Wide-field Imaging with a Tripod
This level is simplest and the least expensive. It is not hard to master the techniques, making the rewards come quickly. It also involves the least amount of equipment. It is one of the best ways to experiment with your camera’s settings, not to mention familiarize your self with the parts of the camera’s owners manual you have ignored in the past. It is the perfect way to get used to the concepts of astrophotography before graduating to more difficult levels.
The only equipment needed is a digital camera mounted to a sturdy tripod. The very beginner can even use a bean bag on their car’s roof instead of a tripod!
These photographs will generally be a wide view of a starry sky, constellations or a moon that is framed against a scenic landscape as a back drop. Due to the wide-field, these images will have no blur or star trailing, provided the shutter is open 30 seconds or less. This is due to low magnification and the widest field of view. The limited capabilities actually work for you, making it harder to mess up.
Photography Tip:
Try using your digital camera mounted on a tripod at that special time of night that is right after dusk as the stars are just beginning to appear. Your camera’s light sensors should be sensitive enough to capture the stars , while still having enough natural sky-glow to include scenic foreground images like a line of trees, or a mountain, or a recognizable landmark. This adds some depth to the photograph and the landmark images give it a more interesting visual look.
Recommended Settings for Level One Night Sky Imaging:
• lower sensitivity- reduces or eliminates noise levels
• noise reduction settings- should turned on. Some cameras have them, others do not.
• Experimentation for each type of object, the moon, a planet, a favorite constellation- With ISO setting experimentation, you quickly get the chance to figure out the best “starter” settings for each type of celestial object. Then you can easily make minor adjustments that are based on time of night, light as a result of phase of the moon, and weather conditions.
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