Outdoor Photography How To

We've all marveled at spectacular photos of the nighttime sky, and the Milky Way is one of the major attractions. Unfortunately, many photographers take a pass on this epic opportunity because of the misconception that exotic gear is required or they lack the necessary skills.

This comprehensive guide from the B&H Photo Video YouTube channel explains everything necessary for capturing beautiful images without fumbling around in the dark, and then enhancing your Milky Way images with a straightforward post-processing workflow. Instructor Matt Zefi promises that after watching today's 19-minute episode you'll be able to nail amazing images every time.

Zefi is an accomplished NY-based photographer and instructor known for his ability to simplify seemingly complicated tasks. In this behind-the-scenes lesson from the Great Smoky Mountains you'll follow Zefi in the field as he provides numerous "foolproof" techniques from planning to post so that you can get in on the action.

Thoughtful planning is especially important for all sort of astrophotography, and that's where Zefi begins. As he says, "You want to make sure that you're in the right spot at the right time and this depends upon the hemisphere you're in and the specific location you choose." Zefi reveals a useful app that provides this information at glance.

It's also important to understand the phase of the moon and be aware of light pollution while aiming for a new moon when you'll benefit from the darkest sky and the brightest stars. Zefi moves on to a discussion of gear and why a fast lens is very helpful, and then he illustrates a few simple techniques for attention-grabbing composition.

Configuring the camera properly is also an essential part of the equation and Zefi walks you through the camera settings he recommends. These are different from those you use for other photographic tasks, and they're dependent upon the specific lens in use.

The popular Photopills app mentioned above is a big help is this regard too. Zefi plugs in his focal length and other basic information, and the app recommends the best shutter speed to use as a starting point before experimenting with other effects.

Zefi concludes this very helpful primer by pulling up his images on the computer and demonstrating a simple post-processing technique that anyone can master in minutes. Once you set side your apprehension and follow Zefi's advice, we guarantee that you'll own the night from now on.

Be sure to visit the popular B&H Photo Video YouTube channel where there are many more helpful lessons on popular shooting and image-editing techniques.

And don't miss another eye-opening tutorial we featured recently in which an English pro demonstrates how to create stunning "fine art' landscape photographs by eliminating the horizon line during post processing.