Thank you for watching! I filmed this video over 3 years ago with no idea it would be so popular. I should have done this sooner, but I just published a Patreon page if you want more access to my projects, including my composition ebook and the online workshops that I'm hosting. I suck at self-promotion but I hope you'll take a look if you enjoyed this video. patreon.com/PhotographyLifeBlog
I've seen a lot of different videos on this subject and I've been doing Milky Way/star shots myself for almost 3 years. This is by far the most informative and practical video I've ever seen. Very thorough and I love how you have a section dedicated to single exposures. Everything you say is just spot on. Not everyone has star trackers and stacking software. I've seen other videos where people talk about shooting at f4 and stacking plus using a tracker but not everyone can afford those plus the time involved. I honestly find shooting single exposures to be the most enjoyable and balanced of the methods. Plus you get more individual shots. Thank you for the awesome video!
You just reconfirmed why this is my go to channel when I want to try something new with my camera... supremely informative with straightforward attention grabbing delivery. Great vid Spencer!
I'm brand new to photography and I've seen dozens of videos to help me prepare for astrophotography and NONE of them compare to how well made, planned out and informative as this one was. Thank you so much! I also have photopills and I have built a plan to go out to the sand dunes a couple hours away in about a month. I am so unbelievably excited to take my first astrophoto!
The information you supplied was extremely helpful. What also impressed me even more (perhaps because I was never good at it) was how articulate you are, not one duh etc. Great job, thank you!
The most informative and easily understood milky way photography video that I have found. Thank you for taking the time and effort to produce this excellent overview. As soon as the rain stops I'll be putting some of your recommendations into play.
I've already had a little dabble in astrophotography, but I definitely feel I need more guidance, and I found your video so clear and informative. Thanks for putting this together. Picking up on your comment about how the Milky Way looks to the eye, I was on holiday in Santorini, sitting on our hotel terrace enjoying a glass of wine, looking out to sea, across the Caldera, and after about 15 minutes when my dark vision had kicked in, I said to my wife 'what the heck is that, it looks like a dusty cloud of stars', so I got my camera out and, without any astrophotography knowledge, took a shot. I now realise this is the Milky Way, and I sooooo wish I had the knowledge I do now, as the image wasn't great. But I was still excited to have seen the Milky Way for the first time in my life. I've been chasing it ever since, but sadly every time I go to a holiday destination with guaranteed low light pollution ... Mr Cloud or Mr Haze keep showing up and stopping me getting any photos. One day I'll get it ..... :-)
@@PhotographyLifeChannel believe me i have gone many videos on youtube on many different topics but this one is best so far. I felt like i am sitting in a classroom. You covered almost everything, person with no expensive setup wont have any excuse to NOT try astrophotography.
This is much better than the typical introductory tutorial on this topic. A couple comments on focusing, AF on the Moon, Venus, and sometimes even Jupiter does work, then of course disable AF. Otherwise MF on bright star(s) in live view zoomed 100%, then verify inspecting test shot as you suggest. I don’t think taping the focus ring is overkill. I tape the zoom ring as well as focus ring (change zoom and focus needs to be readjusted). Gaffer’s tape, I never leave home without it. No need to carry a full roll, just wrap several turns around an outdated credit card. I will be recommending this video to students who are just getting started.
What an AWESOME presentation!! You are a natural educator. One of the best and most comprehensive overviews in such a simple and elegant format. Thank you very much!!
Another fantastic instructional posting. Thanks, Spencer, I always look forward to your new videos. Having taken several Milky Way workshops in recent months, you covered all of the important points, and it was good reinforcement for me. I especially appreciate the fact that you got specific regarding the settings, as it's always better to begin with something definitive, and then adjust. One point: My Sony RX10 iv (with its 1-inch sensor, and "focus by wire") loses focus when I shut it off, or if it goes off on its own. I can try and prevent that, of course, but it's good to reiterate your point that regular checking of focus is extremely important. Thanks again, and I look forward to the post-processing video.
Thank you, Jack! My Nikon Z does the same thing when turning off the camera, and it's especially irritating for Milky Way photography. Double checking is critical.
Spencer, these are fabulous videos, thank you. You’re striking the perfect balance of engaging and detail and the composition of these photos is fabulous. Definitely inspiring!
This video is very helpful for me as a beginner. I am going to try to take my first few photos of the Milky Way in just a few weeks! I am excited and now I feel more confident! Please wish me luck on this first journey!
Thank you, great tutorial! I've seen others that charge for this kind of quality and thorough info and you're just putting out there for us to enjoy. Just got back from Yosemite and got my first milky way which I was happy with for a starter, but I clearly have a lot more to learn.
Excellent I have made a few attempts with limited results, OK rubbish results, so hopefully as soon as the skies clear and it stops raining I will get some great results now. Thanks.
Bravo! Most other MW videos left me with more questions than answers. This is by far the best, most concise, and easiest-to-follow tutorial I've come across. Thank you for taking the time and effort.
Clear, comprehensive, easily understood, concise and beautifully put together. This is the best milky way photography video that I've seen. So much of it is directly applicable to my smartphone efforts. Thank you for taking the time and effort to put this together.
This is an excellent tutorial. I am not new to night sky photography but I'm no expert either. There's a ton of useful information here and I will keep watching this every few months to ensure I remember everything! Thank you Spencer!
@@PhotographyLifeChannel It was a lot of fun. Your depth of knowledge is amazing. Look forward to the next one. Merry Christmas to you and your family, Spencer.
This is a RIDICULOUSLY good, moderately deep dive on all the facets of Milky Way photography. Terrific production value, super eloquent instruction and fabulous examples. Good show young buck.
Great presentation by a photographer speaking to other photographers who want to learn about astrophotography. Really clear advice that's well presented. Thanks alot 👍
Excellent tutorial - your instructional technique is perfect and the subject matter covered hit all the important points while avoiding useless distractions. I've wasted years watching several on the topic while still not mastering the technique. yours is really one of the best if not No 1! Looking fwd to the post-processing chapter as this is my major hurdle to overcome.
My man got the chupacabras in frame at 32:58 lmao. Great video man, like, seriously awesome, super clear, super informative and I didn't even notice it was 37 minutes long wth I'm finding out that now 😳
Really enjoyed your video. I am retiring soon and have been a long time photographer of action and wildlife. I want to break into astrophotography when I retire. I love your teaching style and giving the actual data that you use is very helpful. Appreciate your concise content!!
Thank you for a well explained and easily comprehensible tutorial. I would like to ask you about the noise reduction which is crucial in night photography. Is Noise reduction put ON more effective than taking care of it in post production ? I am using Nikon NX D. If not so, than better putting it OFF to save time and battery life.
Had to subscribe! Can be a difficult topic as it requires a good understanding of the fundamentals. Can only say a big thank you. It may just rekindle my love of photography.
It's late, and I feel sleepy, but your video is so interesting that it kept me listening. And no loud background music to annoye me, Very well done on production bravo.
I personally use a laser pointer, to get my camera's focus close to perfect, but I'll always magnify a bright star for fine tuning the focus. Great vid though, I've just taken up photography again,after many years, and got some good hints here.
You covered so many topics so many other MW tutorials have not. Very detailed with great examples. Trade off for shutter and IQ and noise vs f stop examples made “aha moments” for me. While this was not for beginner photographers, it was for beginner MW photogs.
Great video. I am a beginner in this area and wanted some in depth information about Astrophotography. This video definitely deliveres. Will be trying out these techniques pretty soon. Loved the video and you just earned a new sub.
Outstanding presentation! I do most of my photography with a smartphone. And I know it's possible to get pretty good results with them, but I might look for the "starry landscape stacker" you mentioned.
Just came across your channel and Milly Way tutorial. Great to see young people explaining the concepts so well and so clearly, removing all the mumbo jumbo that is often unnecessarily added, complicating such a wonderful hobby. Thank you so much. Just what I needed as I begin to delve into astrophotography.
Thanks for the great tutorials / videos...I was able to capture my first real Jupiter and the 4 moons last night. But I'm trying to understand why the moons look so big compared to the planet? Thank you! Looking forward to watching and learning from all your videos.
Merci beaucoup pour cette présentation, il est très explicite et agréable à regarder en plus d'être facile à comprendre même si mon anglais n'est pas à point.
Thank you for creating such a valuable content and a great video for Astro. Love your work Spencer. Waiting for the next in the series. Love the statement on embrace the darkness.
Wow this truly has been the most detailed and well explained video on The basics of Astrophotography I’ve ever come across!! Really well done!!gonna share this every time some one asks me how I manage to shoot the milkyway!! Oh I just also wanted to ask about the DMF setting and why wasn’t that being used when focusing on the stars? Cheers
Thank you for watching! I filmed this video over 3 years ago with no idea it would be so popular. I should have done this sooner, but I just published a Patreon page if you want more access to my projects, including my composition ebook and the online workshops that I'm hosting. I suck at self-promotion but I hope you'll take a look if you enjoyed this video. patreon.com/PhotographyLifeBlog
I've never seen a tutorial so comprehensive, detailed and nice to see. Good job. Thank you.
I really appreciate it!
Without introducing us to your dog, your neighbor, or your girlfriend you explained clearly what needs to be done. Best tutorial. Thank you very much.
This should be payed content. Incredible instructional skills dude
Thank you! Wow, glad you got so much value out of it. That was my goal.
@@PhotographyLifeChannel 7
Like and subscribe with notifications on. Not exactly payment :-) but it's something
I’m sure you could ask for their bank details 😂💰😮
we could all chip in, couldn't we?
I've seen a lot of different videos on this subject and I've been doing Milky Way/star shots myself for almost 3 years. This is by far the most informative and practical video I've ever seen. Very thorough and I love how you have a section dedicated to single exposures. Everything you say is just spot on. Not everyone has star trackers and stacking software. I've seen other videos where people talk about shooting at f4 and stacking plus using a tracker but not everyone can afford those plus the time involved. I honestly find shooting single exposures to be the most enjoyable and balanced of the methods. Plus you get more individual shots. Thank you for the awesome video!
So true man! Thanks for speaking out!
No videos are as helpful as this video. Perfectly described each and everything. Thanks a bunch
This is the de facto youtube guide on this subject. It needs to go WAY higher in the algorithm
You just reconfirmed why this is my go to channel when I want to try something new with my camera... supremely informative with straightforward attention grabbing delivery. Great vid Spencer!
That's awesome! Thanks, Hugo. More where this came from.
I'm brand new to photography and I've seen dozens of videos to help me prepare for astrophotography and NONE of them compare to how well made, planned out and informative as this one was. Thank you so much! I also have photopills and I have built a plan to go out to the sand dunes a couple hours away in about a month. I am so unbelievably excited to take my first astrophoto!
The information you supplied was extremely helpful. What also impressed me even more (perhaps because I was never good at it) was how articulate you are, not one duh etc. Great job, thank you!
The most informative and easily understood milky way photography video that I have found. Thank you for taking the time and effort to produce this excellent overview. As soon as the rain stops I'll be putting some of your recommendations into play.
This video is a treasure. And the dry humor throughout. You've got a new subscriber!
I've already had a little dabble in astrophotography, but I definitely feel I need more guidance, and I found your video so clear and informative. Thanks for putting this together.
Picking up on your comment about how the Milky Way looks to the eye, I was on holiday in Santorini, sitting on our hotel terrace enjoying a glass of wine, looking out to sea, across the Caldera, and after about 15 minutes when my dark vision had kicked in, I said to my wife 'what the heck is that, it looks like a dusty cloud of stars', so I got my camera out and, without any astrophotography knowledge, took a shot. I now realise this is the Milky Way, and I sooooo wish I had the knowledge I do now, as the image wasn't great. But I was still excited to have seen the Milky Way for the first time in my life. I've been chasing it ever since, but sadly every time I go to a holiday destination with guaranteed low light pollution ... Mr Cloud or Mr Haze keep showing up and stopping me getting any photos. One day I'll get it ..... :-)
You have a great speaking manner and a very fine presenter with fabulous teaching abilities. Keep up your wonderful tutorials.
Thank you, Jerry - I’m glad you liked it so much!
This video was extremely useful to find camera setting for shooting the stars!
This video is a full fledge course. Should be listed on Masterclass.
Amjad, I’m thrilled you think so! The amount of time I poured into this video is frankly concerning.
@@PhotographyLifeChannel believe me i have gone many videos on youtube on many different topics but this one is best so far. I felt like i am sitting in a classroom. You covered almost everything, person with no expensive setup wont have any excuse to NOT try astrophotography.
This is much better than the typical introductory tutorial on this topic. A couple comments on focusing, AF on the Moon, Venus, and sometimes even Jupiter does work, then of course disable AF. Otherwise MF on bright star(s) in live view zoomed 100%, then verify inspecting test shot as you suggest. I don’t think taping the focus ring is overkill. I tape the zoom ring as well as focus ring (change zoom and focus needs to be readjusted). Gaffer’s tape, I never leave home without it. No need to carry a full roll, just wrap several turns around an outdated credit card. I will be recommending this video to students who are just getting started.
Best tutorial I've ever seen. In general, not only dedicated to the specific topic
One of the best videos I’ve seen on RUclips. I will definitely be watching more of Spencer’s videos.
This is brilliant.
What an AWESOME presentation!! You are a natural educator. One of the best and most comprehensive overviews in such a simple and elegant format. Thank you very much!!
Another fantastic instructional posting. Thanks, Spencer, I always look forward to your new videos. Having taken several Milky Way workshops in recent months, you covered all of the important points, and it was good reinforcement for me. I especially appreciate the fact that you got specific regarding the settings, as it's always better to begin with something definitive, and then adjust. One point: My Sony RX10 iv (with its 1-inch sensor, and "focus by wire") loses focus when I shut it off, or if it goes off on its own. I can try and prevent that, of course, but it's good to reiterate your point that regular checking of focus is extremely important. Thanks again, and I look forward to the post-processing video.
Thank you, Jack! My Nikon Z does the same thing when turning off the camera, and it's especially irritating for Milky Way photography. Double checking is critical.
How can someone so young be such an intuitive instructor? Amazing
Thanks so much for this Spencer, I have just processed my first ever Milky Way shots and they are wonderful.
That is fantastic to hear!
I had to pause it and make this comment;
Dude, this is a gold! Really! All in one video. Everything is soooooo clear! Wish you best
Spencer, these are fabulous videos, thank you. You’re striking the perfect balance of engaging and detail and the composition of these photos is fabulous. Definitely inspiring!
Best video on this topic I’ve seen in years
I think this is one of the - or even THE most instructive, all-in-one video I saw about this subject. Awesome work mate, thank you !
This video is very helpful for me as a beginner. I am going to try to take my first few photos of the Milky Way in just a few weeks! I am excited and now I feel more confident! Please wish me luck on this first journey!
Fantastic! I'll be looking out for more videos on Astro-landscape.
28:48 best tip ever! "Embrace the darkness, a little bit." 🌠
Thank you, great tutorial! I've seen others that charge for this kind of quality and thorough info and you're just putting out there for us to enjoy. Just got back from Yosemite and got my first milky way which I was happy with for a starter, but I clearly have a lot more to learn.
Excellent presentation. Very thorough …extremely well done. Top notch speaker. Thank you
I was super intimidated by even attempting with my current set up but honestly I feel like I could give it a solid try after watching this! Thanks!
best vid by far on this subject, thanks. You explain the trade offs rather than going for 100% sharpness which others do not
Dude, best channel ever! I wish u created this channel ten years ago! While I was interested. Now, DSLR is collecting dust in my closet
Excellent I have made a few attempts with limited results, OK rubbish results, so hopefully as soon as the skies clear and it stops raining I will get some great results now. Thanks.
Bravo! Most other MW videos left me with more questions than answers. This is by far the best, most concise, and easiest-to-follow tutorial I've come across. Thank you for taking the time and effort.
Best astrophotography video I have seen. Thank you!
One of the best photography videos I've ever watched. Clear and precise and excellent delivery. Well done that man. 5*
You have a great flair for teaching. Enjoyed this episode very much. Thanks a lot.
The best summary I have have seen on Milky Way Photography. Thanks for all the work!
Clear, comprehensive, easily understood, concise and beautifully put together. This is the best milky way photography video that I've seen. So much of it is directly applicable to my smartphone efforts. Thank you for taking the time and effort to put this together.
nice one thanks for that. Just starting out with this. It will help. Good job and well explained all the best!
This is an excellent tutorial. I am not new to night sky photography but I'm no expert either. There's a ton of useful information here and I will keep watching this every few months to ensure I remember everything! Thank you Spencer!
You are most welcome, glad you found it so useful! Good luck with your astrophotography!
You never disappoint, Spencer. Thank you AGAIN for this invaluable information!
You’re quite welcome! Thanks for joining in on the livestream as well, I thought that was pretty fun.
@@PhotographyLifeChannel It was a lot of fun. Your depth of knowledge is amazing. Look forward to the next one. Merry Christmas to you and your family, Spencer.
I have to agree, all your content is full of useful information and it's presented in a concise manner. Keep up the great work.
Fantastic. "I've never seen a tutorial so comprehensive, detailed and nice to see. Good job. Thank you"
Spencer, many Thanks for the time and effort to create this valuable content! Looking forward to the next session.
Sure thing, more on the way soon!
Spencer, you are the first person to say double or triple NPF time. I have been sticking to the second and will try your advice. Thanks
This is a RIDICULOUSLY good, moderately deep dive on all the facets of Milky Way photography. Terrific production value, super eloquent instruction and fabulous examples.
Good show young buck.
Thanks! Glad you liked it.
The best video about Astro photography.
Thanks to you, I’m now updated!! Cheers mate.
Great presentation by a photographer speaking to other photographers who want to learn about astrophotography. Really clear advice that's well presented. Thanks alot 👍
Very well organized and clear tutorial. I'm looking forward to watching some of your other videos.
Excellent tutorial - your instructional technique is perfect and the subject matter covered hit all the important points while avoiding useless distractions. I've wasted years watching several on the topic while still not mastering the technique. yours is really one of the best if not No 1! Looking fwd to the post-processing chapter as this is my major hurdle to overcome.
This is such an excellent video. Thank you.
Thank you sir... This is the best tutorial I've watched so far
Great video hands down! Very detailed and comprehensive, thanks.. I sure learned a few tips.
I’m glad to hear it, thanks for saying so!
Good Job Spencer. You packed so much good information into just one video. Good Job And Thank You Buddy.
Spencer, thanks so much. This was a great video tutorial, very informational and easy to follow!
My man got the chupacabras in frame at 32:58 lmao.
Great video man, like, seriously awesome, super clear, super informative and I didn't even notice it was 37 minutes long wth I'm finding out that now 😳
Haha, thanks Leonardo! Glad you liked the video.
Really enjoyed your video. I am retiring soon and have been a long time photographer of action and wildlife. I want to break into astrophotography when I retire. I love your teaching style and giving the actual data that you use is very helpful. Appreciate your concise content!!
One of the best photography tutorials on RUclips. Spencer, it's clear you've put a lot of work into this.Thank you so much for this. Subscribed :)
Wow, thank you!
Thank you for a well explained and easily comprehensible tutorial. I would like to ask you about the noise reduction which is crucial in night photography. Is Noise reduction put ON more effective than taking care of it in post production ? I am using Nikon NX D. If not so, than better putting it OFF to save time and battery life.
Dude this is like the best video ever lol I'm learning so much. Definitely going to use all this information
Excellent tutorial. Thanks so much.
Had to subscribe! Can be a difficult topic as it requires a good understanding of the fundamentals. Can only say a big thank you. It may just rekindle my love of photography.
I’m very happy to hear it, thank you!!
This is the exact video I've been looking for. This was SO helpful and detailed. Thank you for posting!
Awesome simple beginners guide.
Many thanks. Can’t wait to give it another go.
It's late, and I feel sleepy, but your video is so interesting that it kept me listening. And no loud background music to annoye me, Very well done on production bravo.
Much appreciated!!
Very comprehensive and well explained tutorial. Thank you for sharing ... 👍
An amazing, comprehensive and watchable presentation. The best I've seen.
Incredible video. Just subscribed liked and saved the video.
This is the most complete tutorial for beginners, thank you!
One of the best tutorials I’ve ever seen! Thanks!
I personally use a laser pointer, to get my camera's focus close to perfect, but I'll always magnify a bright star for fine tuning the focus. Great vid though, I've just taken up photography again,after many years, and got some good hints here.
Thank you for this super comprehensive instructional video!! I took a lot of notes!
Sure thing!
You covered so many topics so many other MW tutorials have not. Very detailed with great examples. Trade off for shutter and IQ and noise vs f stop examples made “aha moments” for me. While this was not for beginner photographers, it was for beginner MW photogs.
A great start to astrophotography. Thanks for taking the time to share your knowledge!
You are very welcome, glad you liked it!
Simple, to the point and easy to understand course for beginners. thanks a lot for this video.👍👍👍
Great video. I am a beginner in this area and wanted some in depth information about Astrophotography. This video definitely deliveres. Will be trying out these techniques pretty soon. Loved the video and you just earned a new sub.
Thank you, Raheel! Welcome to the channel.
Outstanding presentation! I do most of my photography with a smartphone. And I know it's possible to get pretty good results with them, but I might look for the "starry landscape stacker" you mentioned.
Just came across your channel and Milly Way tutorial. Great to see young people explaining the concepts so well and so clearly, removing all the mumbo jumbo that is often unnecessarily added, complicating such a wonderful hobby. Thank you so much. Just what I needed as I begin to delve into astrophotography.
Compelling presentation. I will reference this site as all my future astrophotography.
Such an amazingly made video, interesting and well put together. Keep up the good work!
Best Milky Way tutorial I have ever watched and I have watched lots, now to put it into practice this year 🤞👍
Wow, what an amazing and comprehensive tutorial. I am just getting into photography and this has answered so many of my questions. Thanky you!
Sure thing! Happy to hear it.
outstanding tutorial!
What a fantastic video on astrophotography! So excellent explained!
Thanks for the great tutorials / videos...I was able to capture my first real Jupiter and the 4 moons last night. But I'm trying to understand why the moons look so big compared to the planet? Thank you! Looking forward to watching and learning from all your videos.
First time watcher, seriously impressed by your skills man. Subbing
Thank you!
Merci beaucoup pour cette présentation, il est très explicite et agréable à regarder en plus d'être facile à comprendre même si mon anglais n'est pas à point.
Thank you for creating such a valuable content and a great video for Astro. Love your work Spencer. Waiting for the next in the series.
Love the statement on embrace the darkness.
You are quite welcome!
This is a great video. Well organized concise information perfectly explained in an understandable way with great resources included.
Good man, thanks for the very useful information. Greetings from the UK. May God protect you.
I ❤️ how you share your knowledge.
- You’re an inspiration.
This is the all you need video!! Thanks for making and sharing this !
That’s the goal! Glad you liked it, thanks Hans.
Fantastic tutorial! Best I have seen!
We need more regular from the channel. ! Great work
Thanks for this fantastic tutorial!
Wow this truly has been the most detailed and well explained video on The basics of Astrophotography I’ve ever come across!! Really well done!!gonna share this every time some one asks me how I manage to shoot the milkyway!!
Oh I just also wanted to ask about the DMF setting and why wasn’t that being used when focusing on the stars?
Cheers