How to Shoot the Milky Way

1. Find a Dark Sky

Just waiting until nighttime won’t do. A dark sky free of light pollution is the first and most important requirement for seeing the Milky Way—let alone photographing it.Be prepared to travel a considerable distance; otherwise, you risk city lights leaving an unwanted glow in your shots.The moon can have a similar impact—shooting during a full moon will wash out your images. For the best results, plan your session during a new moon.

2. Know When and Where to Look

The part of the Milky Way that’s most easily visible to the naked eye isn’t visible all year round. For photographers in the Northern Hemisphere, the optimal viewing months are February through September.You’ll find your celestial subject in the southern half of the sky, rising from the west.Those in the Southern Hemisphere have a slight advantage—the central part of the Milky Way can often be seen directly overhead.

Photo by John Lemieux, on Flickr

3. Use a Digital Camera with Good High-ISO Capabilities

Since you’ll be shooting at night with very little available light, your camera’s sensor needs to handle the conditions without introducing excessive noise.A full-frame camera is preferable, but not absolutely necessary.

4. Use a Fast Wide-Angle Lens

Choose a lens with a maximum aperture of at least f/2.8—the faster, the better.If your fastest lens is f/3.5 or slower, you can still capture great images, but it’ll be more challenging since your lens won’t gather as much light.The same principle applies to focal length: go as wide as possible. You may only see a portion of the Milky Way, but it’s massive. The wider your lens, the more you’ll capture.

5. Use a Tripod

This isn’t optional. A sturdy tripod is essential for sharp images during long exposures. Bells and whistles are nice, but stability is your top priority.

6. Use Live View

To avoid the headache of focusing in the dark, use your camera’s Live View feature to manually focus on a bright star.Alternatively, if your lens has distance markings, you can set it to the hyperfocal distance.

7. Start with ISO 3200

A high ISO is crucial for collecting enough light to capture a bright Milky Way image. Under typical conditions, ISO 3200 is a good starting point.From there, adjust higher or lower depending on how it interacts with your other camera settings.

Photo by European Southern Observatory, on Flickr

8. Set a Long Shutter Speed

A longer shutter speed allows your camera to collect more light and create a bright exposure.There’s one problem, though: the Earth is always rotating. Leave your shutter open too long, and you’ll end up with star trails—beautiful in their own right, but not ideal for Milky Way photos.

To achieve pinpoint stars, use the “500 Rule.”Divide 500 by the focal length of your lens to determine your maximum shutter speed:

• Example: with a 24 mm lens on a full-frame camera → 500 ÷ 24 = 20.8 seconds

• On a crop-sensor camera (1.5 × crop factor for Nikon/Sony, 1.6 × for Canon), multiply your lens’s focal length first:

  • 24 mm × 1.5 = 36 mm → 500 ÷ 36 = 13.9 seconds

Some photographers prefer the “600 Rule”, but if you plan to print large images, the 500 Rule helps prevent star elongation.Once you’re comfortable, feel free to experiment—especially if your work is for web use.

9. Set a Wide-Open Aperture

Your goal is to collect as much light as possible, not maximize depth of field.If your lens shows softness at its widest setting (say f/1.4), stop down slightly—to f/2, for example—to sharpen the image without significantly reducing light-gathering ability.This is why using a fast lens is so important.

10. Compose Your Shot

There’s no single “right” way to compose a Milky Way shot.However, you can create depth by framing it as a landscape image with the Milky Way as the backdrop.Don’t neglect your foreground—add interest with mountains, trees, rock formations, or even a silhouetted figure.Experiment freely and find what works for your creative vision.

Photo by .Bala, on Flickr

11. Get a Satisfactory Exposure

Your first shot likely won’t be perfect—and that’s okay.If the image isn’t sharp or well-composed, adjust focus or framing first. Then refine your exposure:

• Too much noise? Lower the ISO.

• Overexposed? Check for light pollution, decrease shutter speed, close the aperture slightly, or reduce ISO.

• Underexposed? Open the aperture to its widest setting, increase shutter speed (but watch for star trails), or raise the ISO.

12. Process It

Post-processing is where your image truly comes to life. There’s no one right way, but a few steps can make the process smoother:

• Shoot RAW to retain maximum detail.

• Aim for the best possible exposure in-camera to minimize heavy adjustments.

• Apply sharpness and noise reduction as needed.

• The Milky Way’s approximate color temperature is around 4840 K. If it appears too yellow or orange, adjust white balance until the colors look neutral.

• Increase contrast generously (without losing shadow detail).

• If your software supports curves adjustments, use them for more precise tonal control.

Assuming you achieved a good in-camera exposure, you shouldn’t need major exposure compensation during editing.

Photo by Damian Witkowski, on Flickr