3 Tips For Milky Way Photography f/98

The Stop Down Photography Podcast

In early April, I headed into the Southern California desert for some astrophotography. Clear skies and a new moon were perfect conditions to capture the Milky Way. And I learned a few things during this star gazing adventure. I have 3 tips to share with you for better photos of the core of the Milky Way. I hope you enjoy the episode.
Tip 1 - Planning Is Important (If Not Vital)

Astrophotography needs certain conditions to be met or your photos will fall flat. You need to know where and when to go for the best Milky Way photos. The location you choose needs to have low light pollution. Without a dark sky, the stars and Milky Way won’t be visible. Use tools like the interactive map at lightpollutionmap.info to find a dark sky.
Next, you need to know when to go. The folks at capturetheatlas.com publish a yearly calendar that lists the best dates of the year to see the Milky Way - and when the galactic core will be visible.
Finally, you need a clear sky. Fog, rain, or clouds will obscure the night sky. Use your favorite weather forecast app (or multiple apps) to check the forecast. My go-to app is Yr.no which has great micro forecasts.
Tip 2 - Choose The Right Lens And Camera Settings

The galactic core of the Milky Way will stretch across a wider part of the sky, so you want a wide angle lens to capture its breadth. You also want fast glass that can gather a lot of light, an increased ISO, and limits on exposure time to avoid blur.

Use a wide angle lens, 24mm or wider

Use a wide aperture like f/2.8

Increase ISO to 3200

Use the NPF exposure calculation in Photo Pills

Tip 3 - Manual Focus For Tack Sharp Stars

For tack sharp stars, use manual focus.

Turn off auto-focus and focus peaking

Turn on any manual focus assist features

Frame a bright star in the viewfinder

Rotate the focus ring until that star is its smallest

Resources mentioned:

lightpollutionmap.info: Use it to help you find a dark sky for astrophotography.

capturetheatlas.com: Calendars with the best times to see the Milky Way.

Yr.no: A weather app with great microclimate forecasts.

Photo Pills: Exposure calculators for pinpoint stars

Rate & Review

If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and review it on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, or Podchaser.com. Fresh, current ratings help other photographers find out about the show.

Supporters Of The Show - Thank You!

Thanks to everyone that supports this show, through comments, reviews, and shares. Sharing this podcast with your photo friends and camera clubs is one of the many zero-cost ways you can support the show. If you wish to support the show financially, you can also make a one-time donation.

Affiliate Links

Product links in this post may contain affiliate tags. Depending on the purchase, Scott Davenport Photography may receive compensation if you purchase a product via one of those links. There is no additional cost to you. The use of affiliate links never influences the content or opinions of the episodes.