How to Photograph the Night Sky

Eoin Reilly

Editor

Trailhead

This is not a competition — it’s an invitation. Each month we explore a new outdoor photography theme, and you’re welcome to send in one photo based on it. It doesn’t matter whether you use a mobile phone or a camera, or whether you consider yourself experienced — the goal is simply to notice more, experiment more, and improve a little each time.

How It Works

• Send one photo based on this month’s theme — Night Sky.
• One participant will be chosen at random to receive a small thank-you gift.
• One image will be highlighted as our Editor’s Choice (recognition, not a ranking).
• Everyone who submits will receive a short encouraging note with one helpful tip.

This Month’s Theme — Night Sky

It doesn’t need to be technical. It could be a moonlit skyline, a silhouette at dusk, stars through a gap in trees, or that quiet moment when twilight fades into darkness.

Getting Started — How to Try It Tonight

You don’t need specialist gear to capture the night sky — just curiosity, patience, and an eye for how light and shadow play together. The magic comes less from technology and more from being outdoors, noticing, and experimenting.

Step 1 — Choose the Right Place & Time

• Go dark: move away from streetlamps and town glow. Official Dark Sky areas are ideal; a quiet beach, car park or upland lay-by can also work.
• Try the “blue hour”: the 20–30 minutes after sunset, when a hint of colour lingers. A bright moon rising at this time gives soft light that’s easier to photograph than full darkness.

Step 2 — Plan Your Shot

• Know what will appear and where: apps/websites like PhotoPills, Sky Guide or timeanddate.com show moonrise/constellation positions.
• Pre-visualise a foreground: a ridge, tree or stone wall gives the sky something to play against and turns a snapshot into a composed image.

Using a Mobile Phone

• Avoid zooming: most phone zoom is digital and quickly looks grainy. Go wide and include a silhouette (tree, hill, person).
• Compose the silhouette well: place it low in the frame or off-centre (rule of thirds) so the sky remains the main subject.
• Stabilise the phone: if no tripod, rest it on a rock, wall, backpack or car roof. Use the timer so you’re not touching the phone when the exposure starts.
• Find the timer & night modes: look for a clock icon or a menu labelled Timer (often 3s/10s). For low light, look for options called Night, Long Exposure, Low Light, Pro or Manual — usually via a settings cog, an “•••” menu, or by swiping up on the camera screen.
• Focus & exposure: tap the moon or a bright star to focus; if the sky looks washed out, drag the on-screen exposure slider slightly down.
• Experiment: turn off flash, try a frame with the moon and one without, and vary the silhouette. The joy is seeing how the light changes from shot to shot.

Using a Digital SLR

Starter settings (adjust as needed): ISO 1600–3200 · Aperture f/2.8 (or the widest your lens allows) · Shutter 10–20 s.

• Stability is everything: use a tripod, especially with longer lenses (they magnify vibration). Trigger with a 2s timer or a remote/cable release.
• Manual focus with Live View: switch to MF, set near infinity, then zoom in on a bright star on the rear screen to fine-tune focus. It’s easier than using the viewfinder in the dark.
• Expose thoughtfully: if the image looks too bright, shorten the shutter time before slashing ISO; if too dark, raise ISO modestly.
• Optional — light painting: during a long exposure, very briefly sweep a head torch across a foreground object (wall, cross, person). Less than a second is often enough — subtle beats bright.
• Work unhurried: night photography rewards patience. A few careful frames can be stronger than many rushed ones.

How to Send Your Photo

Please send your image by email to: photos@trailheadnewsletter.com

• Your name
• A general location
• A one-line caption or note, if you wish

Deadline: 21st November

No pressure. No judging. Just a reason to step outside and lift your eyes. If something in the night sky catches you — we’d love to see it.