Earlier this week I had a chance to sit down (via phone) with photographer, Mike Shaw. I've know Mike for several years. I wrote the forward to his new book, The Beginner's Guide to Astrophography, which will give you a little insight into the man:
Professor Mike Shaw had finished his physics class earlier that day and was now teaching his astronomy class. He enjoyed taking his students on what he called, "A Journey Through the Universe, Aboard Spaceship Earth." One female student, on the front row, seemed particularly engaged. As she closed her eyes for a second, he noticed the words, "LOVE YOU" painted on her eyelids!
Does this sound like a movie scene out of Indiana Jones and "Raiders of the Lost Ark"? Okay, strike the eyelid part, but the rest actually took place! Before Mike's photography career took off, he was a physics and astronomy professor; and, an applied physics research scientist before that. After obtaining his Ph.D in Materials Engineering from the University of California, Santa Barbara, he spent two years as a post-doctoral research scientist at Cambridge University, England. And that female student? She and Mike are now happily married, with two children who enjoy exploring the moon, planets, and stars as a family. [Forward quote shortened for this interview.]
Everywhere Dr. Shaw has taught, he instantly connects with people due to his friendly, down-to-earth teaching style. For several years, I've listened to his many night sky photography lectures and webinars. Each presentation is skillfully taught in a way that engages and inspires his audience, in simple to understand terminology. It is always a joy to listen to his enthusiastic delivery.
This week's telephone interview with Shaw was no different. Mike is alway eager to share his photo expertise.
Mike calls himself a night photography teacher on his website, so I asked him to share some tips or suggestions that come up during his workshops and classes — things he wished he knew when when he started his night photography journey.
MIKE'S TOP 20 NIGHT PHOTO TIPS, in no particular order:
1) Understand your goals for the night: Having clear goals helps you enjoy your night sessions. Decide if you’re out for general enjoyment to capture the beauty of the night sky, or working on a specific project with detailed shots in mind. This will help you plan your equipment, location, and timing more effectively.
2) Importance of practicing at home during the day & night: Practicing at home allows you to familiarize yourself with your gear and techniques. It helps you troubleshoot issues and hone your skills, making sure you’re ready for the actual night session without wasting precious night-time hours on-location on tasks you could have learned at home during the day.
3) Understanding how the sky moves each night and during the year: The night sky’s movement each night is due to Earth’s rotation while seasonal changes in the night sky result from the Earth’s orbit around the Sun. Take some time to understand these patterns – this knowledge will help you plan your night sessions effectively.
4) How to use a planisphere to understand the night sky: A planisphere is a totally under-appreciated tool that can really help you learn the night sky and plan your night sessions. Rotate the inner wheel to match your date and time, and it will show you the visible constellations (see image below), helping you plan your shoots and locate celestial objects.
Alternatively, rotate the inner wheel to place your night sky subject where you want it to be and then read off possible date dates and times to capture in the correct position from the planisphere’s cover, as in the image below.
Here is a link to a DIY Planisphere you can download and create.
5) The importance of planning ahead in general: Planning ahead is crucial in astrophotography. Check when and where your night sky object will be in position, the moon phase, and light pollution levels, and scout your location during the day. Check the weather! Preparation helps you make the most of your time under the stars.
Along with my planisphere, I mainly use the following apps to plan my night sessions: Stellarium, Planit Pro, PhotoPills, The Photographer’s Ephemeris, Google Maps, Gaia GPS, Sputnik, Aurora Pro, Wunderground, Astrospheric, Windy, meteoblue, SpaceWeatherLive, and AirNow.
6) What white balance should you use: Use a manual white balance setting to achieve consistent results. Start with a Kelvin temperature of around 3500K to 4000K (or simply choose Daylight) to capture the natural colors of the night sky. Don’t stress too much – you can always adjust in post-processing.
If your intent is to combine images (blends, panoramas, time-lapses, etc.), just be sure not to use Auto White Balance, otherwise each image will have a slightly different color cast.
7) How to choose the best combination of ISO, aperture, shutter speed: Consider a high ISO (yes, even 12,800!), wide aperture, and appropriate shutter speed to balance exposure and noise. For Milky Way shots in dark locations with no moon or snow, start with ISO 6400, f/2.8, and a 20-second shutter speed, and adjust as needed based on your camera and conditions.
Balance image noise (high ISO effect) with star trailing (shutter speed effect – see table below) to choose the best combination. I often take a dozen or more test shots to get the exposure just right!
8) The importance of monitoring the histogram when setting exposures at night: Monitoring your image’s histogram ensures your exposure is correct. Aim for a balanced histogram without clipping the shadows. Search “Expose to the right (ETTR)” online for more details.
Note: your images will appear bright on your camera’s illuminated LCD screen, especially in dark locations. It’s easy to underexpose in these conditions. Monitoring the histogram ensures a good exposure – see image below.
9) What lens to use: All of them! Learning when to use fisheye, wide-angle, short/medium/long telephoto lenses will open up incredible opportunities.
10) Get a sturdy tripod: Your tripod is extremely important for the long exposures needed in astrophotography. Buy the most robust one you can find – the secondhand market is a good place to shop around.
11) How to focus (tips): Achieving sharp focus in astrophotography can be tricky. Use live view, zoom in on a bright star or distant light, and manually adjust the focus until it’s pinpoint sharp – see image below. Practicing this skill at home REALLY helps when you’re in the field. A Bahtinov mask can also be a valuable tool for precise focusing with longer telephoto lenses.
12) Do I need filters, if so which ones?: Filters can enhance your astrophotography. A light pollution filter is beneficial in urban areas, while a nebula filter (hydrogen-alpha or NBZ, see image below) can help capture the specific wavelengths of light from nebulae.
13) When to use interval shooting: Use interval shooting for time-lapses, star trails, meteor showers or to capture multiple exposures for stacking – see image below. It automates the process, ensuring consistent intervals between shots and allowing you to concentrate on other activities.
14) When/when not to use a star tracker: A star tracker is NOT needed to get started in astrophotography. Use a star tracker when you’re aiming for long exposures with telephoto lenses to capture deep-sky objects and/or at low ISO achieve sharp, detailed star images with the best dynamic range. Skip the tracker if you’re shooting short exposures, wide-field Milky Way shots, or single exposures incorporating foreground elements that remain stationary.
15) How to shoot the full moon: For sharp and detailed full moon shots, shoot the evening before the actual full moon, like the image below (moonrise), or the following morning (moonset). Use settings like ISO 400, f/5.6, and 1/200 sec to capture the surface details clearly while capturing a well-exposed foreground in a single exposure.
16) Post-processing is an essential part of the process: When I first started out, I was frustrated by the relatively dull appearance of my images. I now know that post processing can really bring my images to life. I do most of my image editing in Adobe Lightroom and use Adobe Photoshop for projects that require image blending.
17) I want more - can I do nightscapes from where I live in the city: Yes, you can shoot nightscapes from the city, although light pollution will be a challenge. Focus on brighter celestial events, use light pollution filters, and include interesting urban elements to create compelling images. And don’t despair – even bright urban locations often have plenty of stars visible – see the star trails image below from bright, downtown Minneapolis.
18) Good manners when dealing with others at night: Respect others’ space and preserve night vision by using dim red lights instead of white. Keep noise levels down and be considerate, especially in popular or shared locations.
19) How to enjoy the experience when things go wrong: While it sounds cliché, embrace the unexpected and view setbacks as learning opportunities! Stay flexible, adapt to changing conditions, and enjoy the beauty of the night sky regardless of the outcome.
20) Finally, what to expect when things go right: When everything aligns, astrophotography can be a profoundly transcendental experience. Your ability to capture breathtaking images to share with your family and friends are deeply rewarding magic moments that will keep you coming back more!
From Royce: Mike, that was fantastic! Those tips would have really helped with my learning curve, 10-15 years ago if I'd been able to start out with this foundation!
Could you leave us with a few of your favorite images?
Mike: Thanks Royce! Again, so glad to be a part of this discussion. Here are six of my all time faves:
TOTALITY - The transition to totality during the April 8, 2024 total solar eclipse reveals Bailey’ Beads, prominences and the corona.
Glacier Lagoon Aurora - The dazzling Aurora Borealis fills the sky over Iceland’s Glacier Lagoon.
Boundary Waters Milky Way - The colorful core of the summer Milky Way glows in the dark skies of Minnesota’s Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.
Mt. Whitney Deepscape - Here’s the Orion Nebula complementing Mt. Whitney in California.
SYNERGY - The loving couple, Orion, the fading moonlight from the setting crescent Moon, the beautiful red rock arche in Utah’s Arches National Park - it all came together for a brief few minutes. I will forever treasure this memory!
More information about Mike Shaw is available on his LinkTree.