First you need the appropriate equipment:
Now you have to plan your night session. It’s best to choose a time around the new moon to avoid disturbing overexposure due to the moon. Also find a location with as little light pollution as possible. You can research this HERE.
Here you can find apps for further planning. All apps are available via Apple or the Google Store.
You have found your special place and are there at the right time. Now you need to find the best alignment using the Sky Guide.
Now set up your equipment: tripod – tripod head – astrotracker with laser pointer or polar finder – Z/V plate – camera
Here you will find a suggestion for your camera settings:
For optimum image quality, I recommend taking several images of the starry sky, which are then superimposed with Sequator . You should also take a picture of the foreground of the landscape with the astracker switched off. Otherwise it will be blurred by the movement of the astrotracker. We also recommend taking a shot over 1 to 2 minutes with a slightly higher aperture. Remember to switch off distracting lights such as flashlights.
Once you have all the images in the box, you can now do the post-processing on your PC. Pick out all the sharp images of the starry sky and either take a successful one or combine several with Sequator.
In addition, select a sharp image of the foreground with the Astrotracker switched off.
Now combine the image of the starry sky with the image of the foreground in Photoshop. You can find instructions HERE.
After superimposing the foreground and the starry sky, you can export this in your desired .jpg or .dng format via Photoshop.
