Monday night one was one of those perfectly clear nights where all the conditions were just right for some nightscape photography. We were camped out at a remote spot in Western Colorado where light pollution was non-existent, the small sliver of a moon had just set and the stars were undeniable. Here are some of our favorite shots from that night and a few tips on how we took them…
Exposure for the image below: f/2, 10 seconds, ISO 1600
Tip: If shooting nightscapes that include people, it’s important they hold still to avoid blur.
Exposure for the image below: f/2, 10 seconds, ISO 1600
Tip: It’s best to shoot nightscapes at an ISO of 1600 or lower to avoid noise
Exposure for the image below: f/2, 90 seconds, ISO 1600
Tip: Always manually focus your lens to infinity to be certain the stars will be nice and sharp
Below is a compilation of 100 photographs that were taken successively over a period of 50 minutes, layered together using Photoshop.
Exposure: f/1.4, 30 seconds, ISO 400
Below is a 4 second long timelapse using the exact same 100 photographs that were used in the photo above.
Photography gear used:
Canon 6D DSLR
Canon 24mm f/1.4L
Dolica Proline Tripod
Interval Remote Control
These photos and more are available for purchase in our photography store!
A note to our readers: Some of the links on our website are affiliate links. At no additional cost to you, we will earn a commission if you purchase through those links. We use the products we recommend and only recommend what we find useful and helpful.
Great shots! Nice to have a little “guidance” on catching images.
Thanks Deb!
Well done! The 100 shot overlay is fantastic. It’s very rare we this clear of night on the west side in the PNW.
Thanks Scott! We’re quite fortunate to get such clear skies.
Very cool. I make my living in photography. (don’t we all) It’s been more than 30 years that I have and still do. We also have a truck camper and have been on a 5 month trip to Alaska in 2013. It was awesome. Keep up your good posts. You did better than me. I said I was going to post that trip…and I posted twice only…before I left for Alaska… and never after we left the house. LOL
Thanks AnnMarie! We’ve been making our living in photography for the last 12 years but blogging is a full-time job in itself! Thanks for reading!
What a talent you have with the camera! Images were amazing!
Thanks Mom!
That is awesome!