An Introduction to Astrophotography

Growing up in areas with less light pollution and darker night skies, I have always been spoiled with stars. Some of my earliest memories are sitting on the back deck with my mom and looking up at the night sky while she taught me about Ursa Major and Ursa Minor (the Big Dipper and the Little Dipper).

Back in high school, we had a combo geology and astronomy course that we lovingly referred to as "Earth and Space". In that class, I remember learning the constellations and specifically learning about one called Cassiopeia. I had never noticed it in the sky before, but once I learned about it I saw it everywhere. Cassiopeia is a zig zag constellation, looking like a sideways "M" or sometimes a "W", depending on the time of year. This constellation was named after a queen from Greek mythology, which you can read more about on Harvard's Chandra Observatory website here. Cepheus, a nearby constellation that looks a bit like a house (a rectangle with a triangle attached), is named after Cassiopeia's husband. Their daughter was called Andromeda, and sure enough, there is an Andromeda Constellation. It's a longer constellation, shaped almost like a cursive "V" that stretches across the sky not too far from Andromeda's parents, and within which lies the Andromeda Galaxy. You can learn more about the Andromeda Constellation and the Andromeda Galaxy through this article from Constellation Guide.

Being in Texas, I am close to some of the darkest night skies in the world, one of which - called the Enchanted Rock State Natural Area - is only a couple hours' drive from the state capital, Austin. Others include Big Bend National Park and the Devils River State Natural Area - you can view a full list of internationally recognized dark sky places through DarkSky.org, the International Dark Sky Association's website. They are a nonprofit dedicated to preserving dark skies worldwide and if you don't know much about dark skies or the importance of reducing light pollution for nature conservation, their website is a great place to get educated! All this to say, it was no surprise when I decided to incorporate astrophotography (the practice of photographing celestial objects in the night sky) into my portfolio. If you are interested in night sky photography techniques, here is my advice for you:

5 Essential Lessons in Astrophotography

1) Astrophotography is really freakin' hard

The first thing you should know about astrophotography is that because of the juxtaposition between how cameras interpret light versus the extremely bright light that stars reflect, astrophotography is truly its own unique beast in the world of photography subject.

That all said, while it is definitely challenging, it is also absolutely possible for a beginner photographer to do. Not to mention the rewards of being able to look back on your favorite memories of the universal wonders that make up the night sky! I'm including my tips and best practices for dark sky astrophotography below.

2) Photograph the Night Sky Responsibly

Have you seen those documentaries about turtle populations declining because they hatch and then go the wrong way due to confusion from city and traffic lights? Or how about the age old phrase "deer in headlights" because deer eyes physically can't process the lights from bright headlights? While I understand that not everyone is interested in astrophotography for dark sky conservation and advocacy, you should have some understanding of dark sky preservation for photographers before setting out, and I have some responsible night sky photography tips for you!

Here's how you can photograph the night sky responsibly:

• Stay on designated paths

• Be respectful of animals

• Keep your phone off or in your pocket

• Use a red light

Just like in daytime photography, you need to be respectful of the land, animals, and people around you. Don't trespass on private property - there are tons of publicly available places to view the night sky! Stay on the designated paths so as not to disturb native plants or wildlife habitats. If you see or hear animals nearby, give them the appropriate amount of space. There was an entire pack of coyotes howling in Enchanted Rock, I made sure to give them plenty of space - remember, you're in their environment and wild animals do not always take kindly to intruders.

Most importantly, help reduce any light pollution! Turn your headlights off when you park your car, keep your phone off or in your pocket to cover the screen light, and whenever possible, use a warm LED or red light.

According to this research article from the National Library of Medicine,

Light pollution disrupts the natural dark-light rhythmicity of the world and alters the spectral composition of the nocturnal sky, with far-reaching impacts on natural systems.

The trick to a dark-sky friendly astrophotography lighting setup is of course to have no light at all! But what we don't always remember is that we often still need light to see the path to our photography destination and sometimes to see the camera/setup equipment as well.

Don't worry, I'm not going to tell you to try fumbling through the dark (you could accidentally disrupt native plants!), rather I recommend using a red-light flashlight or headlamp (look ma! no hands!). Red light is just light at longer wavelengths, which means it doesn't scatter as much in the atmosphere compared to shorter wavelengths. When the light is less scattered it is perceived as less abrasive, and studies like the one above continue to show that it is less disruptive to nature and animals. REI has a selection of red-light mode headlamps (see here) and you can also find red light flashlights for less than $15 on Amazon.

By using ethical night sky photography techniques and reducing light pollution in astrophotography, you can demonstrate respect and consideration for other night sky photographers as well as help preserve the very subject you are photographing.

3) Be Patient; Accept What is in Your Control

When taking wildlife photos, photographers really on autofocus and intelligent sensors in the camera to ensure our shots come out clear and not blurry. When the subject becomes stars, however, I can only shoot in fully manual mode, which means I had to become an expert at understanding all of the manual settings of my DSLR camera and also I had to become an expert on sitting very still. Something I took for granted in wildlife photography was how much the camera can correct for my hands shaking. Even when we are perfectly still, we are still living, breathing, vibrating organisms, which means its impossible to get a clear shot of the stars without using a tripod.

Even with a tripod and hours of combing through online forums and youtube videos, it took a lot of trial and error to get my camera set up correctly. Please see the following blurry and terrible photo of the big dipper as exhibit A:

The "Big Dipper", blurry edition

Don't see it? Here, try exhibit B:

The "Big Dipper", "connect the dots" edition

Yeah, it's safe to say that it wasn't my best shot. I felt like such a goof, not being able to figure this out on the first try, and I'm embarrassed to say it took me a few months to work up the courage to try again. Well courage and the desire - I prefer to go to bed early, but you have to stay up pretty late to get a good picture - the darkest time of night is midnight.

Finally, I made it out to Enchanted Rock with just my camera, tripod, and a snack*. Having been to the lovely state park several times previously, I didn't feel the need to climb the rock for a better view (although I highly recommend this) and so I just sat in the parking lot and fiddled with my camera until I finally got the right settings and started getting progressively clearer photos of the night sky. I fiddled with Bulb settings, Manual mode, self-timer, and the lens focus. There's no cell service in the park, so if you're stuck you won't be able to pull up a quick youtube video or article for reference. Finally, however, the stars (literally) aligned and I got the picture I had set out to take:

The Milky Way, with Cassiopeia front and center

If you see a sideways "M", that is in fact the Cassiopeia constellation I mentioned earlier. To the left of Cassiopeia in this photo is what looks like an upside down house, that would be Cepheus. Behind Cassiopeia, stretching across the photo, you may notice what looks like a cloud of milky white stars - you guessed it! That's the Milky Way Galaxy. In case you are having trouble deciphering the constellations I've mention, here's another photo with the dots connects (yellow for Cepheus, pink for Cassiopeia):

Left/Yellow: Cepheus, Right/Pink: Cassiopeia

All that anxiety about not being able to get a good shot and I was able to leave with some very clear photos of my favorite constellations! The trick to getting myself to go out there and try again was to embrace and accept the fact that I might fail, and instead to focus on the goal of getting a slightly less blurry shot. While taking these photos, I ran into another photographer who was also seeking to foray into astrophotography, and running into similar limitations I had previously. It helped me realize that this really is a hard thing to learn and I really enjoyed getting to nerd out with someone with similar interests in stars and photography. A few days later, they shared on their instagram their first photo of a clear night sky and I was thrilled because I knew exactly how good it feels to finally get that shot. *Please note: if you do ever go to Enchanted Rock and would like to climb the rock for a better view at night, bring a red-light flashlight so as not to disturb the wildlife or your fellow stargazers.

4) Basic Camera Settings for Astrophotography

Ok here's the part where I'll tell you what worked for me with one major caveat: what worked for me may not work for you. I believe there are many conditions that can affect how well the shot turns out - from equipment setup to something as seemingly minuscule as a small reflection of light from a car mirror, it's easy to get blurry photos when shooting the night sky. Initially, I tried using ChatGPT to help me plan out what settings to use. Eventually, I threw those notes out and used a combo of youtube videos and online forums for a better starting position. For context, I use a Canon EOS 80D camera body with a Canon 18-55mm lens and a tripod I found in my parent's basement that has probably been around since the 90s.

The specific camera setup for astrophotography that worked for me was:

• Bulb Mode

• Manual Focus (double check lens stabilizer is also off)

• 2-Second Timer

• Auto White Balance

• ISO 3200

• 3.5 Aperture

From there I experimented with exposure and found that 9-15 seconds worked best to capture the constellations clearly as well as the Milky Way background. Anything below 9 seconds captured stars clearly, but the sky looked naked in comparison to the reality.

Fun fact about astrophotography - you do NOT need a fancy point and shoot camera or a DSLR to take photos of the night sky! If you have an iPhone series 11 or later, you have night mode on your camera. Using an iPhone, I changed the night mode setting from 3 to 10 seconds exposure, and this is the photo I took on my first try:

The Night Sky, iPhone Edition

Crazy how far technology has come - imagine telling my parents when they were buying that tripod in the 90's that one day they'd be able to take a photo of the Milky Way Galaxy using just a phone...

5) Other Considerations

Something unique and cool about astrophotography is that it is predictable. On any given day, you know exactly where the subject will be positioned! You can also follow astronomy publications like NASA's recently published news, the BBC's Sky at Night Magazine, and Astronomy.com to learn about upcoming celestial events like meteor showers and where to view them. One surprise I wasn't ready for when I went to take photos the other night was a number of satellites that crossed the sky as I photographed it - it's cool to see the distance a satellite traveled in the time it took for my photo to finish a longer exposure:

A Satellite Streaking Across the Milky Way (red line)

What is slightly more challenging to predict are conditions like weather (just like in daytime, if it's raining or cloudy at night you won't be able to see the sky!) and light pollution. In places like the Dark Sky Zones, you can at least have better control over the latter issue. If you need to travel to see a dark sky, I do recommend spending at least a few nights there so that you have a better chance of getting a clear sky in case there is bad weather.

Thanks for listening to my tips for astrophotographers! Hopefully you can now go off into the world and enjoy photographing constellations while protecting dark skies. If you are specifically looking for Texas based astrophotography, check out my Texas Night Sky Conservation & Photography Guide here. If you would like to purchase a print from my astrophotography collection, please contact me here. To the stars and back,

Snoops Photo