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    PDF Milky Way DD

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    PDF Milky Way DD

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    john

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    of 19

    HOW TO

    PHOTOGRAPH
    THE MILKY WAY 
    Short Guide
    by Jason D. Little
    PHOTOGRAPHING
    THE MILKY WAY 
    PHOTOGRAPHING THE MILKY WAY 

    I don’t recall ever meeting anyone who claimed to not be


    fascinated to some degree by the night sky. There’s just something
    hypnotic about gazing upon objects that are billions of years
    old and light years away, yet so many people feel a rather close
    afnity with these distant bodies.

    While the physical gulf between us and the stars is, in any
    currently feasible mode of manned travel, insurmountable,
     we’re generally content to simply stand out in the darkness
    and scan the skies unassisted by anything fancier than a
    basic telescope.

    Other than that, we have historically relied on


    all the breathtaking photos of space provided to us by the experts.

    But we no longer have to leave all the fun to full-time


    astronomers; given the wide accessibility to and technological
    sophistication of digital cameras, anyone can photograph
    the universe. And one of the easiest astrophotography subjects
    to capture is also one of the most impressive: the Milky
    Way Galaxy.

    © 2014 PHOTZY.COM  Get Your FREE Photography Tutorials at www.photzy.com 3


    Obviously we can’t photograph the whole galaxy   since we live
    inside of it; that famous white streak that dominates so much
    of the night sky is actually the light of billions of stars whose
    light, from our point of view on earth, seems to blend together,
    sporadically
    are seeing is obscured by dust view
    a small, edge-on and gas clouds.
    of the In reality,
    galaxy’s plane. all we
    Small,
    but impressive.

    Here’s how you can capture a bit of the Milky Way for yourself.

    1. Find a dark sky.  Just waiting until nighttime won’t do.


     A dark sky free of light pollution is the rst and most
    important requirement to even seeing the Milky Way, let
    alone photographing it. Be prepared to travel a considerable
    distance, otherwise you run the risk of city lights making their
    mark in your shots. The moon can have a similar impact on
     your Milky Way photos; shooting during a full moon will
     wash out your images. Try to shoot during a new moon.

    2. Know when and where to look. The part of the Milky


    Way that is most easily visible to the naked eye isn’t visible all
     year round, especially for those in the Northern Hemisphere
     where February through September are the optimal times.
    You will nd your celestial subject in the southern half of
    the sky, rising from the west. Residents in the Southern
    Hemisphere may have a slight advantage in this regard, as
    the central parts of the Milky Way can be seen overhead.

    © 2014 PHOTZY.COM  Get Your FREE Photography Tutorials at www.photzy.com 4


    3. Use a digital camera with good, high ISO capabilities. 
    You’ll be shooting at night with very little available light; you
     want your camera’s sensor to be able to handle the shooting
    conditions without introducing an excessive amount of
    noise. A full-frame camera is preferable but certainly not a
    necessity.

    4. Use a fast wide angle lens. You should work with a lens
     with a maximum aperture of at least f/2.8; the faster the
    better. It’s not that you’re totally out of luck if your fastest
    lens is f/3.5 or so, but you’ll have more of a challenge on
     your hands since the lens won’t be able to gather as much
    light. The same principle applies to focal length; go as wide
    as you can. You may be seeing only a fraction of the Milky
    Way, but it’s still monstrous in size. The wider your lens, the
    more of it you can capture.

    5. Use a tripod. This really isn’t optional. Bells and whistles


    are nice, but sturdiness is your number one concern.

    6. Use live view. To avoid the headache of trying to focus in the


    dark, use your camera’s live view feature to manually focus
    on a bright star. Alternatively, you could use the distance
    markings on your lens (if it has them) to set hyperfocal
    distance.

    © 2014 PHOTZY.COM  Get Your FREE Photography Tutorials at www.photzy.com 5

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