Section IV Introduction

Successful landscape astrophotographers have a plan. While it’s occasionally possible to create noteworthy images on the spur of the moment, there are just too many variables to do so consistently. Instead, spend a little time in the comfort of your warm, well-lit home to consider the key points we’ve covered so far: the phase of the moon, what night sky objects will be visible on the dates you’d like to go and at what time, the orientation of your foreground, the times of civil, nautical and astronomical twilights, likely exposure settings, and so forth. In doing so, you will find yourself at the right place at the right time, and with the right equipment and skill level needed to spend your energy fine-tuning your masterpiece rather than battling physical, photographic, and astronomical elements beyond your control.

Some might say that extensive planning is a waste of time, or that it somehow robs the result of artistic inspiration. I would argue the opposite; that in many ways, planning, preparation, and execution comprise the essence of artistic expression. Think of the cellist who spends thousands of hours perfecting her craft. Or the dancer that repeats the same movements over and over until they become ingrained, reflexive fluidity. I think most would agree that the process of creating masterpiece nightscape images is challenging, and requires practice and study.

The chapters in this section integrate the knowledge of the preceding sections on astronomy and photography into a single cohesive strategy and plan for each of your nightscape photo sessions. You might say that your plan will have four components: what, when, where, and how. We will start by reviewing the best subjects in landscape astrophotography with an example, a brief summary of suggested camera settings and schedules for each one. We will then develop the specifics of your concept through pre-visualization (what). We will narrow down a few good dates and times (when); and map the general destination area to pinpoint potential sites to best position the camera (where). We will identify the likely lens, range of exposure settings and sequences of images we wish to obtain based on our knowledge of photography (how). We will summarize our plan for the nightscape photo session in the form of a workflow timeline and checklist to confirm we have ample time for all our planned shots (how). Finally, we will ensure we have all the right equipment, including the appropriate lenses, ample empty memory cards and fully charged batteries, along with plenty of practice for whatever ventures we have in mind (how). With adequate preparation, your nightscape photo session will simply require arriving at the scene, assembling your camera and tripod at a known, pre-determined location, and at the correct time, pressing the shutter release and enjoying the results!