Photography Night Sky. Guide for Shooting After Dark

209 Pages·2016·10.07 MB·English

by  Wu J. Martin J.

Photography
NIGHT SKY

Photography
NIGHT SKY
A Field Guide for Shooting After Dark
JENNIFER WU AND JAMES MARTIN
TO YOU, PHOTOGRAPHERS OF THE NIGHT
Mountaineers Books is the publishing division of The Mountaineers,
an organization founded in 1906 and dedicated to the exploration,
preservation, and enjoyment of outdoor and wilderness areas.
1001 SW Klickitat Way, Suite 201 • Seattle, WA 98134 800.553.4453
• www.mountaineersbooks.org
Copyright © 2014 by Jennifer Wu and James Martin
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form, or by any electronic, mechanical, or
other means, without the prior written permission of the publisher.
Printed in China
Distributed in the United Kingdom by Cordee, www.cordee.co.uk
17 16 15 14 1 2 3 4 5
Copy editor: Anne Moreau
Cover design and layout: Peggy Egerdahl
Cover photograph: Shooting star over Half Dome, Yosemite National Park, California. f/1.4, 20 seconds, ISO 1600,
24mm, Canon EOS 5D Mark II.
Frontispiece: Crescent moon photographed in Yosemite National Park, California. f/5.6, 1/30 second, ISO 640, 800mm,
Canon EOS 5D Mark II.
All photographs by Jennifer Wu unless otherwise noted
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Wu, Jennifer.
Photography night sky : a field guide for shooting after dark / Jennifer Wu and James Martin.
pages cm
Includes index.
ISBN 978-1-59485-838-3 (paperback)—ISBN 978-1-59485-839-0 (ebook)
1. Astronomical photography—Handbooks, manuals, etc. 2. Night photography—Handbooks, manuals, etc. I. Martin,
James, 1950- II. Title. III. Title: Night sky.
QB121.W8 2014
522’.63–dc23
2013028305
ISBN (paperback): 978-1-59485-838-3
ISBN (ebook): 978-1-59485-839-0
CONTENTS
Preface
Introduction
CHAPTER 1 COMPOSITION
Defining the Subject
Framing at Night
Establishing the Foreground
Light-Painting the Foreground
Combining Images
Controlling Unwanted Light
CHAPTER 2 EQUIPMENT
Cameras
Lenses
Filters
Tripods
Intervalometers
CHAPTER 3 PREPARING TO SHOOT
Preliminary Research
Field Conditions
Checklist: Before You Shoot
CHAPTER 4 FOCUS
Autofocus
Manual Focus with LCD
Checklist: Steps for Manually Focusing on a Star
Focus through Trial and Error
CHAPTER 5 CAMERA SETTINGS
Color Temperature
Exposure
Camera Presets
CHAPTER 6 STARS AS POINTS OF LIGHT
Wide-Angle Lens
Shutter Speed
500 Rule
Aperture, ISO, and Exposure
Checklist: Camera Settings for Stars as Points of Light
Black Glove Technique
Panoramas
CHAPTER 7 STAR TRAILS
Composing the Image
Determining Exposure
Using an Intervalometer or Bulb Mode
Checklist: Camera Settings for Stacked Star Trails
CHAPTER 8 THE MOON
Determining Exposure
Full Moon
Crescent Moon
Starburst Moon
Halos and Clouds
Eclipse
Moonlight
Moonbows
CHAPTER 9 TWILIGHT
Determining Exposure
Urban Nights
CHAPTER 10 CELESTIAL PHENOMENA
Zodiacal Light
Iridium Flares
Meteors
Noctilucent Clouds
Auroras
Volcanoes
CHAPTER 11 POST-PROCESSING NIGHT IMAGES
Processing Stars as Points of Light
Processing Star Trails
Processing Combined Images
A Final Note of Encouragement
Resources
Glossary
Acknowledgments
Index
PREFACE
As a landscape photographer, I’ve spent hundreds of nights sleeping under the stars. I
enjoy moonrise and moonset—the full moon hanging like a lantern over the horizon or the
first crescent of the lunar cycle chasing the sunset. However, I love most the glowing
Milky Way slicing through the midsummer sky. That dusting of stars, a minuscule fraction
of the hundred million in our galaxy, is enough to bring forth the deepest questions of
existence and ignite a love of the great beauty of the universe.
I wanted to capture that beauty and splendor with my camera, to place the darkened
landscape against the bright stars of the night sky. My early attempts left much to be
desired, but over time each issue I encountered was resolved to my satisfaction. I began to
create images that approached what I was looking for in night sky images. Star
photography, I found, allows us to see more deeply into the galaxy. Hidden colors are
revealed, and stars too dim for the human eye to perceive appear like magic in the image.
The book you hold is the result of James Martin’s suggestion that I write on the subject
of night sky photography. I liked the idea of explaining the issues and techniques
particular to capturing the night sky, so we agreed to collaborate.
It was by trial and error that I discovered how to photograph the stars as points of light
as I was not shown by anyone how to do that. The results of those experiments are the
foundation of this book. They are the techniques I find that work best, at least to my taste.
Photography is about personal vision. This book is a toolbox; use the tools as you see fit. I
won’t be bothered if you prefer a different color balance or opt for a greater sense of
motion in star fields than I. My hope is that you will find a vision of your own, enjoy the
creative process, and share the beauty of the night landscape with others.
Jennifer Wu