How to PREPARE for Night Photography | Gear - Accessories - Tips & Tricks
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- Опубликовано: 27 авг 2024
- Ever wonder what you need for a successful Milky Way photo? In this video, I go over exactly what gear and practical accessories you need to get started in night sky photography. I reveal my personal tips and tricks for shooting at night and protecting your night vision. These unique tips can be applied to moon and star photography as well.
This video is Part 2 of my three part Milky Way Photography Series.
#milkyway #nightphotography #outdoorphotographyschool
Be sure to check out:
Part 1: How to PLAN a Milky Way Photo | Step by Step with PhotoPills - • How to PLAN a Milky Wa...
Part 3: How to PHOTOGRAPH the Milky Way | Settings - Timelapse - Tips: • How to PHOTOGRAPH the ...
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GEAR I RECOMMEND FROM THIS VIDEO:
Camera - any DSLR or mirrorless camera that can handle high ISO settings will do. I currently use the following:
Nikon D810 (full frame) DSLR Camera: amzn.to/2phHzua
Nikon D5500 (crop sensor) DSLR Camera: amzn.to/2JqAO1J
Lenses - fast wide angle lenses are best
Rokinon 14mm, f/2.8, manual focus: amzn.to/2IBp0sf
Nikon AF-S FX NIKKOR 24mm f/1.8G ED Lens: amzn.to/2uR7Dlf
Tripod - any sturdy tripod will do
Gitzo GT2532 Carbon Tripod (current model): amzn.to/2uN7ZZO
Really Right Stuff BH-40 Ballhead: amzn.to/2GCgbi1
ACCESSORIES I RECOMMEND FROM THIS VIDEO:
Vello Freewave Plus Remote Shutter Release (check compatibility with your camera): amzn.to/2IxlSON
Petzl Headlamp: amzn.to/2EraVeb
Alite Camp Chair: amzn.to/2JpVsPf
Compass: amzn.to/2H2ObGY
Bear Bell: amzn.to/2qdKwf1
Gaffer Tape: amzn.to/2HeI6F5
Handwarmers: amzn.to/2FHnyHQ
Lens Warmer Muff: amzn.to/2GFgxmZ
Ruggard Rain Cover: amzn.to/2HGqxN0
Red Transparency Adhesive Film: amzn.to/2qbr16Q
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All video and still images are by Brenda Petrella.
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Hey all! I'd like to mention two corrections: 1) When I recommended a DSLR for night sky photography, I meant to include mirrorless cameras too. To those mirrorless shooters out there - my apologies for the oversight! 2) I realize that I say "astrophotography" several times throughout the video and that is not technically accurate. I use the term to mean general night sky photography, and not just the sort of photography that combines the use of telescopes.
hey brenda, I am curious as to how the pano of the milky wall you have on your wall is shot. I suspect its not just a normal pano? do you have to wait abit between shots to make it one whole piece?
LOL You're completely out of your content ! The earth doesn't spins.
Where did you get to this information from, that we live on a 1000 mph spinning ball ? 🧐
I love that all your videos are so "content-dense". Many great tips here. You're good at organizing and your explanations are clear. Good job!
Thanks so much, Deborah! :)
Gaffer tape, the hero of our kit bags! I loved the idea of wrapping some around a card for easy pack carry. Thanks for you tubing, lady!
Thanks, Ellen! Glad you liked the tip :).
I love this series and thank you for sharing!!
Very nice video and excellent tips!!
Thanks so much, Joao!
Thanks for all the tips! Brenda, you are the McGuyver of night photography. Love your channel, thanks for doing what you do.
LOL! Thank you, Gail! That is a high compliment! :)
Amazing information .thanks.finally the Galactic Centre is within reach!
Thanks Brenda. I am a self-taught astro-photographer (I also use a star tracker) and after many hours of shooting the stars, I have learned many of the same tips that you describe in the video, including using hand warmers to keep condensation off the lens. I also carry gaffers tape as you suggest, but rather than wrap it around a card, I wrap several feet around one of my tripod legs. I am less likely to forget my tripod. Lastly, I carry a roll of bright orange trail tape that I can use to mark the trail, making it easier to find my way out at 2:00 in the morning. I live in Canada and most of my preferred locations are in our National Parks in the middle of nowhere with virtually no light pollution, but do require +1 hour hikes to get to. You are absolutely right - trails that are quite visible in the daylight, all but disappear at night, and since we typically shoot the stars when there is no moonlight, it is very dark during the hike out. I carry several very bright flashlights and extra batteries as well, and I never go to a location that I have not hiked during daylight.
I like the handwarmer tip - can see I'm going to need to stock up.
They are pretty handy. :)
Great tips, i like the hand warmer on lens and red transparency tricks.
Thanks! Glad you liked them!
Hello from Rutland. Noobie who finds your videos very helpful. Trying to find a spot for my first MW photo.
Love love love your videos. THANK U
Hey folks! Still waiting for clear skies to align with a moonless (or mostly moonless) evening here in Vermont to film Part 3 of my Milky Way Series. Thanks for your patience!
Brenda Petrella Photography I followed all the steps in your videos. Got my first milky way.. Not too great but will do. Thanks. Please check it out.
500px.com/photo/258131453
Looks great, Ankit! Keep up the good work!
As always Brenda I really enjoy your videos and you do the best job of explaining photo pills😎 thank you for taking the time and doing such a great job👍
Thankyou so much for your videos,advice and information.Really enjoy them.Going to watch Part 3 now.J
Thank you so much for these great videos.
Thank you for your tips&tricks.
Great videos! Very informative! Thanks!
nice video Brenda! thank you!
Thank you Very lucid. Looking forward to further videos
Thanks, Kedar!
Another excellent tutorial! Well done! Thank you for doing such excellent tutorials.
If I might make a suggestion, many do not really know how to get the sharpest focus of stars using their DSLR. No doubt you’re well-practiced, but beginners may not know how to do it.
My steps: after setting up my tripod and camera, I find the rightest star; put it in the center of my LCD screen to avoid lens errors; check autofocus off; change to the maximum ISO, slowest shutter speed, lowest aperture setting to get the brightest image of the star. Using Live View, I adjust focus to its sharpest image, then magnify the image to 10x and use a loupe to define the sharpest image. I use the gaffers tape once I’m satisfied the star is still sharp then tape the lens.
Once I am happy with the focus, I set camera mode to BULB, ISO, aperture, and shutter speed for what I’ve planned for the shoot; lock the mirror; connect my intervalometer; then attach a hand warmer to my lens to combat lens fogging. I check alignment of my tripod, weight it; check that it’s still level, and swing my camera to my azimuth and elevation for my test photos. I confirm that my camera settings are what I expect for the night’s activities, so there are no built-in errors that I must troubleshoot in the dark.
It’s probably too much information, but I do this the same way each time and it works.
One last note: your recommendation about safety is outstanding. I check with park or state wildlife officials to check for known problems in my area. I always tell 2 people where I’ll be (GPS coordinates if I have them) and when I’m going to be there, by what route, and give them an expected arrival time home. I include the make, model, color, and year of my car AND my license plate numbers. Just to be on the safe side, I’ll text them the same info and include that in an email. I include the names of people I plan on taking with me or meeting there. If I have any vehicle problems, the cardinal rule is to stay with my vehicle. I check in with friends once I get home, by phone, not by text message, but actually talking with them.
Undoubtedly the most informative lesson on night sky photography I have watched. Many thanks.
Thanks so much!
Great tips...thank you. Many hours at a telescope eyepiece has taught me that choffee is invaluable also. A hot drink made with coffee and hot chocolate...great for the hands and the soul.
Choffee - I love it! I'll definitely need to bring that along for Part 3! :)
Thank you. Lucky for me the Milky Way should be visible tonite! I’m gonna try it out
Woohoo! I hope you capture it!
Thanks for the advice.
I have been photographing the night sky for decades. But these are great tips. Well presented. Crisp and sweet.😀
Great tips!
Thanks your information
Video is really helpful. Hand warmer technique is wonderful.
Glad you think so!
Hi Brenda, I am a starting astrophotographer from the Netherlands and I want to thank you for the clear explanation in your tutorials. I enjoy it every time. I am looking forward to go out in the dark .
Hi Brenda. I just discovered your youtube channel and I'm only at #2; How to prepare for Night Photography. I think they are excellent! However in this video, you mentioned twice how higher ISO introduce greater noise to the night image. I recently came across this video How to Find the Best ISO for Astro Photography from Lonely Speck. It's very interesting and informative. It claims there is virtually no difference in noise levels at higher ISO's on most cameras today for astrophotography as long as we don't change exposure or aperature, and that noise is mainly a function of how much light hits the sensor via exposure time and aperture. I'm paraphrasing but I believe I got it right. I actually went out and took my own shots at ISO's 200, 400, 800, 1600, 3200 and 6400, 24mm, f/2.8, 15 seconds. In LR, I pushed pushed or pulled the exposure to match the 3200 ISO image and then compared the noise and didn't see any significant difference. Here's the link to the Lonely Speck video if you're interested: www.lonelyspeck.com/how-to-find-the-best-iso-for-astrophotography-dynamic-range-and-noise/
Hi Peter, Thank you for the info and discussion. I will definitely check out the article on Lonely Speck. An astrophysicist recently wrote an article for Outdoor Photography School on ISO and noise - you can check it out here: outdoorphotographyschool.com/iso-why-all-the-noise/. It explains what the source of noise is and how our digital sensors work. I hope it helps add to our understanding of ISO - which is a pretty complicated camera setting (more than I originally appreciated).
This is really helpful! You mentioned some great tips. We will be heading to New Mexico mid-October and I hope to get in some night sky photography out in the desert. I'll be using some of the tips you've mentioned here.
I just installed Photo Pills on my iPhone. It's an amazing app...I saw your Part 1 then went outside and was amazed to see the mock up Milky Way and my Compass coordinates...You did a very good job explained the App. Kudo's from Florida....Love VT...!
Thanks Brenda, very handy tips and tricks! Red transparent film will be added to the kit.
Great!
Thanks very much for your swift response
Again, a quick and too the point video with lots of great tips!
Wow best tutorial I've seen so far about night photography :), big thanks to you :)
Yay! That made my day. Thanks!
The red transparency film on the screen is a neat idea! I'll try that
So many useful tips for a complete beginner like me. Thank you so much
You're welcome! I hope the info helps get you out there!
Thanks Brenda.
Good stuff, black tac is also very useful!
Thanks for the recommendation! I'll check it out.
Excellent video Brenda. Full of knowledge.
Thank you, Jim! Glad it was helpful.
I've allready subscribed! Very good video, perfect i will say!
Greetings from the UK - Another really interesting and informative video Brenda🤓 Thank You
Great - thank you, Steve!
Yet another great inspiring video, thanks Brenda great tips!
Thanks, Neil! Glad you found it to be helpful.
Excellent video, so well explained, concise and well structured...I look forward to the next one!
Thanks so much, Kate! I'm excited to get out and film Part 3 - just waiting for the weather to align with the moon... :)
Excellent videos and information. The Night Photographer McGuyver indeed!
Fantastic tips! I've never heard of using the red film before. I actually had no idea why there was a red light on my headlamp either! Makes sense now. I always keep a little gaffers tape around one leg of my tripod too - just in case! Love your videos!
Great! Glad to hear that it helped clear some things up for you! :)
The PhotoPills tip alone was worth so much. I have been looking into Milky Way photos for a few weeks now and planning from several different sites. But with the app I can do it all in one place. I bought it about 15 minutes ago and I am blown away by the AR part, actually seeing what I will be photographing is amazing!!! THANK YOU! Great content too!!!!
So great that you are experiencing its value! Once I learned how to use it, I was blown away. Still learning, actually. Best of luck with the Milky Way shots! I've had bad luck with weather lately, so haven't been able to get out to shoot Part 3 yet - hopefully in the next couple of weeks I will.
Same here. But I'll keep trying. Thank you!
A very informative video series on Milky way shooting. Thanks Brenda for sharing this with the world!
Love your super practical tips about things like monitor brightness, using an old card to hold tape, etc. Going to try my first Milky Way this year!
Hi Brenda - really enjoying your videos and uncluttered, informative style. One thing though - please remember that a significant number of people use mirrorless cameras and you most definitely do not "need a DSLR". People new to photography and keen to experiment with astro may be confused by your opening remarks as a result. Very much looking forward to the next video in this series :)
Thanks for pointing that out Woody! My apologies for the oversight. I definitely mean to lump mirrorless cameras in with DSLRs. I've now made a note of that in my first comment above.
Recently found your channel and watched the first part of this tutorial. You explain the process in such an easy to understand manner. You have earned my subscription!
Awesome, thank you!
Thanks Brenda- really useful tips. I'm going to give it a go. Looks like another photo challenge I can have a go at.
Fun! I hope you come back with some great images.
Love your videos, great job!!! Keep it up :)
Will do!
Thanks for your time and all this great information
No problem - glad you found it to be useful.
This was a really helpful trio of videos as I prepare to go solo for the first time and shoot the milkyway (and if I am lucky the NEOWISE comet). I thoroughly appreciate the way you structure your pointers.
Thanks, Jessica! I hope you get some great shots (of NEOWISE or otherwise!).
You, My lady are a mad GENIUS!!!
Very good and informative. I especially liked the tip with the handwarmer used to keep the dew off the lens. I'll use that tip the next time I'm out at night. Thanks.
Hi from Australia Brenda, love your videos. I also use hand warmers to keep my lens warm when out at night, one little tip that is easy to do is cut the foot off an old sock then put the leg part over your lens fold in half and put the hand warmer in between the layers. Works a treat. Thanks for the tip about covering that pesky bright light on the front of my Nikon, gets me into trouble all the time.
Nice! I love the sock trick idea! Thank you for sharing.
Great, practical tips. Thanks.
andy sheader Thanks, Andy! Glad you found them to be helpful.
Great tips!, Thank you
Thanks!
Quite good; thank you. The focus on infinity is always tricky and I appreciate the suggestion to do it first in the daytime, then lock it in with gaffer tape. Now. I need to get over my intimidation by Photo Pills....
Thanks, Jim! Yeah - PhotoPills had me intimidated for several months, and then I finally decided to bite the bullet and figure it out. Quite useful, once you know what all the features are!
love your videos and how you explain some rather complicated subjects very simply,,, case and point,,,'photopills' for planning for the milky way..I live in south florida close to the everglades and we have access to a lot of night skies to include the milky way and several meteor showers throughout the summer. The one thing I learned today was the use of the red transparency paper,,,have already ordered it on amazon,,your videos are a wealth of information,,,thank you!!!
I LOVE these tips. You are so good at teaching! Thank you.
Thanks so much! Part 3 coming shortly. I finally was able to film it!
Hi Brenda, loving your videos and especially
So glad!
Your information and tips are fabulous!
Very well put video Brenda. Thanks. Now I hope your subcriber's numbers begin to grow fast. You deserve it!
Thanks so much, Mike!
Great video series. Thanks so much.
Hi from Holland Brenda
Small tip about the gaffer tape: you can wrap it around one of the leg's of your tripod!
I like the idea of the red film. I will try it, although it might not help much in my case. II do a lot of time lapse work, so once I have all the settings and composition right, I just turn off the Image Review function to preserve battery life.
Thank you for sharing your experience and good advice, they are the reason I subscribed. I'm going to try astrophotography by going to the darkest place in the Columbia, Maryland are that I can easily get to in a short trip. I also enjoy photographing small rivers and streams in my area and you veido on that subject was very good as well.
Awesome - thanks, Paul! I hope you get some great shots! I find it really relaxing to do night sky photography.
Thank you great video
Thanks!
I am so happy I found you, I really enjoy your videos. I just bought the Rokinon 14mm, f/2.8 last week and I am happy to hear you recommend it. Cant wait for the on location Milky Way video :)
Yay! Thanks so much, Nicole! Thank you for subbing. Hope you get some stellar photos with the Rokinon - no pun intended ;).
I found a near mint Nikkor A-FS 24mm G ED f/1.8 for a little over $300.00 with tax and shipping. Thanks again.With your guidance, I think I'm actually going to see a great view of the Milky Way, even if the photos aren't as amazing.😅🙏🏾
nice work Brenda
Thank you!
Very nice tips, Ive been shooting for a long time now and the only thing i haven't done yet is the milky way photography. tried maybe twice, but without luck due to clouds or light pollution. Nice call on the red transparent gel, i use orange, in general warm temperatures are better for your eyes at night than cold ones. Hopefully this year i will photograph the milky way my way :)
Good point about the orange - I'll have to try that out! I hope the weather cooperates for you and you get some good shots this season!
Another great video, my canon camera allows me to change the screen writing to red, which is a great help.
That is very helpful! I wish my Nikon did that...
Very informative for newbies like myself. Thank you! Can't wait to get there to shoot the Milky Way this June.
I do like this one, some good tips I never considered. Not sure about Nikon but Canon neck straps come with a little eye piece cover so when you are out in the field you can slide it over the eyepiece to prevent light from head torches etc migrating into the camera. 1 Alternative, use a strip of Gaffer tape. :)
Hi Brenda, you deserve all the accolades you are getting, very professionally constructed instructional videos, I even learned something about maple syrup....Bonus! are you going to produce more videos on the DoF, FoV etc features of this great app? like most people who have commented on here I have seen other so called"instructional videos" on the PhotoPills app, and frankly they are not a patch on yours by a long shot. Keep up the good work and keep me posted please. Thank you, from Scotland, UK.
This is very helpful. One more thing that helps me a lot is to use a bubble level to avoid wonky horizon. The internal digital level on the camera has fooled me multiple times :)
That's good to know - thanks for the tip!
Thank you Brenda for the tips. I will be going on a night sky photography shoot in 2 weeks in Pangalengan, Indonesia. This is my first time and I need all the information I can get. You explained everything so clearly. Thank you!
Thanks Brenda....
love from Bangladesh
Thanks for saying hi! :)
Hi Brenda, love the channel, and timing is great as a Milky Way session is one of my goals for this summer. However, UK weather is probably my biggest obstacle. One small point, heat rises, so fixing the hand warmer under the lens rather than on top will make it more effective.
Hey Chris - good point! I'll have to try that. Best of luck with your Milky Way photos this summer - and so glad you like my channel! Cheers! :)
@@outdoorphotographyschool7366 Actually, heat transfers in many ways. Hot AIR rises, but that really doesn't apply here. If the heat pack is attached to the lens, heat is transferred my conduction and radiation. While attaching it to the bottom of the lens might make a difference, I think it's not significant. Anywhere you attached the heat pack, it'll still do the job.
Great tips , thank you so much, am still learning and found your serie very helpfull. Have to study more on PhotoPills and watch your video over and over.
Nice job!
Thanks, Phil!
Hi. I live IN New York City but I love milky way photography. I drove to New Jersey this week and got some shots. Would love to see some more milky way videos from you especially being east coast ASTRO photographers are far and few. Take care and thanks for sharing
Thanks, Paul! Hope you got some good images in NJ. I grew up there :). I've been planning Part 3 of this series, so stay tuned. Between my schedule and the weather and the moon, I've had a challenging time getting out to do much MW photography this spring.
Brenda Petrella Photography trust me.. I understand totally lol. I will be trying to get out the month of July.
Good Stuff Brenda New Zealand checking in here and in the planning for a trip Ito Castle Hill in Canterbury n June much appreciate the tips
Great! Have a blast! I hope you have clear skies!
Good vid, good feed. You pretty covered each aspect of the project. Thank you so much Brenda!
One tip I learned from a fellow photographer is to put a little bit of fluorescent tapes on the tripod legs, so I don't trip over them in the dark.
Your videos are great and very educational. Have you completed the next video in this series?
I've filmed it and am currently editing it - it will get published this week. Glad you like the videos!
Good stuff!
Thanks, Ceilih!
Good tips. I'm still figuring this out. Not easy to find dark sky spots near where I live, and of those I can't find any safe legal night time parking spots nearby. The search continues.
Hi, I do a lot of night photography too. So I watched your video to see if you could learn me something new. About Photo pills you did. I he very the app but it was a little confusing for me. In this video you tell us that we have to stay warm, even in summer. What you don't mention is to bring some hot drink (coffee, Thea or whatever ) to stay warm. I never leave thermos bottle (not the correct word, but you know what I mean). Also I take something to eat and a bag for my trash. Something els, I just found you on RUclips and I like you videos :)
As a recent retiree, astrophotography has become my new (and often frustrating) hobby. Most of what you covered in your first two tutorials was familiar to me, but your tips and tricks were new. I'm definitely going to add the red film to the LCD. I have a few shots that I think are worth printing on metal or acrylic glass and I'd love to see a tutorial on how to get high quality astro-prints without a lot of trial and error - those prints are expensive.
Hi Jeffery - That's great that you are getting into night photography. It's a type of landscape photography that I find really relaxing (once I can get past being up all night...) ;). Just to clarify, would you like to see a tutorial on post-processing the images to prepare them for printing? Thanks!
Yes. After I finish editing a photo so it looks good on my big bright iMac monitor, what's the rest of the process to ensure finished wall hangings look the same? sRGB, Adobe RGB, ProPhoto RGB? How important is monitor calibration? What media works well for astro-landscapes (canvas? acrylic? metal?). Should I have the vender make a final exposure or color balance? Order small test prints first or just go for it? Those kind of questions.
Gotcha! These are great questions - thanks! I will put together a video to address them.
Great video! Also consider packing gaffer tape and a back-up battery pack for your phone especially if you use for navigation. Another great bit of kit is a stand-alone GPS unit. Super helpful plus you can use for text communication and you can allow yourself to be tracked (Garmin offers this) while out and about!
Great suggestions, thanks! I have a Garmin DeLorme that I use when out in the backcountry with no cell service. Thanks!
Outdoor Photography School with Brenda Petrella Yep saw that in a subsequent video... Enjoying your channel (even though I’m a Canon guy.. 😉)!!
@@StephenDavisMonsignor LOL - I just shot with a Canon yesterday! My Nikon is on the fritz, and so I used my little Canon SL2, which is usually reserved for vlogging.
Outdoor Photography School with Brenda Petrella well... that’s a start!!! LOL #TeamCanon
Yep...I've used a Spot tracker for years on trips. A great safety item for peace of mind.
another excellent tutorial Brenda! You're very well spoken, and I liked the sound effects and the little science'y talk on photo receptors :p... actually, I thought you were going to talk about rods and cones :) I'll check out your blog for more info!
I also have the Rokinon 14mm, and most recently shot the milky way on a 24-70 f/2.8 since I didn't want to travel with too many lenses. Btw, have you ever used or wanted to use a Star Tracker? I've been wondering about them, since I like really clean night photos, including foreground, so I want to get more into Low Level Lighting (LLL) with LED lights, and also blending exposure techniques.
Thanks, Candae! :) I decided to leave out the rods and cones in this discussion, but I do chat about them a bit in the article. I haven't used a star tracker yet, but I think they are super cool and they definitely make cleaner images. It may be fun to rent one to try it out. Have you followed Ian Norman from Lonely Speck? ruclips.net/user/inorman88 He goes a lot into processing - some great tutorials.
hey there Brenda! yes, Lonely Speck is awesome- I've watched a number of their videos, and he has good teachings and astro filters as well :) I was trying to find your article, but couldn't find it on your website- perhaps I wasn't looking in the right place. I did notice that you're going/leading Botswana trip- so cool! Btw, are you part of night photography and astro groups on FB? There's a number that I'm a part of, but "Milky Way Chasers" is a really good one. The Admin, Tracey Lee has a lot of rules, but they encourage people to include their social media links, which could be helpful to you. I can "invite" you to the group if you'd like. Sorry this comment was all over the place :p ...
A pilot trick is to invest in some red lens glasses to wear prior to going out into the black. This makes dark adaptation MUCH quicker. Plus you look cool. 😎
Another great tutorial Brenda, thanks. Question: Would a Nikkor 35mm 1.8G ED work for this kind of photography? Doug
Yep! Should be great.