LOCALadk Magazine
Issue link: https://localadkmagazine.uberflip.com/i/995162
54 Summer 2018 LOCALadk Magazine LOCALadk The Adirondack Park is filled with wonders and myster- ies. The park itself is a wonder and myster y. With so much land in the United States being developed or forested, it amazes me that such a place still exists in the world – a place with an infinitely unadulterated night sky. Though I've been returning here year after year, the cr ystalline view never grows old. Back when I was 12 years old, I bought my first telescope and fell in love with the stars. The Milky Way mesmerized me. I wondered how someone could capture something so far-off with a cam- era. I told myself that one day I would take a picture that did the night sky justice. What I've learned since then is that astrophotography requires a lot of patience, planning, and photographic knowledge. Good pictures take more than just prolonged exposure. Although knowing sky conditions, moon phases, light pollution charts, and your camera is essential, I think the one thing that many people forget or don't do correct- ly is the post-processing. This is where the magic happens. I've been shooting the stars for about six solid years, and I can tell you from experience that trial and error is your best friend. At the end of ever y summer, I look back on my mistakes and think about what I could have done better. Then I spend the winter researching ways to im- prove, and I apply it the following summer. It's amazing what one little trick can do to improve your photos. I cannot stress enough how important stacking and ex- posure-blending is. I've seen a number of photographers shoot a single image, then move on. Though it is possible to get an excellent photo in one go, it's always a good idea to take more. A picture may look clear on the camera screen, but once you zoom in, on a computer, the flaws and blurriness become apparent. My astrophotos turn out the way they do for two rea- sons, the first being my camera. I use a full frame Nikon D750 and a Nikkor 20mm f/1.8. The lens (which can some- times be more expensive than the camera) influences the photo in more ways than one. A wide aperture allows me to capture brighter, noise-reduced images at a faster shut- ter speed. It also allows me to get a lightened foreground when needed. (Most photographers use a lens with a f/2.8 aperture and, though there's nothing wrong with it, the lens doesn't absorb as much light. It creates more work for the photographer.) Capturing The Night Sky By Jonathan Zaharek