Outdoor Photography How To

Astrophotography apps are almost as indispensable for shooting the night skies as your camera, lens and tripod. But which astrophotography apps are essential?

In the below video, photographer Mike Smith shares five smartphone apps he always uses for shooting astro. "I use these all the time from planning a photography night out through to when I am under the stars taking photos," Smith says. "They come in handy right through the process."

Here's Smith's rundown of the five astrophotography apps he recommends and explains in the below video. He notes that they are available for both Android and iPhones and can be used for general photography as well.

#1 Accuweather "is a great weather app and you should be able to predict when the skies will clear and be full of stars for the night."

#2 Clear Outside "is fantastic for that more detailed, localised forecast as well as giving you info on the lunar cycles and boatel classification."

#3 Photopills "is a photography classic! It is a paid app but in my opinion,  it is well worth the small investment...this will help your photography in general...as well as helping your astrophotography. Here's the link to my Photopills tutorial."

#4 Plume "is a great app to check the air quality...hopefully the atmosphere isn't too thick so you can see the starts to photograph them."

#5 Sky View "is a brilliant app for learning all about the stars that are in the skies above you...it will show you where the constellations are, what stars are planets and where the satellites are in the sky."

Watch the video and then go visit Smith's awesome YouTube channel for more photography videos. Here are two other astrophotography tutorials you should check out:

How to Shoot Awesome Astrophotography & Night Sky Images: A Basic Tutorial to Get You Started

Here's How to Capture Star Trails in Night Sky Photography: Astrophotography Tutorial Video

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