Space-How-To
Few cameras are better suited to lunar photography than today’s digital “bridge cameras” or, as they are popularly known, superzooms. As capable and easy as these cameras are to use, if you want to employ a superzoom camera to get top-quality moon photos, there are a few tips that might help you raise your game when shooting your
Welcome to Part 2 of my guide to Basic Backyard Astrophotography. If you missed Part 1, please click here and we will see you back on this page in a few minutes. In this segment, we talk about the gear you need to create your own astrophotos. We also touch on preparation for viewing the night sky, because you should know what you can see and what you might want to photograph.
Gear: The Bare Minimum
In
Astrophotography is awesome! But, is it difficult? No! Contrary to some opinions, you don’t have to own a ton of expensive gear, have perfectly dark skies, or have mad technical skills to pull it off. In this short four-part series, we will talk about how you can go out and shoot astrophotographs with basic photographic gear, and then digitally process the images with basic techniques. In the following stories, we’ll be talking stars, discussing gear, studying capture techniques, and learning some post-processing tips for optimizing your
Before you venture out to photograph your first lunar eclipse, you should get some practice taking photos of the moon. If lunar photography is varsity-level stuff, lunar eclipse photography is all-pro. There are some unique challenges to the art, and great ways to get creative results, but the basics of lunar photography apply. Unlike
The Sun, our source of light and warmth, is a notoriously poor photographic target, due to its extreme brightness and constant emissions of damaging ultraviolet and infrared radiation. However, with the right equipment, the sun can be a challenging and rewarding photographic subject.
The sun, like the moon, is above the horizon and in our skies half of the time. However, unlike the moon, when the sun is above the horizon, it is always visible (unless it is cloudy). The moon progresses through different phases as it orbits our planet, from new
In the old days, you needed a lot of film and a lot of luck to capture a photograph of a meteor streaking overhead. Today, thanks to the digital revolution in photography, we have a much better chance of getting great photos of shooting stars entering Earth’s atmosphere. Why? Because with digital cameras, you can take hundreds, or even thousands of cost-free photos per night of a meteor shower.
Here are some tips to get you geared up and prepared to get the shot!
Planning
Meteors can hit the upper atmosphere at any time, but there are some “
One of the first words I learned how to say was, “Moon.” All of my life, I have been fascinated by our natural satellite and I have been photographing it for as long as I have had a camera. My photos have gotten better over the years, but I still search for the perfect photo of the moon. Here are some tips and thoughts for your own lunar photography.
Above photograph: A waxing gibbous moon the day before the full moon. FUJIFILM X-T1; Leica APO-Televid 77 spotting scope @ 1000mm (1500mm, 35mm equivalent); f/13, 1/500-second, ISO 200
Photographing the Aurora Borealis, or Northern Lights, is one phenomenon that is on the bucket list of many night and landscape photographers around the world. If you are lucky enough to live in areas where the auroras are consistently active, you have likely gotten to enjoy the light show in the skies night after night. Most of us, however, have to trek to find the lights.
The Aurora Australis, or Southern Lights, appear in the opposite hemisphere, so as to not play favorites with hemispheric politics.
Accomplished night photographer, author