with the predictions. Pick up the most suitable protective gear for your equipment. Ensure to also have in place personal protective measures against the weather.
C. Pack several batteries
If you intend to stay long outside during the night, consider going with several charged batteries to enjoy a long milky way shooting experience.
2. Use a tripod
A sturdy tripod is vital for long exposures photography. It will help you focus and shoot the sky from different wide angles while maintaining your position. In addition to a sturdy tripod, ensure not to hold your camera to prevent shakes and blurry images.
3. Use an ultra-wide-angle lens
A wide-angle lens will create stunning foregrounds for your shots and enable you to capture broad images of the night sky.
What Settings Do You Use to Shoot The Milky Way?
There are no exact camera settings for Milky Way photography. The settings to use are dependent on your camera, location, and weather condition. There are many different settings that you can use to capture this celestial wonder. But this article will focus on some of the best camera settings for Milky Way Photography.
Best Camera Setting To Use –
- ISO
A 1600-6400 ISO setting is frequently used by astrophotographers, but remember that a high ISO will produce highly noisy images. However, modern DSLR cameras with top crop sensors have made it possible to capture clean night sky images at higher ISO. If you want to photograph the galaxy with a point-and-shoot camera, the setting should be between 400-1600 with an aperture at f/2.8 or higher and a shutter speed of 10 seconds or more.
- Camera aperture
Use the widest aperture opening, for instance, f/3.2. This will permit surplus light into the camera lens and allow a shorter exposure duration. Another wide aperture like f/2.8 is similarly suitable for night sky shooting. An f/2.8 aperture opening permits you to include some foreground subjects ( such as trees, landscape, cars) in your milky way photographs.
- Shutter speed
Your shutter speed should tally with your aperture. So, the shutter speed should be the longest. You can find out how to determine the suitable shutter speed for milky way photography by using the 500 rule.
The 500 rule calculates the longest possible exposure time for astrophotography right before the appearance of the night sky stars. To get the longest possible shutter speed using the 500 rule, divide 500 by the effective focal length of your camera lens. For instance, 500 divided by 24mm focal lens would be 20.8 seconds. Ensure to divide 500 by the focal length of your lens to discover the best shutter speed needed for your shooting.
- Focus
Use manual focus to prevent your camera from capturing stray subjects in the sky.
- White balance
Use the auto white balance option to give your camera total control over the color temperature to apply based on the lighting condition and your location.
There are no specific settings for milky way photography. You can start with the recommended settings and adjust them to your preference after taking some test shots.
If you are a beginner in astrophotography, you may consider starting with the night sky and star trail photography.
How Do You Shoot A Milky Way Panorama?
Simple Step-by-step guide to shooting the milky way panorama.
- Plan your shooting
Plan your shooting by pre-discovering when and where the milky way would appear in the night sky
You can easily do this using apps like Photopills and Cosmonium. Another simple way to find out is by locating where your local Dark Sky Park is and planning your trip there. You can quickly discover dark sky parks in your locality here.
- Go to the pre-selected location at night
Ensure the area is not light-polluted and does not contain subjects that will obscure the night sky from your broad view.
- Set up your equipment
Now that you are at the right location, level your tripod, mount your camera and adjust the settings, and take a few test shots of the milky way panoramas.
Quick Camera Settings For Milky Way Panoramas
- ISO: 3200-6400
- Aperture: f/2.8-f/3.2
- Exposure: 60-120 seconds
- Shutter speed: 20-25 seconds
- White balance: Auto
- Focus: Infinity
Tips And Techniques To Use For Milky Way Panoramas Photography
- Set your camera in manual mode to have control of the shutter speed, aperture, and ISO.
- Optimize your camera settings for low-light photography.
- Level your tripod and make sure that it is sturdy enough to hold the weight of the camera and lens.
- Shoot the photograph in RAW mode
- Avoid light-polluted areas
- Take test shots of the milky way panoramas from different angles.
- Maintain the same camera settings until you have taken a complete sequence of the milky way panoramas images.
- Edit the photographs in either lightroom or photoshop.
Best Tools to Use In Shooting Simple Milky Way Panorama Images
Here are a few things you will need to catch crisp milky way panoramas images
- A sturdy tripod
- A camera that can shoot in RAW mode
- A shutter release
- A fast wide-angle lens
What Are The Best Lenses To Shoot Milky Way Panorama Images?
The lens you need to shoot the Milky Way depends on what you want to capture. A wide-angle lens is more suitable for single shots, and a telephoto lens is best for a series of photographs.
Wide-angle lenses are best for capturing the vast expanse of the night sky and its stars. They are also great for shooting some foreground objects close to the camera. Telephoto lenses come with their own set of advantages as well. They can help you take clear shots of some distant objects like galaxies and nebulae.
Best two camera lenses for milky way panorama images:
This lens has a wide aperture that delivers a brilliant-large aperture brightness, making it suitable for night sky and milky way photography.
This lens has a constant aperture of f/2.8 throughout the zoom range, making it able to make the most of any available amount of light.
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FQAs
How Do You Focus The Milky Way In Photography?
Focusing on the milky way in astrophotography is simple. All you have to do is to set your camera focus lens to infinity. This will allow you to capture as much of the sky as possible.
Where Can you see the Milky Way?
The Milky Way is visible from Earth’s Southern Hemisphere. But it can be seen from Earth’s Northern Hemisphere during certain times of the year, notably in early summer in the Northern Hemisphere and early winter in the Southern Hemisphere.
Which Photographic Filters Enhance Milky Way And Night Photography?
The most common filter used to enhance the milky way and night photography is the color filter which alters the colors of the images by absorbing certain wavelengths of light. Another type of filter used to enhance night sky images is the infrared filter which blocks visible light but allows infrared light to pass through them.