Last Minute Outing : Milky Way from Black Butte Ranch

I'm scheduling a last minute Milky Way outing to Black Butte Ranch since clouds are expected in the forecast over the weekend. This will be a targeted trip for photographing the Milky Way as it passes over South Sister and Middle Sister with Phalarope Lake in the foreground. To keep this a shorter trip, we will not leave early to capture the sunset.

07:30pm Leave Cascade Village Starbucks
08:01pm Sunset
09:30pm Start photographing the Milky Way
09:50pm Night begins
10:30pm Return to Bend

ABOUT NIGHT PHOTOGRAPHY
Night sky photography is quickly becoming possible for photographers using their phones or camera and lens combinations customized for low light photography.

Photographers using more advanced phone cameras are increasingly more successful using their phones. As low light capabilities vary between phone makes and models, please refer to the documentation of your particular phone to best utilize its low light, night photography features.

For photographers using discrete cameras and removable lenses, night sky photography typically requires a large aperture (aka "fast") lens that captures more light. Lenses with smaller aperture openings that let in less light are considered "slower". Slower lenses (f/3.5 or f4) can work for night photography but they greatly limit the available light captured by the camera sensor.

The focal length of a lens determines the field of vision and how much of the night sky can be seen in one image. Wide angle and ultra-wide lenses (rated 24mm capture or smaller) are generally used.

Success when photographing low light images at night involves finding a balance between the physical abilities of your equipment, high ISOs that increase your camera's sensitivity to light, and the duration (shutter speed) of your photograph. If the ISO is too high, an image may have too much noise. If the exposure is too long, the movement of the stars as they travel across the night sky can appear in the image. It's good to experiment until you know what is best for you. In addition, other photographers are happy to help too!

NIGHT PHOTOGRAPHY PREREQUISITES

1. Finding Infinity
In order to achieve sharp focus on stars, the most accurate focus for infinity for a lens must be identified.

On most DSLRs, the infinity mark on the lens barrel may not be the true infinity focus of your lens optics. You will need to find, identify, and then preserve the true infinity setting on your lens for the sharpest star images. It's easiest to find infinity in the daytime using your autofocus then turn off your autofocus and preserve the exact focus setting for infinity by taping your lens, use rubber bands, or photographing the lens barrel and reset the lens to that mark prior to night shooting.

On lenses without infinity marks, in manual mode zoom in to a star using Live View, and adjust the focus of your lens manually until it looks very sharp. Keep the camera in manual. Physically secure the focus setting by using rubber bands or blue tape on the lens barrel (optional).

2. Red Light District Etiquette.
Red or green lights are used for night photography as they interfere less with eyes sensitivity to darkness. Eyes mostly adjust in five minutes but take 45 minutes to be fully sensitive.
However, improper use of red lamps greatly impair image quality. Thus, a few guidelines.

1. If you have brightness settings on your light, turn the red light to the dimmest setting.

2. Always point your red light towards you and not the scene. Hold your headlamp to view camera/intervalometer settings. Don’t wear your headlamp. Hold it in your hand over the lens barrel facing you and your camera/intervalometer.

3. If you finish photographing before others, point your red light away from the scene to gather your belongings and to leave the shooting vicinity before using white lights again.

4. These basic practices will help photographers to transition from being inexperienced to experienced night sky photographers.

3. Rule of 500
Because we're taking long exposure images of a moving night sky, calculations are made to determine maximum time the shutter can be open without blurring the stars. To get crisp stars with no blur, here are basic formulas:

Full Frame Sensor
Basic 500 Rule: 500 Divided By the Focal Length of Your Lens = The Longest Exposure (in Seconds) Before Stars Start to Trail.
Ex. 500/24= 20.83 sec. or 20 seconds before trails/elongation of stars

Cropped Sensor
Basic 500 Rule: 500 Divided By the Focal Length of Your Lens Divided by the Crop of Your Sensor (eg Nikon 1.5; Canon 1.6).
Ex. 500/24/1.6 = 13.02 sec. or 13 sec. before trails/elongation of stars.

THINGS TO BRING

• A head lamp with a red light only or green light only setting.
• a flashlight,
• a sturdy tripod,
• fresh and extra camera batteries,
• an empty memory card,
• an intervalometer is useful to fine tune the length of your exposure but not required.

SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS
Night photography has inherent risks as low light conditions increase the possibility of encountering unseen obstacles and hazards. Personal safety has to be the constant focus as locations with unmarked level changes, abrupt drop-offs, and cliffs without warning signs or protective handrails can be fatal. Always SAFETY: before, during, and after shooting.