amehta Loc: Boston

If you practice with the night sky at home to get comfortable with doing things in the "dark", it will be easier when working in the dark. :-)

MarkintheHV Loc: Hudson Valley

A headlamp with a red lens will be of great value when doing night sky photography

Stef C Loc: Conshohocken (near philly) PA

I don't think 6400 is necessary, or always recommended, with every camera. I shot a D600 on D3200 and got just fine results.. My point is you don't necessarily need to go that high depending on lens and location.

CraigFair Loc: Santa Maria, CA.

Hi Stef I have to agree with you, my avatar was shot at ISO 3200 f/2.8. I shoot a D600, Tokina 16-28mm f/2.8 and I like to always keep my ISO down as much as possible.
Craig

Allen Hirsch Loc: Oakland, CA

I used ISO 5000 or 6400 as the settings in the link to my images I gave before.

I don't think they're noisy.

Of course, it depends on the camera you're using (newer bodies w/ larger sensors are better in low light, high-ISO situations, usually).

RE Loc: California

Wow, you all have been very helpful! I have been working in my tiny back yard to get a grasp of what may or may not work. Thank you all for the tips and examples of what you have been able to achieve when it is done correctly! I hope to one day be able to post a decent photo of the Milky Way as well! I sure appreciate all your help!!!

BHC Loc: Strawberry Valley, JF, USA

One other interesting note about the pullout...... About 50 to 100 yards from the road, the flat spot breaks out into a grassy plateau, actually a passage through the mountains. The snow, even in winter, seldom gets more than a few inches deep there. It is a natural route for small herds of wild horses. Also, because it is somewhat sheltered, it is a natural night refuge for those horses. They have little fear of humans and will not flee. Do not approach them; they are defensive and dangerous. They'll stay away from you, but the light on a clear night can yield some incredible silhouettes.

Deecee

Here's a few web sites that will help:

http://www.blue-marble.de/nightlights/2012

http://www.davemorrowphotography.com/p/tutorial-shooting-night-sky.html

http://www.learnstarphotography.com/

http://www.amazon.com/Photography-Night-Sky-Field-Shooting/dp/1594858381/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1410829379&sr=8-1&keywords=star+photography

The last site is for a book on star photography. Overall it was a pretty good book, but it was like she used a lot of basic photography techniques to fill in some of the pages. A lot of her pictures were taken in the same area you are heading to.

Also, take a look at the September issue of Outdoor Photography, there was a good article on star photography.

The more you know ahead of time, the more likely you will get a good shot.

What I can recommend is a wide angle lens (I use a 14-24 Nikon, a good tripod and a cable release for the camera. The ISO will depend on how much ambient light you have around you, but I usually somewhere around 1600 to 3200 based on a 2.8 aperature and a 20 to 30 second exposure.

I suggest you go out in your back yard at night and experiment. You won't get any stellar shots, but it will help you get used to using your camera in the dark. It will also help to show up to where you want to shoot before it gets completely dark. Trying to set up the camera and to get it to focus is very difficult in total darkness.

I will be trying to go out on the 25th of October to the coast south of Monterey. The moon will be setting just after dark, so I hope to do one shot with the moon lighting up the coast, and a separate shot of the stars. I can then blend the two shots in Photoshop. But getting a clear shot on the coast... the odds are not so good.

Good luck.

RangerBob16

First of all you have to realize you are shooting a moving object, relative to your position on earth. The stars move. So if you do not have a tripod that tracks the earths rotation you will want to shoot wide angle lens at full aperature and as high of an ISO as you can tolerate to keep the shutter speed fast enough to minimize blur.
check out these websites:
http://www.thephotoforum.com/threads/shooting-night-pictures-of-stars-and-stuff.276016/
http://flytrapman.wordpress.com/2013/07/27/shooting-for-the-stars-part-2/
Bob W

RE Loc: California

Thank you! I can use as many tips as I can get! :-)

RE Loc: California

RE Loc: California

Good point, thank you!

RE Loc: California

I have one and have never thought of using it this way, I use it when we camp. I will be using it now much more often....thanks!

RE Loc: California

Hmmm, I'll be sure to try both thank you!

RE Loc: California

Oh now that is a great tip for this wild horse loving gal! My husband humors me every time we are in that area so that I can see and take photo's of them! :-)