PHOTOGRAPH THE MILKY WAY: Settings, gear, finding a location, processing, start to finish.

[@simon_dentremont]

Let me know if these tips worked for you, and what lens/camera combo you used!

[@jasonpressler7111]

William's optics gt 81, zwo 1600mm, 8 slot filter wheel with (LRGB SII,OIII,HA), Sesto senso focuser, Explorer scientific exos 2 goto mount, WO guide scope with zwo 120mm mini, N.I.N.A on the ol laptop 2-15 min exposures, Obviously i am not a beginner , but this was an excellent presentation to get people into night time photography, everyone has to start somewhere. The only thing i would add to this is Batinov masks and dew bands. But for a beginner this is perfect amount of info they need to start, because we both know this field goes deep and you find yourself not going out much.... mostly because you spent all of the money on your astrophotography addiction. ohhh i almost forgot one key point, if anyone has an interest in this kind of astrophotography or DSO, start practicing stacking and processing now. Most people share their raw data on places like astrobin and telescopius Take those photos and practicing stacking in DSS and finish editing in which ever program you prefer. If you are ready to make the JUMP to DSO go ahead and pick up the free trial of Pixinsight, it is far more powerful as it is specifically designed for astronomy.... it is also the hardest program to learn and Photoshop experience doesn't help that much as all of the tools and processes are different. Monochrome doesn't use ISO, so you will have to relearn a lot. i do not, repeat do not recommend beginners try monochrome narrowband imaging, get one shot color experience first.

[@howardcrumpler2298]

I live on beach and have put in a lot of time trying to shoot the Milky Way. It's been a struggle without success but this tutorial will definitely help. Thank you so much!!

[@CraigJOutdoors]

I had tried astro photography in the past before watching this video and never really had any success. Went out on a backcountry trip after watching this with my Nikon D500 and a simple 18-55 and took one of my all-time favourite shots using this information. Thanks!

[@simon_dentremont]

@@CraigJOutdoors Excellent!

[@PraneethParavasthu1]

Really appreciate you for the detailed explanation and demonstration. I got some cool pictures of the milky way with my sony a7iii and sigma 24-70 pretty much following these tips.

[@xxstr8jacketxx]

Best instructor on KZbin period ❤

[@simon_dentremont]

Too kind!

[@johnpjohn3631]

He is right ​@@simon_dentremont

[@HaggenKennedy]

13:00: "I use contrast to do that, and not exposure, otherwise my stars will also get dark." This tip alone is worth the video. Having said that, I'm very glad that's just the tip of the iceberg, and that there is so much more to this video. Thank you for your content!

[@alcairns149]

Absolutely! I was just about to post the exact same comment 👍

[@sebastiang071]

Totally!! A real pearl for sure!

[@ScutuRC]

CAMERA Settings: - Camera Mode: Manual - Screen Brightness: 20% (3 out of 10) - White Ballance: around 3800k - Aperture: f2.8 - or lowest - Shutter Release - wired, wireless or 2sec delay. - Image compression: RAW - ISO: FX 3200 - 6400, DX 1600-3200 - Exposure: 500 / 20 (lens mm) = 25 seconds (better at 15-20) - Focus - 2 ways: 1 - Focus on the far clouds during the day and mark the spot on the lens with a marker. 2 - Focus on a bright star (+ magnify on live screen)

[@rkarlson0083]

Thanks

[@c.i.a.3384]

Star tracker removes the 500 rule and you can just do what ever exposure you want. Stop down the f stop from 1.4 to 2.8 for more sharpness and less astigmatism and coma especially if you’re tracking and can afford longer exposures. Use a 3 way instead of a ball head on the tripod because easier to compose and polar align if tracking (v and a plates are the best). Use photoshop to blend foreground and tracked sky.

[@ScutuRC]

True, and I use a star tracker as well, is just that not everyone here has one and many still try shoot the stars .. @@c.i.a.3384

[@JusticeExplorer]

I'm a complete beginner to photography and the editing portion blew my mind. You're amazing...

[@canoodlingus6244]

You're like the Bob Ross of Photography! Enjoy watching and learning from you!

[@davidg-bp4zk]

finally somoen who doesnt talk shit for 99% of there video just does what the title says and gets down to business, thanks for just being real with no fluff, i can actually understand what your saying and go out and use it same day , nice 😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁 i use fuji xh2s , i have the prime 18mm f1.4 so ill try that thanks

[@simon_dentremont]

That’s a perfect lens for it.

[@DanoVisual]

Even my 5y/o little brother understood this video, Shows that this gentleman right here helped not only me but my little brother too... Big Thanks Sir.

[@simon_dentremont]

That's great!

[@p1pepper]

All of your videos are so informative and clear ! No filler , just killer !

[@simon_dentremont]

Thanks!

[@jeffmaronphotography]

This is an extremely well done tutorial, wow! I absolutely love watching your tutorials as they are concise and give all the information a photographer needs from start to finish for high quality photos! Thank you for your informative tutorials, well done!

[@simon_dentremont]

Thank you so much!

[@jeffmaronphotography]

@@simon_dentremont You're very welcome! I would like to point out that your tutorials are as high quality as your photos!

[@edeinhorn6016]

I just found your channel yesterday (1/21/2023) and I've been binge-watching all your videos. You are a fountain of useful information. My wife and I will be in Mackinaw City, Michigan where there is a place named Headlands International Dark Sky Park. I had planned to go there to shoot the night sky, but I KNOW my photos will be MUCH BETTER after learning the tips you just provided on this video. Unfortunately, we will be there between May 11 and 13 and there will be some moonlight in the sky. I'm 66 and ready to retire, but what a great hobby it would be for my wife and me to tour the country, take great photos, and maybe even sell some on stock photography sites. First, though, I think it's time to replace my aging Sony A100 with a more up-to-date camera and some great lenses. Thank you very much for sharing your knowledge. I truly appreciate it!

[@simon_dentremont]

Welcome! Go get ‘em!

[@Frank419]

Very informative yet to the point. I’ve just gained interest in landscape astrophotography and this is the best video I’ve seen on the subject. Thanks.

[@simon_dentremont]

Glad it was helpful!

[@JamesBrown-77777]

Simon, this was a very helpful video tutorial on photographing the Milky Way. I plan to try these tips out once I locate a light pollution free area nearby. Thanks for your very helpful tips on photography. You've been a great inspiration. God Bless!

[@babthooka]

Another hint I notice you illustrate for us without saying it out loud is to bring copious amounts of mosquito repellent. And kidding aside, you make some fantastic guides and explanations. You most definitely have my subscription.

[@simon_dentremont]

Good point!

[@brennan.rogers]

Wish I had saw this before our Mauna Kea trip last year!

[@181Days]

Amazingly well done - been shooting for decades and this is one of the clearest astro-photography videos I've ever seen

[@patrickcarroll6219]

Always the most informative without the fluff and showmanship

[@solarpowerhobart3012]

Your channel deserves more recognition.

[@Guoenyi]

One extra tip is you shoud make sure your fore ground (e.g. the church in this video) is sufficiently far from camera so your wide aperture will not blur it out. If you have to have close fore ground then you will have to close aperture and deal with star streak, long exp noise and high iso noise. The latter two can get fixed to some degree in LR but it is ideal to not have them at all.

[@Lucaemar]

As many others have already said, this channel is an absolute gem. Very to the point, very informative, and one of the few, that get me to think "what more can I do with the equipment that I have" rather than "if only I had this other piece of equipment, I could do things x and y" (Disclaimer, I do have all the basic equipment, tripod, a few lenses and so on, but still many other tutorials have me focused on more lenses, a bigger camera etc)

[@127TROOP]

Well daaaaamn! Astrophotography is one thing I’ve never tried. I’ve watched other photographers do it but it’s never really clicked for me…..until now! It’s been said so many times but Simon, your teaching style is perfect, your explanations, your examples, the pace of delivery…..all perfect for me. You have now given me the incentive to get out there and shoot the stars. Thank you😊

[@jeremiahmontana]

I'm so happy watching all of this massive amount of information being so easily explained. Your beautiful images that you are giving to the world as a photographer are now also matched by the ease of which you are explaining incredibly helpful photography concepts. A BIG thank you from a happy photographer in Montana, USA

[@simon_dentremont]

You are so welcome!

[@LunkerFishing]

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE! I like many are beginning/amateur photographers. I watch hundreds of hours on KZbin and read many books and articles of photographers describing theory. That is great but what nobody does is explain what they do first, then second, etc. or give some direction of how to apply that theory. The second half of this video was the first time someone in real time showed what they actually do to produce a photo and not just tell us the vague theory. Please do more of this. PLEASE! It was such an eye opener, and way more than you realize, for us to fully understand what you are telling us to do. I used to do in-service training and was taught to "Tell-Show-Do" and that is exactly what you do that others do not. Thank you! I have several cameras Canon M50, Canon T5i, and a Canon 5D Mark II. Besides other lenses I guess my best lens I have to do MilkyWay would be a 50mm 1.8 or a 24-105 L 4.0 or a EFS-24 1:2.8

[@simon_dentremont]

Welcome! Your 24 2.8 probably best.

[@Superogobongo]

Your videos are a gift to so many of us. You are as excellent a teacher as you are a photographer. Kudos and thank you.

[@simon_dentremont]

So nice of you

[@neilcousineau4956]

This is one of the best tutorials I’ve seen and even better rural Ontario, the place I call home. Can’t wait for spring and thanks.

[@8moments]

Amazing! The last part is like a magic~^^!

[@simon_dentremont]

Thank you! 😄

[@RyanDeCorby]

That was my favourite sharing of Milky Way photography.

[@nopenope7350]

Don't think we missed that Rolex...

[@Goofypikz]

Fantastic video, thank you. No blah blah, just superb content.

[@Eugene-Braack]

A short, succinct tutorial that conveys everything one needs to know to shoot the night sky. Your post method is great, I learnt something new.

[@simon_dentremont]

Excellent!

[@joshuarose3081]

I’ve shot Astro several times in the past but this video specifically changed the way I approached my setup and editing. I went out at 3am today and got the best shot I’ve ever gotten of the Milky Way over Otisco Lake here in Central NY. Thank you Simon!

[@AB-YTC]

Thank you for your videos Simon. Your clarity, and to the point style are brilliant.

[@simon_dentremont]

The former, 300/mm

[@dennisharris144]

Just enough. Not too long and drawn out with a mountain of details. There is enough information here to get anyone started in Milky Way photography. Well done my friend.

[@simon_dentremont]

Thanks Dennis!

[@tbg3111]

Have a friend interested in trying MW photography. I was going to try to walk her through it, but after seeing this tutorial decided to send it on to her because I can't even come close to your ability to convey and teach. Excellent.

[@simon_dentremont]

Glad it was helpful! thanks so much!

[@j.m.hunter1590]

Very good tutorial. I really like the finishing touches. Thanks very much

[@Bleeper168]

I just bought my very first "serious" camera (Sony A7 iii) after watching a bunch of your videos. One of the top priorities is Astrophotography and this video makes me so excited to get my first camera and go out into the night. I love your videos and you seem like a really cool guy. Thank you for teaching!

[@tralfmusic]

This is the best video you've ever made - more like this please!

[@gauravmishra457]

Thanks Simon..your tutorials are best for learning photography . No one explains such minute things with this much clearity. I am a novice to this but loving to learn more because of your videos and feeling much confident. Thanks again sir🙏

[@scott-hr3hd]

50mm prime 1.4f. Pano stitching 10x2 with 5 exposure stacking per frame. Dark, light and blanks(for hot pixels) 100 photos plus 5 ISO pre test shots. Huge megapixels. I use NPF rule and a pano head and arm for parallax….and twizzelers…

[@simon_dentremont]

You’re brave! But it can work!

[@dreamofus]

Best photo guy on the internet! Brilliant advice as always! Pleasure to watch x

[@ro3843]

Great info. I'm a little bit more than a novice and everything you're sharing is spot on. It's what I had to learn to emerge from the pure novice stage. Wish I had seen and listened to this video 8 months ago! But glad KZbins algorithm finally popped it up in my feed.

[@simon_dentremont]

Excellent!

[@delanoluijpen6766]

Close your eyes and carefully listen to his voice... The only thing I see in my head is Mr. Levenstein giving some life lesson in American Pie and we all love the vibe of Mr. Levenstein 😂❤️ Thank you so much for this video!

[@h-dawg969]

I’ve just discovered your instagram and KZbin. One of the best photography tutorial channels I’ve seen for a while. You really explain things well and in an easy to understand manner. I don’t shoot on canon but the tips have helped loads none the less. Really good content and shots buddy! From Cornwall with love!

[@simon_dentremont]

Thanks H!

[@epostiljon]

This truly is the friend you want to have beside you when you learning the art of Photographing. I actually snapping up one or 5 things from each of your films :) Now Im just waiting for the dark nights up here, in the land of Santa. Hats of for you sir

[@lynnwhyjae]

I did a milky way time lapse last year. I wasn't in the best place outside my home but I still caught a good part of the milky way. I will try your technique, especially the focusing one with the magnification! That was the most helpful tip!

[@stevef1314]

Love your teaching style! Well worth the watch, especially the editing tips which I found very helpful. Normally a bird photographer, I've just started doing MW photography this year and there are a couple of things I learned that might be helpful to your viewers. I use a 45mp full frame camera with the Rokinon 14mm f2.8. I find the Rule of 500 or even 300 still produces slight star trails. Using the Photopills Spot Stars calculater with the NPF Rule, I discovered that for my camera/lens combination, 6 to 8 second exposures produce the best results. The other thing worth mentioning when planning a shoot is the position of the MW core over the horizon. I believe you are shooting in Nova Scotia which is well below the 49th parallel. For those of us Canadians shooting just above the 49th, the core is extremely close to the horizon at the best of times. It gets closer to the horizon as you go further north. That means that you can't have much blocking the horizon such as mountains or tall tree lines if you want to include the core. Where I am in Vancouver, it's a very long drive to find spot away from the city that is actually dark. Fortunately some of the best spots are on the sides or tops of mountains a few hours east of the city which helps with the horizon.

[@robertpaul2163]

This tutorial is so helpful and inspiring! You have a gift for teaching and explaining just about anything. Having watched your Ted Talks on Seniors, tutorials, and videos on Birding, Landscape Photography, capturing birds in their natural habitat, as well as Astrophotography, you are so easy for anyone to understand and learn from. Having taught at the Secondary and University levels for many years, I recognize the professionalism, passion, and knowledge base you bring to your work. Merci d'éclairer et d'inspirer ma vie, Simon.

[@simon_dentremont]

Thanks so much Robert!

[@alwaysnydia2928]

Best photography account on KZbin! 🥇

[@simon_dentremont]

Too kind!

[@dr.abyscharles]

I really liked the part where u turned the brightness of the screen down . Never crossed my mind. Thanks

[@Santiago-kg4rd]

You are the best, Simon. Have been following you for a year now. Your tutorials _and your photographs!- are superb! Will be shooting tomorrow night in the middle of nowhere in Argentina. We’ll see…

[@buzzbladz7142]

Hi Simon, as a new photographer I'm really enjoying your videos. You're a great teacher and I look forward to more of your content.

[@simon_dentremont]

Awesome, thank you!

[@luismocano]

Mr Simon is just great, and he really knows how to teach and convey information !!!! Thank you

[@Kevin_Yuda_]

Another super helpful video, Simon. I’ve been wanting to explore astrophotography and your tips are great. No none sense and fluff to draw out the video. Looking forward to more content! Excellent job.

[@simon_dentremont]

Glad it was helpful! Thanks for the feedback Kevin!

[@jphelps2630]

Best Milky Way photo tutorial I've seen. Great Job!

[@michaelsansom8416]

Another awesome video Simon. Very well explained and provides great tips on capturing the MilkyWay. Thank you for producing these.

[@simon_dentremont]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@juliomoran6044]

This is the best video explaining astrophotography I've ever seen. Thank you so much.

[@simon_dentremont]

You're very welcome!

[@susancharlton9368]

Fantastic Simon!!!! I do many milky way shots and you taught me a new trick (lower the brightness on my screen yes!!! ) I can't wait to get my first milky way shot off my cottage deck this year with the new tips in processing as well love love your videos as much as your photos!!!

[@simon_dentremont]

excellent! thanks Susan!

[@WanderingSwitchback]

Next stop- re-edit all my Milky Way photos! Thank you for walking through (even just roughly) how you edited this! LR is still new for me (all of this is, really), so seeing you do this is SO helpful. I literally paused when you mentioned isolating the sky and looked for it in LR; sure enough, it's there! SO many nuggets in this that I can't wait to take with me with my next Milky Way shots!!

[@basilbcf]

The Rokinon 14mm f2.8 is the lens I bought specifically for Milky Way photography. for the price it is an amazing lens and does a fantastic job with night sky photography. It's also not bad for many daytime applications where manual focusing isn't an issue (still subjects or landscapes).

[@mleem5230]

Easy and simple explanation ...Thanx

[@davet3530]

Excellent Simon. I particularly liked the way you showed us how to take the photo, along with great tips, and then how to post process the image in LR. That tip of using contrast as opposed to exposure to adjust the gradient filter on the sky was just great. I often forget that those options exist. I wonder, have you tried adjusting the luminosity slider when using the gradient tool?

[@simon_dentremont]

Glad it was helpful! I don’t think I use any luminosity slider in gradients, but there are tons of great masking adjustment tools in there now.

[@lkasthuri]

the best and simplest explanation. thanks

[@simon_dentremont]

Glad it was helpful!

[@thetruth9783]

Please do an in depth video on how you use Lightroom. I would appreciate that very much

[@simon_dentremont]

I’ll look into that!

[@majikastewart3765]

Brilliant video Simon, every tip will help. Thanks 🙌

[@GimmickEffects]

My wife said: "What?!? You mean it's all enhanced and painted?!?! I thought there were places in the world where you could just see the sky like that!"

[@TopHatPenguin]

To be fair when I was in Yellowstone where there was 0 light pollution I was able to see the colors a lot more

[@EVO_Smokey]

The thing is, we should be able to see it like this, there's too much light pollution for us to be able to see it with the naked eye

[@CY3ER]

It doesn't look exactly like that, but there are definitely places to see it that will take your breath away.

[@CopperJohn907]

​@galxctus1172 I've worked in very remote regions on Alaska ( pretty much can't get further from human light sources anywhere in US) and it still doesn't look like photos. That said the more muted color and intensity of real life brings I felt much more in person. I've seen bright dancing northern light of many colors that would need to be shot in video (or subsecond exposure) to avoid the whole canvas becoming a massive overexposed blob of light

[@MarkxTube]

Tell your wife there are! Have seen it once in Australia. Milky Way dipping into a mirror still ocean and reflecting on the water. Pure magic and all seen with the naked eye only.

[@biggstavros5876]

It`s great to see that astrophotography isn`t as hard as some others make out. Thanks for the great advice.

[@katherinefrost5808]

I didn't realize that so much editing went into creating a great Milky Way photograph. Can something like this be accomplished with minimal editing?

[@simon_dentremont]

if you have. star tracker to shoot longer exposure, you can do less editing, but yes, all astrophotos need lots of processing.

[@banglareviews9352]

Love this gentleman, extremely knowledgeable

[@jamesmillar8450]

Wow, this is one of the clearest most concise explanations for Milky Way photography I've seen. Thank you so much for this video along with all of your others!

[@fuig1]

Thanks for the video. You talk mildly like Walter White and I think you deliver information concisely and you make it very accessible for beginners. Thanks!

[@smarsalis65]

Simply: Wow! Excellent tutorial with exactly (and only) the needed information needed. But also, watching you process your shot is like watching a master painter- deceptively effortless.

[@mchwmedia]

Very informative. Will definitely apply these useful tips and hope for some real bangers!

[@tullyfisher]

Really an interesting straight forward and helpful tutorial and a really beautiful final image. Thanks! cs

[@boalter9629]

Animals and plants are subjects, buildings are objects. Great video 👍

[@ZakWlak]

Amazing just amazing how well this video is put together. Thank you for being so elaborative and brief, Simon.

[@johnsavold]

Man! You have the best photography tutorials.

[@simon_dentremont]

Glad you like them!

[@nedvedsimao1253]

The best tuto so far

[@randyschwager84]

Excellent tutorial on a mysterious topic! Thanks for taking me along!

[@Velobetty]

I've been taking photos for years and I absolutely love your videos because I always learn things and I really love the style; full of useful information and a very friendly delivery. Brilliant!

[@TheCosmicTeapot]

I've been shooting astro for a few years now (Sony A7III, Samyang 14mm f2.8, Sony 20mm f1.8 G) and I wish your video had been around when I started. You covered all of the salient points in a very clear and concise manner. I had to trawl through a bunch of videos and blogs to piece together what you went through in 15 minutes. Great content, Simon.

[@johnwheeler5271]

Thankyou Simon some great advice and tips.J

[@simon_dentremont]

Very welcome!

[@arniet1]

Wow. That was a definite Go To Quick set up lesson 👌

[@egi75]

You make it look very easy. Thank you for the tips

[@nathanas64]

Beautiful !!! Can’t wait to try it ! Bookmarking this video!

[@simon_dentremont]

Have fun!

[@brvdmt2636]

Tip from a recreational photographer, who has just started to try and improve his pictures : use a red (flash)light when working in the dark. It doesn't ruin your night vision. After using a white light it always takes many minutes for your eyes to re-adjust so you can see details again.

[@romy4593]

I was so excited to walk out back and set up my gear. Then I was thinking, how would I get the milky way over the waters below? I face the North so its a short drive to the other side of this vacation home island where few live like us. Will post back my results however its going to be an art lens of fixed 32mm on a Sony A73 I will be using which caught some great northern lights recently.

[@jacques060]

Merci beaucoup Simon, plusieurs trucs très intéressants. Vraiment superbe vidéo! Thank you so much Simon, lots of great tips. Awesome video !

[@simon_dentremont]

De rien!

[@itsalllies4102]

My new favorite photographer

[@simon_dentremont]

Too kimd!

[@ConcealedWeapon]

You're an excellent teacher. Thanks

[@vlacarde1]

you sir are incredible. I've been doing mainly wildlife photography on and off for the last couple of years, but I still consider myself a beginner. I've learned so much from your videos since I started following you. Thank you!!

[@arnaudontrack499]

Incredible, fantastic

[@miker5502]

Love your videos and teaching style. Even though I’ve been a photographer for over 50 years I always learn something new from watching. Thanks 🙏 You! MikeR.

[@ergocardinal9585]

Wow, amazing tutorial for beginners like me!!

[@TLK22]

You are very skilled! You look like you really know what you are doing in Lightroom! The amount of information you are giving in such a short video is impressive and I will need to watch it again.

[@legendaryblood1937]

Best tutorial I've seen!

[@julibok6550]

Thank you. With your Instruction i Shot the milkyway my First time yesterday. It was my dream for over 10 years!

[@jsadiving]

Outstanding tutorial. Best I've seen. Well done. look fwd to spring time to try it. Thx

[@youritguy1]

Simon, you did a great job breaking down the steps and making it easy for anyone to take a picture like yours. Can't wait to try something like this on my own. Thank you for making these great videos.

[@simon_dentremont]

Have fun!

[@scott37040]

Glad you survived the mosquitos! Biggest I've ever seen!

[@vahpr]

You're a Lightroom magician😀