Tips on shooting Astrophotography
Shooting Astrophotography can be slightly intimidating, but don’t worry…. I got you! If you are not someone who does it often, I have a few tips to get you started!
There are some things you should have and know before you go out and set up your camera and tripod to shoot astrophotography, especially with others. Let’s go over the basics.
- You will be shooting astro in all manual settings and manual focus – be prepared
- Know your camera and how to use it without light
- Know how to set up your tripod and put your camera on it in the dark with no light if possible
- Know how to maneuver your tripod head and set your camera up vertically and horizontally
- Know how to set up your camera so interval shoot or your remote
- Know how to turn the brightness down on the back of your camera, you will want it dim
- If you have not shot astro this year, go out back and do some test shots and make sure you have your settings firmed up
- Set up your camera before it gets dark and have it ready to go
Tips on photography etiquette
- When you arrive at your destination and others are setting up, you will want to keep the light use to a minimum. That said, if not using light causes a safety concern, use it, but try to keep it down and to a minimum.
- Bright white lights can mess up your night vision. Red lights can help you not lose your night vision, but red lights are not great when you are around other photographers. Just try to keep use to a minimum.
- If you have to use a light, ask others around you first. Some people may be shooting timelapse, longer exposures, or interval shooting, and you can ruin a longer shot for some people.
- When you are moving around, be aware of your surroundings, other people, and their equipment.
Make sure you have the proper camera equipment for Astro
📷 1. Camera
Best choice:
- A DSLR or mirrorless camera with full manual control
- One that lets you adjust shutter speed, aperture, and ISO separately
Why: Aurora photography needs long exposures and wide apertures—phone cameras struggle unless you use specialized modes or apps.
Lenses
📌 Recommended Features:
- Wide angle — 14–35mm (full-frame) or equivalent
- Fast aperture — f/2.8 or wider (lower f-number lets more light in)
💡 Lens Options:
- 14–24mm f/2.8 — excellent for big skies
- 24mm f/1.4–f/2.8 — great balance of wide view + low light
- Zooms (e.g., 16–35mm f/2.8) — versatile for landscapes + auroras
🦵 3. Sturdy Tripod
A solid, stable tripod is essential because you’ll use long exposures (5–30+ seconds).
- No tripod = blurry stars and aurora trails.
🖐️ 4. Remote Shutter Release
This helps avoid camera shake when you trigger long exposures.
- Wired remote or wireless trigger both work
- Many cameras also allow 2-second timer as a substitute
🧊 5. Extra Batteries
Cold weather drains batteries fast—sometimes in under an hour.
- Bring several spares
- Keep extras inside your coat next to your body to stay warm
🧤 6. Memory Cards
- High-capacity cards (32GB+)
- Fast write speeds help if you’re capturing many long exposures
🧰 7. Optional but Helpful Gear
- Headlamp with red light mode — preserves night vision
- Lens cloth — for clearing frost or condensation
- Hand warmers and battery warmers
- Intervalometer for time-lapses
Sometimes when friends and I go shooting all night we pack up our cars and go car camping! Here is a blog to go over some tips on how to do that!
Tips on shooting Astrophotography
Shooting Astrophotography can be slightly intimidating, but don’t worry…. I got you! If you are not someone who does it often, I have a few tips to get you started!
There are some things you should have and know before you go out and set up your camera and tripod to shoot astrophotography, especially with others. Let’s go over the basics.
- You will be shooting astro in all manual settings and manual focus – be prepared
- Know your camera and how to use it without light
- Know how to set up your tripod and put your camera on it in the dark with no light if possible
- Know how to maneuver your tripod head and set your camera up vertically and horizontally
- Know how to set up your camera so interval shoot or your remote
- Know how to turn the brightness down on the back of your camera, you will want it dim
- If you have not shot astro this year, go out back and do some test shots and make sure you have your settings firmed up
- Set up your camera before it gets dark and have it ready to go
Tips on photography etiquette
- When you arrive at your destination and others are setting up, you will want to keep the light use to a minimum. That said, if not using light causes a safety concern, use it, but try to keep it down and to a minimum.
- Bright white lights can mess up your night vision. Red lights can help you not lose your night vision, but red lights are not great when you are around other photographers. Just try to keep use to a minimum.
- If you have to use a light, ask others around you first. Some people may be shooting timelapse, longer exposures, or interval shooting, and you can ruin a longer shot for some people.
- When you are moving around, be aware of your surroundings, other people, and their equipment.
Make sure you have the proper camera equipment for Astro
📷 1. Camera
Best choice:
- A DSLR or mirrorless camera with full manual control
- One that lets you adjust shutter speed, aperture, and ISO separately
Why: Aurora photography needs long exposures and wide apertures—phone cameras struggle unless you use specialized modes or apps.
Lenses
📌 Recommended Features:
- Wide angle — 14–35mm (full-frame) or equivalent
- Fast aperture — f/2.8 or wider (lower f-number lets more light in)
💡 Lens Options:
- 14–24mm f/2.8 — excellent for big skies
- 24mm f/1.4–f/2.8 — great balance of wide view + low light
- Zooms (e.g., 16–35mm f/2.8) — versatile for landscapes + auroras
🦵 3. Sturdy Tripod
A solid, stable tripod is essential because you’ll use long exposures (5–30+ seconds).
- No tripod = blurry stars and aurora trails.
🖐️ 4. Remote Shutter Release
This helps avoid camera shake when you trigger long exposures.
- Wired remote or wireless trigger both work
- Many cameras also allow 2-second timer as a substitute
🧊 5. Extra Batteries
Cold weather drains batteries fast—sometimes in under an hour.
- Bring several spares
- Keep extras inside your coat next to your body to stay warm
🧤 6. Memory Cards
- High-capacity cards (32GB+)
- Fast write speeds help if you’re capturing many long exposures
🧰 7. Optional but Helpful Gear
- Headlamp with red light mode — preserves night vision
- Lens cloth — for clearing frost or condensation
- Hand warmers and battery warmers
- Intervalometer for time-lapses
Sometimes when friends and I go shooting all night we pack up our cars and go car camping! Here is a blog to go over some tips on how to do that!
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