How to Take Amazing Astro Photos: Tips for Beginners

No telescope, no star tracker, no problem. Learn how to get started capturing the beautiful night sky with just some basic camera equipment with this beginner’s tutorial.

We’ve all seen those incredible astrophotography images that are almost hard to believe that regular cameras and lenses captured them. If you’ve tried replicating them on your own, you may have quickly realized it isn’t nearly as simple as daylight shooting. In this video from AstroBackyard, Trevor Jones will put us on the right path for astrophotography success.

Unlike day shooting, there are a couple new variables that first need to be considered when going out to photograph the stars. This includes the time of the month, where preferably you’d be near a new moon, and your location and its distance from a city’s light pollution. From there, if you have any photography experience then that can begin to be translated for the needs of astrophotography. Jones shows us what camera settings to use as well as a few tips on how to judge exposure and how many total images to shoot for.

Check out the video above for all seven tips. The next new moon is on October 16, 2020 which gives you a couple weeks to prepare.