The night sky may be the most awe-inspiring spectacle that any of us will ever see. It can, however, be difficult to capture in a photograph, as it requires specialized techniques that are rarely used when shooting images during the day.
In this fully-updated 3rd edition, Grant Collier sheds light on how to capture these otherworldly images by sharing secrets he has learned over the past 17 years. He explains how to take photos of the Milky Way, northern lights, meteors, eclipses, lightning, and much more.
Grant begins by reviewing equipment and supplies that are helpful when photographing at night. He then discusses many software programs, web sites, and mobile apps that will help you plan your shots. Finally, he offers extensive advice on how to capture and process images at night. He goes beyond the basics and teaches how to blend multiple exposures and create huge stitched images to capture incredibly detailed photos that you never before thought possible!
The 3rd edition has been completely updated for 2024. It includes information on the best new camera gear and on improved noise reduction and sharpening software. There are many other small updates throughout the rest of the book, and there are a few new photos. However, since the 2nd edition was released less than 4 years earlier, it's not a huge update from that edition. If you own the 1st edition, it is a very substantial update from that book.
Some of the topics covered include:
- What equipment to use.
- Software programs and apps for planning your shots.
- What camera settings to use.
- What moon phases to shoot under.
- Light painting the foreground and recommended flashlights.
- Capturing star trails, including special effects like comet-like trails.
- Stitching huge images that can be printed very large.
- Stacking images and blending multiple exposures to increase detail.
- Focus stacking to increase depth of field.
- Using an equatorial mount (or star tracker).
- Enlarging star size to bring out constellations.
- How to photograph the Milky Way, northern lights, eclipses, meteors, lightning, air glow, lava, and more!
- Minimizing noise, light pollution, and elongated stars in post-processing.