How to Shoot Stars at Night

Maybe you’ve been to Walmart Photo and noticed some beautiful photos of starlit skies and wanted to try it out. Shooting images in the dark can be a challenge, but with the right settings you’ll be snapping up those photos like a pro. The first thing you have to do is find a dark area of the sky with stars, and it’s best to adjust the settings early so when you get to the spot you can shoot pictures.

How to Configure the Camera

Set your camera to manual mode so it’s appropriate for the dark, and keep in mind that long exposures have to be avoided because it’s going to capture the trails of the stars in the final output. For the best results, configure the ISO to 3200 or higher and set the shutter speed to 5 seconds. Adjust the aperture to the widest possible such as f/4 or f/2.8. Just change the setting so it’s at the widest point.

Have focus mode to manual, because you can’t use autofocus to take images of stars at night. Have the focus at infinity to make focusing easier, and if you’re going to rely on the zoom lens, use a wide angle setting, i.e., 18 mm.

Preparing to Shoot

Now that your camera is ready, find a distant object in the night sky and focus in on it. If necessary you can use a tape to maintain focus and position. Before shooting, set the image format to RAW to reduce noise, and turn long exposure reduction mode on. This can be found in the Options, Preferences or Settings menu.

One of the biggest challenges to taking pictures of stars or the nighttime in general is the focus. Once you’ve configured the focus as suggested earlier, there’s usually no need to modify it, but if the zoom or focus needs to be adjusted, the lens needs to be focused to the distance. Look for the Live View option on your camera as that will help you locate the shiniest object and once you find it, use the Live View zoom feature to focus. Don’t use the lens zoom; use the magnify toggle / button instead.

Other Tips and Suggestions

Give your eyes time to get used to the darkness as that makes it easier to focus. Once you find a good spot, spend 15 minutes there without using a flashlight or any of your camera’s lights so your eyes can adjust. When you’ve adjusted the settings, try a test shot and see if the results are acceptable: the image will be dark but stars should be seen clearly.

If the image is too bright, set the shutter speed to 2 seconds or thereabouts, and if it’s too dark move the ISO to a higher level so you don’t end up recording movements.

The most important thing you have to remember is that the skies have to be really dark and use a quality camera. You don’t have to spend a fortune on equipment, but do get the best you can afford.