7 Tips for Better MILKY WAY Photography

[@AlynWallace]

Use code "ALYN" for 5% off the Move Shoot Move star tracker 🔭

[@Rearend]

So @Alyn_Wallace i have been photographing the milky way for almost 2 years now. I´m at that point were i want to maybe invest in a star tracker. Do you have any suggestion because there is a lot to choose from. The pricerange is kind of big when you search around for star trackers. Are the cheaper ones good ? Wich is the best choice for an amateur ?

[@AlynWallace]

@@Rearend if just doing wide angle milky way stuff I recommend the move shoot move with a laser to do the polar alignment. If you're looking to do deep-sky galaxies and nebulae then I recommend the Skywatcher Star Adventurer Pro

[@Rearend]

@@AlynWallace thank you for the fast reply. I have tried and succeded with a good photo of Orion nebulae without a star tracker but it´s a lot of work. I live in Sweden so i don´t know if it´s legal with green laser here. But i know they have several options to choose from. Have to keep my eyes out after the Skywatcher Star Adventure Pro on the used market. Really good and informative videos you so keep up the grind and i´ll keep watching.

[@jacquesloveridge30]

Hi Alyn, I’ve been doing deep sky Astro for the past few months and now the MW core is coming back here i think it’s a good time to try some Wide-field stuff. I had a go at doing some wide field Orion the other day but I am unsure on how to blend long duration tracked subs 2+ minutes with short length untracked images at higher ISO for the foreground. Is there anyway to do it in sequator?

[@IliasKoureas]

Please do the printing video! Would be really helpful! But only if you get the time in your hands

[@SAKinDXB]

Rest in Peace

[@markdavies1019]

So sad to hear the loss of Alyn. Truly an inspirational person with so much information left to give. RIP.

[@timscanlanphotography]

Hi Alyn. Superb content as usual. A definite yes for a printing tuition video please.Many thanks for sharing.

[@meghjoshi7031]

Dude seriously. When I'm kinda bored(burned out) from astrophotography, I watch this guys's videos. He is so passionate, that it feels me with excitement! I'm buckled up to shoot the Milky Way tonight!

[@adamgale23]

Thanks for these tips Alyn. Would really like to see a printing video too. I’ve printed a few Astro photos at home and have had to increase exposure by around 1 stop to replicate the brightness of the image on screen. Would be good to know if that’s normal or something I’ve done wrong myself.

[@bendaniels8572]

I’ve had to do the same thing myself

[@BigBadLoneWolf]

Your monitor is back lit, the prints are not, and will be darker, either boost exposure of your shots or turn the brightness down on your monitor when processing prints, this applies to daytime shots as well

[@Pixelogystudios]

Stacking took my photos to the next level, yes to the printing video and how to prepare images for print. Thanks so much for all the info! Love that MW above the mountains!

[@CuriousAdam23]

Hi Alyn, I didn't realize you mentioned me in your video. I'm very happy about it 😍 Thank you very much for your praise! Tonight I was photographing the Milky Way with friends. It was great! Greetings from the Black Forest in Germany, Adam Schnabelsson

[@carlmcneill1139]

Tip #6: learn about the lunar table to plan your trip when you can moon light to illuminate the foreground. Tip #7: shoot the foreground at blue hour and then wait for the milky way core to appear. Tip #8: use a flashlight/torch to paint the foreground subject with light. All of these tips will require you to learn Photoshop and how to blend the images together. Which brings me to tip #9: learn how to use Photoshop. It is a very powerful tool to edit your milky way photos with.

[@astrolapse1668]

Great vid. I think Richard of nightscape images captures foreground light perfectly.

[@basilbcf]

Planning some MW shots tonight and came here for some refresher on getting good MW shots. So sad we lost Alyn. I'll be using one of his Z brackets tonight!

[@Keychainproduction]

Perfect example of day time scouting, I was at Mesa Arch in Utah, there is spot in a corner near the arch that is a literal hole with a 60foot or more drop. Glad I saw it in the day time before I walked around to get a better composition shot at night.

[@PafMedic]

Good Morning Alyn,Where Was This 2 Days Ago When I Was At Cherry Springs State Park In Pa,Im Only a 3 Hour Drive,A Friend and I Was Up,and I Got My 1st Real Milky Way Shot,and Have Processed It and Im More Than Pleased,That Was Amazing,My 1st Time There,Will Not Be My Last,Have a Great Day,Stay Safe,God Bless and Clear Skies❤️🙏🏼🔭✨🌏

[@erikhy]

I love to take three little electric candles with me to illuminate foreground subjects. Their light through the wax is a lovely, warm color temperature, they can be switched on and off without burning things, they last for weeks, and if you are doing video, they flicker nicely. I place them in deserted houses, rock formations, or even sit with one in my lap facing the camera, similar to the lantern shots Alyn showed. Stick a couple in your tent for a nice glow.

[@ingemargunnarsson9146]

Amazing Alyn, thank you for sharing your knowledge and experience

[@cmichaelhaugh8517]

Great points! I’ve got to get out of upstate New York and back to the West where the sky’s are dark. Thinking of the Bisti Badlands this fall.

[@pedzsan]

According to Nebula Photos, lower ISO does not decrease the noise. Lower ISO does increase the dynamic range but typically, according to him, you want the lowest read noise for your camera. Photons to Photos has charts. He has a video about all the basics of astrophotography titled “Tracker vs. No Tracker for ASTROPHOTOGRAPHY (Shooting the Pleiades)”. I’m just starting out so please double check things cause I sure don’t know.

[@bulbigood6558]

It's true, you will get a lot of noise if you shoot in dark places regardless of ISO. Modern cameras have lower noise when using higher ISO in the final post-processed image.

[@Colinpowellphotography]

Great tips Alyn. I was scouting out at Three Cliffs beach coincidently last weekend and managed get a couple of sunsets at the same time. I'd love to see your printing process.

[@cctvmanbob]

Hi Alyn , Thank you . I have been a hobby photographer for 30 years , now I am out wild camping at night and this looks like a great new idea for me to try ... If I can bother to lug all my kit about!

[@surfrac1]

Yes please on the printing tips! It would be great to hear about different options such as at home printing versus outsourcing. Thanks for all the great info, love your videos 🤩👏

[@localnavy433]

I watched this video and decided to try using my 50 1.8 for the sky part of my images and man you are so right on how it brings out more detail in the sky and I have found a new way for shooting my night images thank you for the tip

[@jessicafolgmann4267]

Thank you Alyn! Your videos are really helpful even for a hobby photographer like myself who doesn’t have all the fancy stuff (yet). Your video about using Sequator helped me to take a nice pic of a part of the Orion constellation in the middle of Munich from my bedroom window :D I was impressed what my little EOS 100D can do :)

[@The_Druid]

Great tips Alyn. I should definitely scout my locations during day time. And would love to see a video on how to print astroimages. Cheers mate!

[@PowellGuide]

As always, great tips Alyn. Yes, please post a video about printing. Continue making great content. I realize it take a ton of time behind the scenes.

[@suvashchandraparida4227]

First comment from india you make great videos

[@zakirahhakim1097]

Amazing thank you i am keen to start star gazing as i live in Cape Town and everynight almost the stars twinkle with such a beauty i am dying to capture them as we are at the tip of Africa just awesome

[@marvinmoriarty8858]

Yes, am very interested in learning about printing Milky Way images!!!

[@rmf11699]

I'm heading to Hawaii in a few days and can't wait to try some of these tips as I've never seen the Milky Way!

[@seanmuller5145]

Yes. Info on Astrophotography prints would be great. Thanks again for another great video.

[@johnwheeler5271]

Thankyou Alyn.More great tips.Yes the printing idea would be really interesting.Hopefully I may have something worth printing by the time you show us.J

[@spirithealershamanism]

Heh all - join Alyn's Patreon site and show him some love!

[@Donny_B]

i just got in from trying out my first full frame camera on the Milky Way. I greatly under estimated the light pollution of the spot i chose. Was pretty bummed. Thought i had it all figured out with Venus and Mars in the shot. It appears that my region has an extreme fear of the dark. Thank you so much for your helpful content. You truly inspire to go out and get the shot

[@shellyannstokes]

Yes please! Would love to learn how to print my night sky images. Hope you make an video

[@EricTheCat]

Thank you, Alyn, for another great video. I would really like a video about printing. Clear skies.

[@FAstroHD]

Yes I would be interested in printing images, thanks mate, great video

[@jffro]

Awesome vid mate-yep definitely up for a vid on printing Milky Way images, especially something large in size/scale👍

[@davidmoore720]

Yes to a video for printing (and also advice+reasons on your thoughts about sharpening, please). I have an extra tip for photographers stacking images to remove noise - Don't chose a foreground with a complex horizon (such as a tree) because it's almost impossible to guide the software to separate the sky from the foreground (if stars are moving between branches, for instance)

[@Madalyn.Johnson]

Thanks so much for the tips!! Definitely interested in a video on printing- ways to preserve the luminance and pop from the digital image and best mediums for printing astro photos! I have tried photo paper, metallic paper, metal, and canvas and cannot decide what is best!

[@martinsarre]

Fantastic video Alyn. I’m Looking forward to getting some new Milky Way shots in Guernsey this year using these tips.

[@alisonfairley5444]

Loved the video Alyn as ever great content. Would be very interested in a video on Astro Landscape printing too, thank you :-)

[@marsdenphoto]

Ahh cup of tea and my favourite KZbinr. The whole world of astrophotography fascinates me. I’m just not very good at it lol

[@lavamonsta86]

Defo up for seeing a vid on printing! Always worry about making a print too big and it coming out ugly

[@MohamedAshraf-pulsar]

You inspired me to try astrophotography I love your content so much Much love from Egypt 🇪🇬 ❤

[@joet9451]

What a fabulous video. And yes would love to see a video on print ing. My new canon prograf 1000 needs to use some ink. Thank you for such wonderful content.

[@dustinnyffeler8624]

Yes to a video on printing. I've loved my astro images on my phone, but they look like garbage when I've tried to pint them.

[@johnwilliams5692]

Thank You. Great Video . I learn lots as a very beginner. The tips were great Milky Way is next on my list. I am subscribed to you and looking forward to more of you. Where right now I need help on is how to keep your photos to a point where you can get them printed as a 11x14 size of photo. By the time I get them all edited they are only good enough for 5x7 size of photos. Also I enjoyed how you talked slower and did not have to pause so much, and was able to write down notes

[@Keenan716]

thank you for the content bro. I'm so excited for Milky Way season!!!

[@ahmedwaddah9391]

Definitely gonna focus on improving my Milkyway astro landscapes this year 🤘

[@brianmeade960]

Yes please for the printing video! Would love to hear your expertise in this area. I enjoy all of your videos by the way. Keep up your great work, I (and we by extension) love it!

[@langsoosten1875]

Thank you! And yes, printing would be great.

[@markhaslehurst6308]

I’d love a video on printing Astro photos!! Great video as always 😃👌🏻

[@callumvernon7053]

Yep! Would love to have a vid on printing. My first attempt was a huge fail!

[@martinwhelan8006]

Yes printing video would be interesting

[@johncarter591]

I Reckon we Need a Video on What Telephoto Lens one should use for tracking the Night sky for Panorama's ETC.

[@johnt.hemming5354]

Alyn. I’m enjoying very much the education I’m getting watching your videos. They are costing me money in that as a result of watching them I’ve purchased the Move Shoot Move rotator and both the V and Z mounts. I’m looking forward to clear nights and experimenting with my new equipment. I have a shot in mind to attempt to capture. I’m hoping for a calm, still night to shoot the Milky Way over a particular island in Lake Huron here in Michigan. After some practice, if I have success I will share the resulting image.

[@flexable9256]

Mmmh, when giving exposure time examples without a star tracker, I find you very optimistic! Maybe I'm too "focused" on that, but with a 20mm on my Z6 (FF "low" pixel density), I'm unhappy with star trailing on the corner as soon as 10". I even have to go down to 8". So, your 25" at 24mm... we seem to have a different opinion on what a star trail is :)

[@brianbrooking496]

Another sprinkle of wisdom and gold dust. Would love to see how to physically take the MW panorama and stitch together, leading onto how to print. Not sure if I am alone, but don’t have any Lr knowledge but would like to walk through the process

[@robb7342]

Excellent refresher Alyn. Looking forward to trying a arch-pano again, just curious as to the number images for stacking? I just found time is against you when having to do a 4 panel stack. Would most definately be interested in a printing tutorial.

[@lizards821]

Alyn these tips are fantastic. Great concise and engaging delivery my doggo. Keep these goods coming!

[@williamschone9358]

Alyn, with your help & several others, I’ve been shooting the Milky Way for several seasons, and found your video exactly on spot. Very good reinforcement. I have a Nikon crop sensor camera, using the Nikon 35mm 1.8 prime, stacked tracked images, provided me with my favorite image to date. Thank you sincerely for your tips, techniques & inspiration. Attempting the Zodiacal Lights in a few weeks. Again, thanks much.

[@scotty4418]

Enjoyed this Alyn and definitely would welcome the chance to see a video about printing and astro image

[@jacky-one]

1.Seek darker skies 2.Scout in the daytime 3.Use a fast lens 4.It’s not all about the core 5.Use a star tracker 6.Stack for noise reduction 7.Don’t shine your torch at it!

[@ioantodor6039]

Congrats for all work! Thanks for sharing here your experience!

[@davidarteaga7054]

Most definitely would love to see a video on astro prints.

[@silverpassion3588]

The shinning of the head light is just to add interest in the composition. Am sure you are aware of that right?

[@pete1927]

Great UK centric guide ... top stuff.

[@nibs8837]

Excellent tips! Incredibly useful, and also inspiring-it's been many years since I studied basic photography as part of a fine arts program, and then part of commercial art. Your videos make me excited to begin photographing again. I would definitely be interested in learning about printing astrophotos!

[@maxsvisions]

Would love to see a video on your post processing workflow for Astro Prints specifically!

[@Kevin.kistermann]

Hey Alyn, pls show us your printing advices for astrophotos

[@michaelgoulding4425]

Great collection of tips Alyn, very much appreciated 👍

[@Adisa1992]

What I do when location scouting during the day is use the AR option on photopills and screen record my composition if it's a panorama.

[@steveturner8491]

The tips were great. A video on printing astro photos would be fantastic.

[@tomwilson6307]

Yes, video about printing please. Grest tips. Thanks.

[@donaldsoule5234]

Yes, definitely a vid for printing.

[@jasonkucerik9225]

Great tips! Thanks for this! And yes, absolutely interested in printing astro images!

[@rolsonn]

Great tips, Alyn! Thank you! Yes, interested In MW printing

[@zuperblue1]

Nice one Alyn been waiting for this good luck on your tour. E.

[@antoinednbd3573]

Thanks for the tips! I'd love to learn more about printing astrophotos!

[@judywright2051]

Thanks for this video. And, yes definitely on the printing video!

[@hasithagayalambattaya8929]

Thanks for this great video Alyn! 🌌💖

[@anonymous-me]

Yes. Please make a printing video.

[@highlander774]

don't use a torch🤣... to many do this senseless thing. thanks Alyn...as always superdupergoooood

[@byrgeastrophotography]

Hey Alyn. I'd love to see a video on printing astro images. I've been looking to print some of my own and would love some advise on the best places to get it done and the best media to get it printed on without breaking the bank.

[@spencerwynn6824]

Great video, thanks for the tips. I think it would be fantastic if you could do a film about printing your night sky images! Take care over there!

[@JohnPaul-ii]

Good tips as always, those dark sky places are a must. Did you manage any in Astro shooting during the Antarctica trip Alyn ? Or is that a later vlog too come?

[@nubs2940]

The Milky Way core doesn't even really rise above the horizon in the peak of Milky May season from my location 🥲 Great video though👍

[@drewpearson7911]

Amazing work and tutorial. Thanks 🙏🏼

[@avt_astro206]

Thanks Alyn. Very Useful tips for me. Just Need Dark Skies, LOL!

[@tony_r_pierce]

Would love to see you go through printing some of your awesome photos.

[@dw.in.michigan]

Yes, a video on printing would be great!

[@scott-hr3hd]

The most economical start up fast lens would be a 50mm 1.4 or 1.8 prime. Even with that I recommend doing stacking and panoramic stitching. That also means equipment for the stitching including a panoramic arm for parallax.

[@AlynWallace]

Economic perhaps but that throws beginners into the deep end. A wide angle is far easier to get good results with immediately and then build on those results by learning tracking and stitching

[@scott-hr3hd]

@@AlynWallace sure thing. Stacking is simple with an intervalometer and knowledge how to use it however stitching does require the knowledge to know the settings based on lens and camera type. Some playing around to know if you are getting 50% + overlap in images or not takes practice but just like any other equipment it’s better to get comfortable and confident before getting into the field.

[@scott-hr3hd]

@@AlynWallace the arm I use is SUNWAYFOTO CR-3015A 360° x 180° Spherical Panoramic Kit ARCA/RRS Compatible Sunway. Pretty easy to understand. Most of the grids I use is 5x horizontal by 2x vertical grid layout.

[@kooldude7876]

thanks for another great video!!! I can't wait to get out there and attempt to capture the milky way on my camera! I appreciate the tips for better photography and will definitely consider each one while I am out in the field! Your videos definitely get me pumped to be out there photographing the night sky! thanks for continuing your passion and putting out amazing content for us to enjoy!!! cheers!

[@pekingcolin]

Say hello from Peking , Just received a MSM Z bracket I bought from Amazon, it’s so well designed and exquisite workmanship.

[@michaelsaltsman7550]

another great video great work Alyn hope ur well

[@koenpijpersphotography]

I would love to see a how to print my Astro photos tutorial. Thank you for todays tips.

[@nickholt8104]

Hi Alyn, I’m sure you’ve heard of Richard Tatti from nightscape images down here in Australia, his light painting technique is second to none. Great video by the way some good tips, thanks

[@AlynWallace]

Yes! I've referenced his work in my forthcoming book as an awesome example for light painting

[@nickholt8104]

@@AlynWallace I’ve just done a one on one zoom meeting with Richard as I’m Realy new to this, I’ve also signed up to regular zoom meetings with him throughout the year, he’s fantastic and explains things so clearly I think I will learn an awful lot from him. Hopefully I’ll get back to the uk next year for a few weeks and if I’m lucky I may bring my tracker etc with me so I’ll hit you up for some dark sky locations in the Lake District or Wales

[@donaldkasper8346]

Stacking does not remove all noise. More images are also adding more noise, so you get some reduction but certainly not all reduction. The image quality does not depend on noise reduction, it depends on the signal to noise ratio. If you have a low signal to noise ratio, meaning less than 1, then you never clean up noise.

[@AlynWallace]

Yeah not the video where I wanted to go into that sort of technical detail. I love how even if the perfect camera existed with 100% efficient electronics images would still be noisy due to photon noise 😁

[@shellyannstokes]

I loved this video. I never really knew what a star tracker does until now. Also I would be very interested in seeing a video on printing our night sky photos. As always I get so much out of your videos. Thank you!

[@septembertwenty-nine9989]

Thank you Alyn. Your videos have made quite an impact on my astrophotography.. Are you familiar with Richard Tatti of Australia. He stacks multiple light painted foreground images in his Milky Way photographs.

[@kellybalkom7149]

yes that would be great a printing video!