<center>![consuelo.jpg](https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmYJx6xdjm6xgiCUJ4xMuZDqeSWnZrjnbtVMfK9hfJC91A/consuelo.jpg)</center>

Ever since I was a kid, I have always admired astronomical objects. The luminous spheroid of plasma has always been the listener of my childhood wishes. My chants before was this, “Star light. Star bright. Firs star I see tonight. I wish I may, I wish I might. Have the wish, I wish tonight.”. Up until I grew up I still utter these words as I look up into the night sky gazing for my favorite constellation, the Ursa Minor or known as the little dipper. I always wanted to wander thus Ursa Minor has been my symbol. Why? Because of Polaris. One of its seven stars, is the Northern Star or the Polaris which is always associated to navigation. Mariners will surely agree with me with this one. *Hehe*. Anyway, after such a long time of admiration, I decided to photograph them. Thus, I learned long exposure shots.

## INTRODUCTION TO LONG EXPOSURE

<center>![](https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmWoKCWggtMdEchw9XkEJV9SaTQjqwXwCU2Rv2Bq4VrjW7/image.png)
<sub>[Budget Wanders](https://budgetwanders.com/2019/05/04/how-to-take-photos-of-stars-a-beginners-guide/)</sub></center>

I may not be a pro but with considerable amount of research and practice I made, I was able to capture some that I am honestly proud of. So now, to you reading this, if you’re a beginner then I will be sharing to you a simplified explanation of what long exposure is and what role it plays in taking great shots. But if you’re already a pro and had been taking shots more splendid than what I am taking then, thank you for dropping by and let me hear from you because I’d surely want to learn more. So much of the introduction and let the tutorial begin.

First thing that you should know is the basic understanding of what long exposure is. Well, long exposure or time-exposure, or slow-shutter photography involves using a long-duration shutter speed to sharply capture the stationary elements of images while blurring, smearing, or obscuring the moving elements. While blurring the moving elements of the photo, light stays and thus called light painting.

The long exposure technique can shoot light trails from the vehicles, light painting and stars. Each of these has special setting considerations – **ISO, aperture, and shutter speed.**

### ISO
In basic terms, ISO is the level of sensitivity of your camera to the available light. The lower the ISO number, the less sensitive it is to the light, while a higher ISO number increases the sensitivity of your camera.

In other words, the lower the ISO number the darker the picture, while the higher the ISO number the brighter the picture. But take note, the higher the ISO, the more grainy the picture gets.

<center>![](https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmZMroWPRZ9JYnEtbtdj3pzayq1S28hXg2rzvLqWBtimaC/image.png)</center>

### APERTURE
In photography, the lens’ pupil is the the aperture. You can shrink or enlarge it depending on the amount of light you want to pass and enter into the camera.

<center>![](https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmez2mPMJo1faqbj5BMHj6hCp87b41CKVgZfd1cXXETrrA/image.png)</center>

The technical definition of aperture is: “The opening in a lens through which light passes to enter the camera.” Understanding aperture has always been the most frequently asked question I get from my friends. To remember aperture setting easily, I want you to take note of the ff:

1. The lower the number the wider the aperture.

2. Wider aperture gets more light entering into the camera thus giving you a brighter picture.

3. Aperture setting changes the depth of field in an image. The wider the aperture, the more *bokeh* the effect will be.

4. Aperture is shown in an “f” symbol so don’t stress yourself too much in finding the aperture of your camera. It’s the “f”.

5. Practice taking photos with different apertures. You’ll soon get the hang of it. I don’t need to say unnecessary stuff here.

<center>![](https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmbV68ddUBzS7qBtiv5FHyW5gbWn5YAaYXSyWGz9nCaVJS/image.png)</center>

### SHUTTER SPEED
And lastly, the most important thing in every long exposure shot is the shutter speed.

**It is the time for which a shutter is open at a given setting.** Shutter speed depends on your subject and how fast it is moving. Also light is tricked in shutter speed. Following are the points you should bear in mind in understanding shutter speed:

1. Sports photography uses fast shutter speed because the movement you want to capture is too fast.

2. Setting your shutter speed higher gives you a darker picture. And a brighter picture for slower shutter speed.

3. In taking slow shutter speed, a tripod is a must. Otherwise, your picture will be too blurry.

<center>![](https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmWuNu8hr4w11VA27xJ8zxGbDkaKUjUvrLdT1JNi74ZZLM/image.png)</center>

And now that you have familiarized yourself with the three basic component of photography, let us proceed to setting your camera in order to photograph stars.
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## PHOTOGRAPHING STARS

<center>![](https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmYagnGDX1EZhGJXrtHre2q8aZ6bviiyeJb5acoFPe32aS/image.png)</center>

Here’s a simple guide we need to follow:

1. Use a sturdy tripod. We will be shooting long exposure shot so we need to stabilize our camera for a few seconds while our shutter is open.

2. Set your aperture lower. f/2.5 to f/4.5 will be fine. But remember to personally assess your location and go back to the basics of aperture. You don’t want to forget how light plays a great role in aperture setting.

3. Your ISO should be high but not too high to still have a bright and sharp photo. If you want to brighten up your picture without adding grainy effect in the photo, focus on aperture and/or shutter speed. Anyways, all three are crucial to light exposure anyway. But for starters, 800 to 2500 should be enough. Again, assess your location.

4. Most importantly, the shutter speed. You may set the shutter speed at 15 seconds especially if it involves persons. Why? Because they are not statues that can hold long enough. You don’t want them to move because again in shooting at slow shutter speed, the moving element in the photo gets blurry.

5. I don’t do this technique but I might try in the near future. It’s multiple exposure. Wherein you shoot the same location and position and you just superimpose every frames to make it one great looking photo using Photoshop.

6. DO NOT EVER FORGET THAT THIS IS A MANUAL PLAY. *winks*

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There you go. I finally spilled to you my one whole month of study. Again, I’m also a newbie and I know being a newbie is both difficult and satisfying. Difficult because too much jargon will almost stop you from learning and satisfying because a simple addition to your learning will be a glorious moment. Let us all celebrate being a beginner.

> After all no great artist had ever been professional without being a beginner once.

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## AND TO INSPIRE YOU A LITTLE BIT, LET ME SHOW YOU MY JOURNEY TOWARDS LEARNING ASTROPHOTOGRAPHY.

I started learning all these last 10th of February 2019 and took my first ever long exposure shot the same day.

<center>![](https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmWUh4RUp82yGgdwkjHG7t3EQkxX3dnpVnAG5VeqJSXZGj/image.png)</center>

Then I also tried shooting light trails from cars when I went to Mall of Asia the following day.

<center>![](https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmb41tUEqy6YeSA27nt9qbrnkeaRUyPVM3bt293BjuYdUF/image.png)</center>

My friend told me that I am a fast-learner but I don’t think so. I was just too eager and inlove with light painting. *Hehe*.

So after a couple of weeks, I tried my first ever astrophotography when I was in Ormoc City, Leyte.

<center>![](https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmfVXfuq1XbysRsemobYa4LdMPDPuHMUScRoZYsdy7Zapr/image.png)</center>

I was really happy with what I was taking, so I started to really shoot stars in every place I go.

<center>![](https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmQMSL3Yjp5R1AqTuR3F7rgqSaQjtzr9AtxEE1PQYz4JTK/image.png)</center>
<sub>📍Basdacu, Loon, Bohol</sub>

<center>![](https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmVhV63ebZvB7iZyGxK3DygN22eKxpq6C37XfFu1TNFScq/image.png)</center>
<sub>📍Lintuan, Loon, Bohol</sub>

<center>![](https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmf5J4ZRmpAXej4BjR7Rdq1ggUGfuDvxjZRxpsYEC7oUXf/image.png)</center>
<sub>📍Loon South Central Elem School Grounds</sub>

<center>![](https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmWjtHcP82Pv1NM7r1jrzBq1FjZf985fGJ6ZiKyVm4MXSc/image.png)</center>
<sub>📍Napo, Loon, Bohol</sub>

<center>![](https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmRc1gVqVgGu9KuMUbU7PnTek4K85kJL234t1BxeQ2JBUs/image.png)</center>
<sub>📍Lagtangon, Maribojoc, Bohol</sub>

I hope you learned something from this blog. Also, follow me on instagram. I will surely follow you back. 🌟

<center>![](https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmRrzkFhQRr17ZxYRdVLUadsWyFn7zBiy1vNWxbkwmDsKv/image.png)</center>

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This has been @nikkabomb saying, “Do not just wish upon a star, pray to the One who made them.”
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*This [blogpost](https://budgetwanders.com/2019/05/04/how-to-take-photos-of-stars-a-beginners-guide/) had been originally published in my personal website, [Budget Wanders](www.budgetwanders.com).*

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![](https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmf1EerYH4gMQ5pStNsb8knTZuYzS9erSd3u5grFCcnh6G/image.png)

***Nikka Ganzan, the author***

<sub>I was destined to be a successful civil engineer but my heart belongs to literature. And if I have learnt something from the past years of struggles, it is maybe this - "Sometimes a leap of faith is what you need in order to find happiness. Because if you are not to become a happy person, then what's the purpose of life then?".</sub>

<sub>I tried working in an industry with the use of my maximum skills in my chosen field and I was earning big (bigger than what I expected), yet I was not happy. In between those times, I found deeper and stronger interest in my first and second love - writing and photography. </sub>

<sub>And so here I am, in my little corner in the blockchain. I hope you had a good read and check out more here ---> @nikkabomb. Lovelots.</sub>