SHOOT FOR THE STARS

Mike Harris shows you how to capture pin-sharp stars and vibrant foregrounds to form ace night-time scenes

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1.5 HOURS The long nights make winter a great time of year to shoot astro, if you don’t mind the brisk weather, and in this project we’ll run through our top tips for capturing bold foreground subjects beneath stunning starry skies.

The trick is to shoot at least two exposures – one for the foreground and one for the background – and then merge the images in post-production. This allows you to focus on the subject in the foreground and the starry sky in the background separately. However, foreground subjects can often come out looking very dark, so we’ll show you how to mitigate this by using a torch to light-paint objects to add more detail to your night-time scene.

Light pollution can prove problematic when you’re shooting at night, especially if you’re operating near built-up areas. Although it’s less apparent when viewed with the naked eye, light pollution tends to manifest itself as a warm glow on the horizon when captured via a long exposure. A good way of avoiding this is by researching your location ahead of time – www.darkskydiscovery.org.uk is one very good resource.

You don’t need the highest-end camera kit, but a sturdy tripod and a relatively fast wide-angle lens are essential. The former will ensure that your camera remains rock-steady during long exposures, and the latter will allow a suitable amount of light to enter your camera. You’ll need a torch to ‘paint’ the foreground; also consider wearing a head torch so that you can see while keeping your hands free.