Photography night sky a field guide for shooting after dark jennifer wu

Photography

NIGHTSKY



Photography

NIGHTSKY
AFieldGuideforShootingAfterDark
JENNIFERWUANDJAMESMARTIN


TOYOU,PHOTOGRAPHERSOFTHENIGHT
MountaineersBooksisthepublishingdivisionofTheMountaineers,
anorganizationfoundedin1906anddedicatedtotheexploration,
preservation,andenjoymentofoutdoorandwildernessareas.
1001SWKlickitatWay,Suite201•Seattle,WA98134800.553.4453
•www.mountaineersbooks.org
Copyright©2014byJenniferWuandJamesMartin
Allrightsreserved.Nopartofthisbookmaybereproducedorutilizedinanyform,orbyanyelectronic,mechanical,or
othermeans,withoutthepriorwrittenpermissionofthepublisher.
PrintedinChina
DistributedintheUnitedKingdombyCordee,www.cordee.co.uk

1716151412345
Copyeditor:AnneMoreau
Coverdesignandlayout:PeggyEgerdahl
Coverphotograph:ShootingstaroverHalfDome,YosemiteNationalPark,California.f/1.4,20seconds,ISO1600,
24mm,CanonEOS5DMarkII.

Frontispiece:CrescentmoonphotographedinYosemiteNationalPark,California.f/5.6,1/30second,ISO640,800mm,
CanonEOS5DMarkII.
AllphotographsbyJenniferWuunlessotherwisenoted
LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationData

Wu,Jennifer.
Photographynightsky:afieldguideforshootingafterdark/JenniferWuandJamesMartin.
pagescm
Includesindex.
ISBN978-1-59485-838-3(paperback)—ISBN978-1-59485-839-0(ebook)
1.Astronomicalphotography—Handbooks,manuals,etc.2.Nightphotography—Handbooks,manuals,etc.I.Martin,
James,1950-II.Title.III.Title:Nightsky.
QB121.W82014
522’.63–dc23
2013028305
ISBN(paperback):978-1-59485-838-3
ISBN(ebook):978-1-59485-839-0


CONTENTS
Preface
Introduction

CHAPTER1 COMPOSITION
DefiningtheSubject
FramingatNight
EstablishingtheForeground
Light-PaintingtheForeground
CombiningImages
ControllingUnwantedLight

CHAPTER2 EQUIPMENT
Cameras
Lenses
Filters
Tripods
Intervalometers

CHAPTER3 PREPARINGTOSHOOT
PreliminaryResearch
FieldConditions
Checklist:BeforeYouShoot

CHAPTER4 FOCUS
Autofocus
ManualFocuswithLCD
Checklist:StepsforManuallyFocusingonaStar
FocusthroughTrialandError

CHAPTER5 CAMERASETTINGS


ColorTemperature
Exposure
CameraPresets

CHAPTER6 STARSASPOINTSOFLIGHT
Wide-AngleLens
ShutterSpeed
500Rule

Aperture,ISO,andExposure
Checklist:CameraSettingsforStarsasPointsofLight
BlackGloveTechnique
Panoramas

CHAPTER7 STARTRAILS
ComposingtheImage
DeterminingExposure
UsinganIntervalometerorBulbMode
Checklist:CameraSettingsforStackedStarTrails

CHAPTER8 THEMOON
DeterminingExposure
FullMoon
CrescentMoon
StarburstMoon
HalosandClouds
Eclipse
Moonlight
Moonbows

CHAPTER9 TWILIGHT
DeterminingExposure


UrbanNights

CHAPTER10 CELESTIALPHENOMENA
ZodiacalLight
IridiumFlares

Meteors
NoctilucentClouds
Auroras
Volcanoes

CHAPTER11 POST-PROCESSINGNIGHTIMAGES
ProcessingStarsasPointsofLight
ProcessingStarTrails
ProcessingCombinedImages
AFinalNoteofEncouragement
Resources
Glossary
Acknowledgments
Index


PREFACE
As a landscape photographer, I’ve spent hundreds of nights sleeping under the stars. I
enjoymoonriseandmoonset—thefullmoonhanginglikealanternoverthehorizonorthe
first crescent of the lunar cycle chasing the sunset. However, I love most the glowing
MilkyWayslicingthroughthemidsummersky.Thatdustingofstars,aminusculefraction
of the hundred million in our galaxy, is enough to bring forth the deepest questions of
existenceandignitealoveofthegreatbeautyoftheuniverse.
I wanted to capture that beauty and splendor with my camera, to place the darkened
landscape against the bright stars of the night sky. My early attempts left much to be
desired,butovertimeeachissueIencounteredwasresolvedtomysatisfaction.Ibeganto
create images that approached what I was looking for in night sky images. Star
photography, I found, allows us to see more deeply into the galaxy. Hidden colors are
revealed,andstarstoodimforthehumaneyetoperceiveappearlikemagicintheimage.
ThebookyouholdistheresultofJamesMartin’ssuggestionthatIwriteonthesubject

of night sky photography. I liked the idea of explaining the issues and techniques
particulartocapturingthenightsky,soweagreedtocollaborate.
ItwasbytrialanderrorthatIdiscoveredhowtophotographthestarsaspointsoflight
as I was not shown by anyone how to do that. The results of those experiments are the
foundationofthisbook.TheyarethetechniquesIfindthatworkbest,atleasttomytaste.
Photographyisaboutpersonalvision.Thisbookisatoolbox;usethetoolsasyouseefit.I
won’t be bothered if you prefer a different color balance or opt for a greater sense of
motioninstarfieldsthanI.Myhopeisthatyouwillfindavisionofyourown,enjoythe
creativeprocess,andsharethebeautyofthenightlandscapewithothers.
JenniferWu



Thisartist’sconceptillustratestheMilkyWay’selegantspiralstructureasdominatedby
twoarms.CourtesyNASA/JPL-Caltech/R.Hurt(SSC/Caltech)


INTRODUCTION
OurplanetsitsontheouteredgeoftheMilkyWaygalaxy,apin-wheelingdiskcomposed
of200billionto400billionstars,onegalaxyamonghundredsofbillions.However,we
canseeonlyafewthousandatatimewiththenakedeye.Becauseweareneartheedgeof
thisrotatingdisk,we’removingfast,abouthalfamillionmilesanhour.Evenso,ittakes
225millionyearsforthegalaxytocompleteonerevolution.
Thedensestconcentrationofstarsisinthemiddleofthedisk,about30,000light-years
away.WhenwesaywearelookingattheMilkyWay,wemeanthebandofthegreatest
density.Everystarweseeispartofourgalaxy.
Astheearthorbitsthesun,weseedifferentpartsofthesky.InwinterinNorthAmerica,
welooktowardtheouteredges,withfewstarsthataresetawayfromthecenter,andthe
sun and its light masking the glowing heart of the galaxy. However, in June, July, and
August,welooktotheareawiththedensestconcentrationofstarsandgasses—somany

starswecan’ttellthemapart.
IfyoulookupfromtheNorthPoleonaclearwinter’snight,youcanwatchtheNorth
Star floating immobile in the sky. A time-lapse would show the constellations spinning
arounditcounterclockwise.Halfwaytotheequator,atthe45thparallel—whichisroughly
the latitude of Portland, Oregon; Minneapolis; and Milan—the North Star is halfway
betweenthehorizonandthepointdirectlyaboveyourhead.Justnorthoftheequator,it
would skim along the horizon. An hours-long exposure of the night sky captured
photographingstraightupfromtheSouthPolewouldlooklikeconcentriccircles.Atimelapsewouldshowthestarstravelingclockwise.
The stars provide a wonderful backdrop for night photography, but the sky abounds
with other objects and phenomena. Meteors streak across the sky. Comets orbit the sun
from the farthest reaches of the solar system, their tails pointing away from the sun
whethercomingorgoing.Aurorasflameanddanceatthepoles.TheBeltofVenuspaints
the horizon pink for mere minutes each twilight. The moon shifts its shape day by day.
Learningtheartofphotographingatnightwillallowyoutocapturethebeautyofthese
celestialvisions.

THEARTOFNIGHTSKYPHOTOGRAPHY
Photographing the night sky can challenge the most accomplished photographer. We
constantlybattlethelawsofphysics,thelimitationsofequipment,ever-changingweather,
andtheintrusionsofotherpeople.Digitalsensorsgeneratenoiseduringlongexposures,
clouds and dew obscure the stars, passing headlights blow out foregrounds, and some
nightsgrowexceedinglycold,drainingbatteriesandnumbingfingers.Inthisbookwewill
lookathowtoovercomethechallengesoftechnology,weather,anddarkness.


TheMilkyWayreflected,YosemiteNationalPark,California.f/1.4,20seconds,ISO1600,
24mm,CanonEOS5DMarkII.
Still,whenproperlydone,therewardsareworthalltheeffort.Withalongexposure,the
sensor picks up faint stars, invisible to the naked eye, as they glitter like diamond dust.
StartrailsrevolvingaroundtheNorthStar(Polaris)testifytotherotationoftheglobe.The

sensorcapturesthelasttintsoftwilightglowonthehorizon,gradingfromredtocobalt
blue.
DuringoneofmyfirstnightsphotographingtheMilkyWay,Inoticedmorestarsonthe
LCDthanIsawlookingatthesky.Puzzled,Itriedanexperiment.Iphotographedadark
area between two bright stars and viewed the image. There were so many stars I was
amazed.Becauseacamera’ssensorpicksupmorelightthanoureyes,thepossibilitiesfor
photographingtheMilkyWayandthestars—forcreatingfantasticviewsofthesky—far
exceedwhatstrikesthenakedeye.TheMilkyWaylookslikeawhitebandoflighttoour
eyes,butthecamerapicksupevenmorestarsaswellasthegasseswecannotsee.
Asyouphotographattwilightandatnight,you’llcometorecognizethebestmomentto
photographasthecoloroftheskychanges.You’llknowbyglancingataphotographof
theMilkyWayinwhatseasontheimagewascaptured.You’llrecognizescenesthatcould
becomegreatforegrounds,visualizinghowthestarswouldworkasabackground.Shutter
speed, ISO, and color temperature change shot to shot within a narrow range, and the
techniquesneededtocreateacompetentphotographareeasytograsp.Theartofnightsky
photographycentersonhowtobringanimagetolife—tomeldforegroundandstarsintoa
strikingcomposition.

ABOUTTHEBOOK


Thisbookconcentratesonphotographingfourprincipalsubjects:starsaspointsoflight,
star trails, the moon, and twilight. These subjects share common techniques and
considerations, but each requires a distinct approach. In addition, the book will cover
techniquesforphotographingotherphenomenainthenightskysuchasauroras,meteors,
andfalsedawns.
Once captured, the images need to be processed on the computer, a practice we call
post-processing.Thesettingsandpost-processingproceduresthatcanliftanimagefrom
mundane to striking are presented at the end of the book. Impeccable technique is not
enough.Strivetoelevateyourphotographyconceptuallyaswell.Applyingafewsimple

compositionalpreceptscantransformalifelesssnapshotintoadynamicphotograph.
Lookforsidebarswithtips,checkliststohelpyouorganizeaseamlessshoot,andextra
information in “Shooting with Jennifer” sidebars to spur your progress and inspire your
work.Bookmarkthechecklistsforeasyreferencewhenyouaregettingpreparedorareout
inthefield.


1
COMPOSITION



Crescentmoonplacedbetweenthebranchesofthedeadtreeinsilhouetteattwilight,
WhiteMountains,California.f/22,10seconds,ISO100,24–70mmat70mm,CanonEOS
5D.



reativecompositionmakesthephotographcompellingwhiletechniquemerelyunveils
thecomposition.Aperfectlyexposed,impeccablysharpimagemeansnothingunless
thephotographpresentsastrongarrangementofcompositionalelements.

C

Compositionisdoublyimportantwhenphotographingthenightskytoavoidrepetition
andmonotony.Onetightshotofafullmoonlookslikeanother.Aperfectlyexposedimage
oftheMilkyWayresemblesallthatwentbefore.Evenifourgalaxyalmostfillstheframe,
itservesascontext.Theotherelementsmaketheshot.

DEFININGTHESUBJECT

AstheMilkyWayemergesfromthehorizon,itdefinesabandacrosstheskythatleadsthe
eyeacrosstheframe.IncludingwithintheframetheintersectionoftheMilkyWayandthe
earth’s horizon grounds the image and makes it more balanced. Light pollution from a
distant city provides a pleasing, warm glow on the horizon that mimics the sunset,
contrastingwiththecoolerpaletteofthenightsky.
Photograph both horizontal and vertical images. You may prefer one way in the field
butseemeritintheotherwhenreviewingyourimagesathome.Ahorizontalimageworks
welltoemphasizethefeaturesinthelandscapeortheMilkyWaywhenitarchesacrossthe
sky.Averticalimageworkswellwhenyouhaveatalltreeintheforegroundorwhenthe
MilkyWayisadiagonalinthesky.ThelattercompositionplacesemphasisontheMilky
Wayasthemainsubjectinthescene.
PanoramasofthenightskycanpresentadramaticviewbyincludingmoreoftheMilky
Wayandthegrandeurofthelandscape.Thelargedigitalfilewillmakeareallybigprint.
See“Panoramas”inchapter6.

FRAMINGATNIGHT
Framinginthedarkisachallenge.Ifpossible,scoutyourlocationindaylight,whenit’s
easiertofindgoodforegrounds.Determineyourlenschoiceandimagineastar-filledsky.
Lookforsubjectsthatworkwellasasilhouette.Takeafewtestshotswithdifferentfocal
lengthstodeterminecompositionandthebestlenschoiceforthescene.Markthebestsite
withapileofrocks,ateepeeofbranches,oranyotherobjectyoucanlocateinthedark.A
GPScanleadyoutotherightplaceandhelpyougetbackaswell.
Duringthedayyouseetheclutteranddeadbranches,butatnightthedarknessreveals
justthesilhouette,makingitamoreappealingphotograph.Itiseasytolookforsubjectdefined images by day; however, at night, focus on the form and shape instead of the
subjecttohelpenvisionwhatitwilllooklikeasasilhouette.Atfirstyoumaynotbeable
to imagine what it will look like at night, but after you have some experience of
photographingatnightyouwillseewithnewvision.
Bringacompasswithyouduringthedaytohelporientyourselfsoyoucanfigureout
where the Milky Way, auroras, or the moon will be in relation to the scenery when you
return at night. Plan to photograph in the direction of your foreground subject or in the

direction where the landscape is lit by the moon. A number of programs, apps, and
websitesshowwherethemoonwillriseandsetandthepositionoftheMilkyWayforany
given location and date. See “PreliminaryResearch” in chapter3, and Resources at the


endofthebook.

BigIslandofHawaii.TheMilkyWay,seenasabandacrosstheskywithanerupting
volcanointhedistance,createsthereddishglowinthesky.Theyellowglowcomesfrom
thecityofHilo.ThelowdiagonalbandoftheMilkyWaylendsitselftoahorizontal
compositionandthe16mmlensallowsformoreoftheMilkyWayandskytobeincluded.
f/2.8,30seconds,ISO3200,16–35mmIIlenssetto16mm,CanonEOS-1DsMarkIII.
Whilemakingyourtestexposureatnight,composetheimageintheframe.Witheach
newimage,adjustthecompositionandstraightenthehorizonlineifneeded.



Iscoutedtheareaduringthedaylookingfortreestoshootagainsttheskyassilhouettes,
andreturnedatnight.PhotographedatBryceCanyonNationalPark,Utah.Nightimage
atf/1.8,20seconds,ISO4000,24mmlens,CanonEOS5DMarkIII.

SHOOTINGWITHJENNIFER
WhenphotographingtheGrandTetonsnearthefullmoon,thelandscapewassobrightly
litIdidn’tneedaflashlighttoseethepath.Afterthemoonsethowever,Ireallywanted
it.EarlierthatdayIhadseenabear,riverotters,andelkinthesamelocation.Theydid
notseembotheredbymypresenceorthepresenceofotherphotographerswhenIshot
there at sunrise. That night an elk barked as I photographed, and I heard the sound of
hoovespounding.Ididn’tfeelwelcome!Ihadalreadytakenthisshotofthemountains
andsky,soIlefttheelktoitsnighttimecontemplationofthestars.

StarstwonightsbeforethefullmoonatSchwabacher’sLanding,GrandTetonNational
Park,Wyoming.Ioriginallyshotthisasallsky,butitwasnotascompellingbecauseof
thelargeareaoftheskywithfewstars.Icroppedtheskyandincludedthelandscape,
makingthesubjectofthephotothemoonlitlandscapesupportedbythestarsasthe
backgroundelement.f/3.5,25seconds,24–70mmlensat27mm,CanonEOS-1DsMark
III.


LogandMilkyWayatYosemiteNationalPark,California.SincetheMilkyWayandstars
canlookthesame,Ilookforaninterestingforegroundsuchasalog,tree,orbouldersto
makeitdifferent.TheverticalcompositionplacesemphasisontheMilkyWayasthemain
subject.Thewarmglowinthedistanceisambientcitylight.f/1.4,20seconds,ISO1600,
24mmlens,CanonEOS5DMarkII.


Starswithforegroundlitbyahalf-moonatZionNationalPark,Utah.Thereisnotmuch
goingonintheskywiththebrightmoon,soIdidnotincludemuchofit.Additionally,the
horizontalcompositionworkstoemphasizethelandscapeoverthesky.f/2.8,30seconds,
ISO1600,16–35mmIIlenssetto16mm,CanonEOS-1DsMarkIII.
Establishing a straight horizon may require extra care because the black foreground
blendsinwiththedarksky.Somecamerasfeaturehorizontalandverticallevelsdisplayed
ontheLCD.Absentthat,abubblelevelthatfitsinthehotshoeisaneffectivesubstitute.
(Somebubblelevelsaremisaligned.Checkyoursforaccuracybeforetrustingit.)Usea
small red flashlight—red light preserves night vision—or a dim headlamp to light the
bubblelevelfrombehindtoseeifyourhorizonlineisstraight.
Trust your eye and experience. Even if the bubble level shows that a horizon that
appears tilted is straight, frame it in the way pleasing to your eye, especially when
workingwithaslightlyunlevelhorizonlinesuchasamountainslopeorcurvingshoreline
anglingtowardoneedgeoftheframe.