Photographing life on Earth, our home on the outer rim of the Milky Way
We’re happy to announce that, as of today, the SharpStar2 150mm is now available for pre-order, scheduled to ship in March.
This new 150mm SharpStar2 size is perfect for ultra-wide-angle lenses like the Samyang/Rokinon 14mm/2.8 and Nikon 14-24mm/2.8 that need a special 150mm filter system to fit on their fixed-lens hoods.
Our premium filter case is also now available in a 150mm size and can be ordered at the same time as your SharpStar2.
This video tutorial combines two of my favorite techniques for maximizing image quality of astrophotos: stacking and stitching.
Continue reading “Tutorial: Stacked Astrophotography Panoramas”
We were a few of the many millions of people that traveled into the path of totality to witness the 2017 total solar eclipse. Check out what it was like to experience the eclipse from Mackay, Idaho.
Continue reading “Astrophotography On Location: 2017 Total Solar Eclipse – Mackay Idaho”
Accessible astrophotography tools keep getting better and better. Here, I review and walkthrough of my new favorite piece of software for processing astrophotography: Starry Landscape Stacker.
Continue reading “Noise-Free Astrophotography with Starry Landscape Stacker”
This article includes documentation of the so-called “Star Eater” issue with certain Sony cameras and long exposures of the night sky. Continue reading “Star Eater: Documentation of an Issue with the Sony Cameras for Astrophotography (and How to Fix It)”
Albert Dros has been a great friend to Lonely Speck over the last few years, sharing with us his experiences shooting landscape astrophotography around the world. We had the pleasure of meeting him in his native environment of the Netherlands when we traveled through Europe last spring. A few weeks ago, Albert messaged me about his plans to photograph the Milky Way behind an erupting volcano. In this article, Albert Dros recounts his personal experience planning and shooting the Fuego Volcano in Guatemala.
Continue reading “How I Planned and Shot an Erupting Volcano with the Milky Way by Albert Dros”
ISO is one of the three major exposure settings in the exposure triangle of a digital camera. Of the three: shutter time, f/number, and ISO, it is ISO that is probably most misunderstood. Even more so than f/number. In fact, it is a common misconception that higher ISO settings will cause images to be noisier. In fact, the opposite is often true. Wait, what?
That’s right, higher ISO settings alone do not increase image noise and higher ISOs can even be beneficial to low-light photography. In this post, I talk about the craziness surrounding ISO settings, how ISO actually affects exposure and how to find the optimal ISO setting on your camera for astrophotography.
Continue reading “How to Find the Best ISO for Astrophotography: Dynamic Range and Noise”