Rikuura at Home VOL.6 "How to Take Starry Sky Photos

How to take starry sky photos

Hello everyone! This is Azumi.

Although the state of emergency has been lifted and restrictions on travel within the prefecture are gradually being eased, we still need to remain vigilant. We, who live in Norikura Highlands, are preparing to safely welcome customers back in June. We will do our best to ensure that you can enjoy Norikura Highlands, while being careful to avoid the three types of crowding.

"Norikura at Home" was born from the desire to provide something from Norikura Highlands that people could enjoy from the comfort of their own homes during the long self-restraint period caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the state of emergency declaration. Even now that self-restraint measures have been eased, we hope to continue sharing our mountain lifestyle with you from the perspective of those who live in Norikura Highlands, changing the format little by little. We hope that "Norikura at Home" will spark an interest in Norikura Highlands, and that one day you will actually visit and experience the excitement for yourself.

Now, in "Norikura at Home VOL.6" we will be showing you how to take photos of the starry sky!
Capturing the starry sky in a photo is a romantic dream for camera enthusiasts, isn't it? I myself have always wanted to try it, but I didn't know how to do it, so the days just passed by... So, I asked my friend "Takepon," a starry sky photographer who captures the magnificent stars of Norikura Highlands so beautifully, to teach me some tips on how even beginners can easily photograph the starry sky! Watch the video for more details!

[Steps for photographing the starry sky]

1. Set up the tripod and set up the camera.
   
2. Set the shooting mode dial to M (Manual).
   
3. Set the F-stop to the smallest number.
   
4. Set the shutter speed to 15 seconds or longer.
   
5. Set the ISO to 1600 or higher.
   
6. Set the focus mode to MF (manual focus) and focus on the star in the live view.
   
7. Use the self-timer function (3 seconds, 10 seconds, etc.) to prevent camera shake.
   
8. Press the shutter and be careful not to touch the camera or tripod. *Turn off all lights!

*Notes
Keep lights to a minimum in places where there are people around. Be careful not to use lights that are too bright as they can be a nuisance to others. A light that is bright enough to illuminate the camera and your feet is sufficient. It's also useful to have a headlamp with a red mode!

[Four points to keep in mind]

1. Set the shooting mode to M (manual).
   
2. Minimize the F-stop.
   
3. Set the shutter speed to 15 seconds or later.
   
4. Set the focus mode to MF (manual focus).

If you just remember these four points, you can take pictures of the starry sky!

Please take a look at the starry sky photos I took.

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PROFILE

Starry sky photographer Takeshi Tsutsugi

Takeshi Tsutsuki　

I work as a photographer in Norikura Highlands. I am particularly good at starry sky photography and take pictures of the starry sky of Norikura Highlands throughout the four seasons.

【hobby】
I love cars and I love driving.
I enjoy taking pictures of the various landscapes I encounter along the way. Norikura Highlands in particular is blessed with a variety of different situations.

Starry sky photographer Takeshi Tsutsugi
The introduction page isHere

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A little advice from "Takepon" ♪

• When using a tripod, turn off image stabilization.
• If you want to take a photo with the colors you like, change the WB (white balance) setting.
• Stars are always moving slowly, so the longer the shutter speed, the more the star moves, and the more elliptical it appears (the further it moves from a point image).
• With a lens that can capture a wide range, the movement of the stars is not very noticeable even at shutter speeds of around 30 seconds.
• With a lens that has a long focal length, stars will not appear as dots unless you use a short shutter speed.
• The ISO setting will vary depending on the camera's capabilities. Recent digital SLR cameras have little high-sensitivity noise, so it's best to use ISO 3200 or higher.
• Setting the lens's F-number (aperture) to its minimum (wide open) will allow the most light in, but with some lenses, such as an F1.8 prime lens, the minimum setting can make the center too bright and the periphery dark, resulting in an unbalanced image when photographing the starry sky, so narrow the F-number a little (raise the F-number a little).

I also changed the white balance to white fluorescent light and took some photos, which gave the sky and stars a slightly bluish tinge, which was fun because I was able to capture a starry sky with a different color palette. Try adjusting the four points and color tones to create starry sky photos that suit your taste!

In the summer, you can see a starry sky amid the refreshing weather at Norikura Plateau.

When you look up at the sky, you can clearly see the Milky Way overhead, and if you're lucky, you might even see a shooting star every five minutes! The starry sky, which shows a different face each time, is deeply etched in my memory, and I can still vividly recall the scene of a huge shooting star I saw when I was in elementary school. I hope you can create many such moving memories.

Thank you for watching today!

# Riding at home。