Matson Adventure Media

Stargazing has always been a special part of the wilderness experience for me. I clearly remember as a young boy on my first camping trip, waking in the middle of the night, stepping out of the tent and staring up in amazement at the Milky Way. The sky was littered with stars. It was nothing like what we saw on clear nights in the city.

As my experience in the outdoors has grown over the years, so has my affection for the night sky. I now associate those breathtaking nights with wilderness. In recent years my wilderness experiences have increasingly included my camera. Fittingly, I’ve begun to photograph the stars. Photographing the night sky has proven to be a magical and rewarding experience. Because film collects light differently than we experience it with our eyes, time-lapse photography creates surprising and beautiful images that are totally different from our personal experience.

Star photography takes some specific equipment, but it’s not difficult to do. Here are the basics on how to make great streaking star photos of your own!

Some basic camera equipment is necessary to create good star images. The first is a 35mm film SLR camera with a “bulb” (B) setting allowing for exposures longer than 30 seconds. Older, fully manual cameras work great because they do not use battery power during the exposure. This is significant because contemporary SLRs will burn a whole set of lithium batteries during a single shot. The camera must also accept a locking cable release that will lock the shutter open. A sturdy tri-pod is also important to hold the camera still. 100 (ISO) speed print or slide film will work best for night shots. My personal favorites are Fuji’s Velvia 100F or Kodak E100VS.

With the camera in manual mode set the shutter speed to the bulb setting and the aperture to f/4. Make sure the lens is focused to infinity so the star trails will be in sharp focus. Exposures ranging anywhere from 20 minutes to eight hours will create the streaking star effect. Shorter exposures make for short streaks and longer exposures will fill the night sky with color and long arcing lines of light. I strongly recommend bracketing exposures and choosing the shots you like best. Start at 15 minutes, then 30 minutes, and hour and finally two hours. Exposures longer than two hours will create more profound streaks, but also will require very dark nights and more commitment on your part as the photographer. For this reason it’s better to start with shorter exposure times.

To create circumpolar (circular) star trails, aim your camera directly at Polaris (the North Star). Polaris is easily located off the ladle of the Big Dipper constellation or by using a compass. From our vantage point in Washington, Polaris is approximately 45 degrees above the horizon. Big mountains like Mount Rainier provide interesting foreground in the frame, their glaciers reflecting light even in late summer. Consider putting a lit tent in photo as well, or walk through the exposure with a lit headlamp as an experiment.

Take an extra headlamp and batteries when you head out into the night. You’ll be thankful if your primary light source fails. Also remember to bring warm clothes, even the warmest summer nights get cold at high altitude.