When you’re RVing you’re often in the perfect setting to relax under the stars. Time seems to stop when you stare in wonder at the speckles of light in the sky. If you’ve ever tried to photography the stars you may realize it takes a little bit of technique. Here’s our tips to make sure you are able to capture the stars on your next camping trip.
Do Your Research
If there is a bright moon highlighting the sky it’s going to be tough to capture great stars. The same goes for clouds. You’ll want to check out the weather forecast as well as the moon cycle to know if it’s going to be a good night for star gazing.
Pick Your Spot
The further in away you are from a city the better. Make sure you get away from the ambient light. Campgrounds are often already out in the wild so you may be able to do it from your RV. .
Be Stable
Even if you have the steady hand of a surgeon, the camera will not have too much “shake” if it’s hand held which will cause you to end up with blurry pictures. The use of a tripod is absolutely essential in capturing the stars.
Manual Mode
Every situation will cause for slightly different camera settings. To adjust for this you will want to put your camera on manual mode. Although every situation will cause for slight variations, these general guidelines will get you on the right track.
- ISO, the goal is to use the lowest ISO possible to keep the photo noise free while getting a well exposed shot. Start with an ISO of 400. If it’s not light enough you will have to increase it until you get enough light coming in.
- Aperture, You want the most amount of light to hit your lens so the wider the aperture the better. Anything f/4 or lower works well.
- Focus, set the focus to infinity.
- Shutter Speed, the longer the shutter speed the more light is allowed in to capture the stars. However if you have the shutter open too long you will get a star trail from the movement of the earth. 30 seconds is a good rule of thumb.
The biggest factor in all of this is having fun. If you’re having fun in the process you’ll take the time to master the skill of star photography! Now get out and camp!
