It’s not Fourth of July yet, but that hasn’t stopped Mother Nature from firing off some natural fireworks. This summer I have been testing my skills at meteor photography. It’s not exactly its own genre of photography, but it is very popular in the rural area where I live.
Given our lack of city lights and other infrastructure, taking pictures of stars and meteors is not uncommon. What’s more, capturing the beauty of these astronomical wonders is a thrill once you know what you are doing.
One of the first, and most important, steps in shooting meteor showers is to consult the calendar. Major meteor events don’t shoot through the night sky very often. Consequently, it is imperative that you study charts, calendars and online resources such as the American Meteor Society to make sure you have reliable information. The Weather Channel also has a decent online resource for tracking astronomical events.
The next step is to secure a professional grade camera. Some of the people I shoot with swear by film cameras, which they maintain take better meteor photos than digital models. However, any high-end camera is going to get the job done provided the stars align and you have a decent locking cable release and a shutter that allows time exposures.
One of the reasons it is so important to have a professional grade camera at your disposal is that you have a wide selection of lenses to choose from. Try experimenting with a fish-eye lenses or a wide angle version that functions at high rates of speed. Having just a standard zoom lens on your camera may not help you capture the best shots.
Finally, it’s generally best to choose a low focal ratio (F stop) setting when shooting meteors. Doing so will help keep the camera’s aperture open wide enough to record faint streaks of light. You’ll also need to adjust exposure and timing. Experts recommend 10-minute exposures in very dark areas and five-minute exposures in brighter locations.
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