Night & Astro Photography

Discover how to capture stunning star trails, frame-filling moonrises, amazing auroras and the Milky Way. Chris Rutter is your guide…

- Chris Rutter

Photography may be all about capturing light through your camera lens, but that doesn’t mean you can only take pictures during the day. There’s a whole new world of images to be shot long after the sun has disappeared beneath the horizon and the sky has become dark. Night-time skies reveal some of the most amazing and photogenic subjects you will ever find, such as the stars, the moon, the Milky Way and even galaxies far, far away.

It’s always been possible to get shots after dark, but improvements to the quality of images taken at high ISO settings and longer exposures over the last few years mean that capturing the drama and beauty of low light and night-time subjects is now easier than ever.

To give night photography a go you’ll need to know where to look and what settings to use, so we’ve put together a handy guide to the subjects you can shoot at night, and the techniques you’ll need to master to get the best possible results. From shooting simple subjects such as the moon, to capturing the most amazing auroras, there’s something for everyone, no matter what experience or gear you have. You’ll learn everything from the basic settings to use, to when and where to find the best subjects.

With its shorter days, winter really is the best time to start exploring the hidden world of the night sky through your Nikon lens. There’s no need to be afraid of the dark, but be warned – capturing these images can be seriously addictive. You have to be prepared to lose a bit of sleep if you do catch the night-sky bug...

Night Shoot Basics

Familiarise yourself with the fundamentals of night photography before heading out