In January, I went on a road trip to Zion National Park in Utah. Only recently did I realize that I hadn’t destroyed (yes, destroyed) the best photo I took there, of star trails at night. How did that happen? It’s entirely my fault, but at least the story, and the results, are encouraging.
Astrophotography Tag Archive
My Favorite Things I Learned About Photography in 2021
I never want to stop picking up new techniques in photography. If you’re constantly learning, you’re constantly improving. Now that 2021 is coming to a close, I’d like to share some things I learned this year and how they’ve helped my photography grow.
How to Do Landscape Photography at Night
What makes night sky photography so appealing? Is it the hues? Is it the sheer number of stars? Part of it is surely because a long exposure of the night sky is something the naked eye does not see. The possibility of photographing something like that is, in itself, a...
How to Edit Milky Way Photos in Lightroom
There are so many ways to edit a Milky Way photo in Lightroom that it can be tough to know where to start. That’s particularly true if you’re after maximum image quality, because some of Lightroom’s sliders can cause unwanted noise or halos that are difficult to remove.
500 Rule vs NPF Rule: Shutter Speed for Astrophotography
When you’re photographing the night sky, it can be a serious challenge to pick the right camera settings. Shutter speed in particular is a difficult one, forcing you to fight between capturing enough light or capturing sharp stars. Two popular rules aim to help – the 500 rule and NPF rule.
How to Photograph a Rocket Launch at Night
With companies like SpaceX launching more and more rockets into space, it’s easier than ever to get some interesting rocket launch photos. I saw and photographed my first launches earlier this year, and this article has my takeaways.
The Overlooked Technique of Image Averaging
Almost all photographers know about panoramas and HDRs. Most also know about focus stacking. But how often do you hear photographers talk about a fourth method of blending photos together – image averaging?
Photographing the Comet NEOWISE
Last week, I went out to photograph the comet NEOWISE before it disappeared. I had never seen or photographed a comet before, and it far exceeded my expectations! I filmed my process along the way, including several tips for star photography (and of course comet photography too).
High-Quality Astrophotography With Basic Camera Equipment
This week’s video covers the topic of image stacking, including how to use it in order to take high-quality astrophotographs without any special camera equipment.
How to Photograph the Mercury Transit
Every so often, the planet Mercury lines up perfectly between the Earth and the Sun. When it does, astronomers and photographers have a relatively rare chance to see and photograph the planet Mercury transiting across the Sun. Today (November 11, 2019) is one of those opportunities. In this article, I...