Video: Seven astrophotography tips for beginners

As we start heading into the warmer months of the year, it’s as good a time as ever to spend some evenings learning how to take photographs of the night sky. It’s also a good excuse for a regional getaway, seeing as you need to escape the light pollution of the city.

In this short video, Trevor Jones from AstroBackyard lays out some helpful hints for beginners. It may come as a surprise, but to capture incredible shots of the stars you actually don’t need lots of fancy equipment or telescopes. Trevor explains how you can turn the humble camera and tripod into a window to the night sky.

In the tutorial, Trevor gives detailed advice on how to plan your shoot, giving consideration to the time of the month, the cycle of the moon and the position of the stars and other deep space objects in relation to where you are.

If you’re someone who feels a bit overwhelmed with being in the deep end, as many beginners do, Trevor helpfully explains all the details you need to know about your camera settings and how to avoid camera shake when taking your photographs.

He also gives a few tips on how to make use of the histogram on your camera to understand and gauge exposure.

If you’re looking for a fun new skill to pick up this summer, check out the video to hear Trevor’s seven top tips for budding astrophotographers.