I get a lot of questions at shows about how to take the shots I do. Often, people ask if it is one long exposure, or if my camera is really just that good. In this post, I’m going to give a brief overview of “getting the shot” with my specific style.
First, you plan the shot. I use resources like maps, star charts, moon phase calendars, and weather apps. This helps me plan what landscape features I can get in the shot. This also helps me figure out if it will be dark enough to see what I want to capture.
Once on location, I scout out what I want to aim at. I try to do this before it gets dark, so I can plan out the picture. Sometimes this is a multiple day event, as the conditions after dark may not be what I was hoping for. It also can happen that I simply didn’t get what I wanted in the picture. I have come back to the same spot the next night, or even as much as months later.
Then, of course, the picture. Set up my tripod, figure out the bottom corners and top corners of the picture, and start shooting. I like to use a mosaic style for my photography, meaning I do multiple rows of panoramic shots. This allows me to shoot at a higher ISO, which is noisier. Because I am putting so many pictures together, the noise disappears in the overall shot.
After this, it is back home to process the pictures into one cohesive whole! I plan to do a few videos on this later to show my process. Till next time!
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