Astrophotography Basics: Picking A Suitable Site

While doing astrophotography from your backyard can result in lovely pictures, I think doing it out in the wilds is a whole different beast.

In this post, I want to spend some time discussing how to pick out an appropriate site. It may be more accurate say that this post is how I end up picking an appropriate site to do astrophotography.

You absolutely can do astrophotography from your backyard. However, I think most of us will be dealing with a significant amount of light pollution if we limit it solely to our backyards. A lot of us, due to necessity, will live in metropolitan areas or suburban areas with significant light pollution. This isn’t to say it is impossible to photograph from your backyard or balcony in an urban area, but it is more difficult to capture celestial objects from the city skies.

Picture taken in a suburban neighborhood on the East Coast.

Given that, I generally head out to the countryside/more rural parts given there is less light pollution there. That raises the question of how do you pick out an appropriate site?

Research dark sky parks/international dark sites/locations situated away from major metropolitan areas.

You really don’t need to reinvent the wheel here. There is already a plethora of information on the internet already regarding suitable dark sky parks/dark sky sites/designated dark sites.

A friend from work gifted me her AAA magazine which had a feature on best places to do stargazing!

Given the booming interest in astrophotography–how it unites people and also leads to people traveling to get to the best locations—you will actually find websites listing exceptional places to do your stargazing.

Darksky.org has a listing of places all over the United States and elsewhere where people can do astrophotography and stargazing.

Essentially, some folks have done a lot of the easy work for you already and it is a matter of finding the right dark sky site that is not too far from you or one you can make a part of your next trip.

2. If possible, try to visit your proposed astrophotography spot during the daytime.

Trust me on this.

It is frustrating to head to an astrophotography spot and not be sure you are in the right spot because it’s dark and you’re unfamiliar with the area. Not only does this possibly lead to wasted time, but it can also be unsafe as well.

If possible, try to visit the spot you want to do astrophotography at during the daytime. During the daytime, you can get a lay of the terrain and get a sense of what would make an interesting foreground for a photo.

You can also use certain apps to see what the night sky will look like later in the evening (more on this in a future post!).

Safety is also related to this as well. The last thing you want is to be heading to a spot in the dark for the first time and you twist your ankle because you were not aware that the area had a ton of loose rocks. Those are the types of dangers/obstacles that you can avoid or head-off by visiting a proposed site during the day.

Normally, I like to do day hikes for potential astrophotography locations. If I think it is suitable, I will come back prepared in the evening with my gear feeling more confident that I have a general idea of how the area looks.

3. Know the rules and regulations of the astrophotography sites that you are visiting.

With hiking, you are responsible for knowing the rules, regulations, and customs when you head out into the outdoors. It is the same with astrophotography.

National parks, national preserves, national grasslands, and their state counterparts will generally have their rules and regulations posted within the park and also on their respective websites.

Common things to look out for:

I. Will I need to pay for a park pass or pay some type of fee? Will I need to pay a separate fee to park my vehicle?

II. What are the hours of operation for the place I am visiting? Being inside of a park outside of designated hours can lead to you being fined, cited, or ending up with a criminal case.

III. Are there seasonal closures I have to be aware of? Some picturesque places may have roads that shut down for portions of the year due to the weather, so be sure to check ahead.

IV. Be wary of trespassing into private property! Some national park lands and some state park lands can be and are situated right not to private land. The owners may be very strict about who they allow on their property.

V. Are reservations required for the spot I am trying to visits? Withe the COVID-19 pandemic, many outdoor areas ares instituting timed-entry/reservations in order for people to visit an area.

4. Google Street View can be your friend!

I started using this feature of Google Maps to try to get a sense of how a location might look if I visited it. Understanding that it is only as reliable as the people posting the information (I am pretty sure I saw Darth Vader posted on the summit of a mountain!), I have found it to be somewhat useful in giving me a sense of what to expect with particular site and whether the drive out there might be worth. It doesn’t replace going in person, but it can be helpful in that regard.

Happy Star Hunting!

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A Visit to Great Sand Dunes National Park And Preserve

Over the holiday period, I decided to travel to Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve. You see, this particular national park is on my bucket list, specifically, it has always been a bucket list goal of mine to take a picture of the Milky Way with the dunes in the foreground.

Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve is located about 3.5 hours southwest of Denver in rural Alamosa County, Colorado. The park itself is about a 40-minute drive away from the city of Alamosa–making it a great day trip or night trip, or maybe a bit of both.

I stayed there over the July 4th weekend with the hope that I’d be able that desired shot of the Milky Way glowing over the dunes.

Alas, I have to be honest and say that that unfortunately I wasn’t able to get that desired shot (astrophotography teaches you to roll with the punches). However, I still think I got a pretty nice shot all the same within the confines of the park.

P1: The Milky Way as seen from inside Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve.

Sometimes, you have to work with what you have.

While I went there with the hope of braving the dunes at night to get my desired shot, I don’t think I made it 10 feet from my car before the mosquitos were trying to bite me up. I don’t know how, but somehow, I forgot about the mosquitos in June and July and how truly annoying they could be.

Given the bugs, I decided to find a different location to try to see if I could get my shot.

While driving around at night, I parked my vehicle and just decided to use the road into the park as my foreground as I figured it would be a pretty striking visual.

I wasn’t disappointed.

Initially it was stormy, but the weather forecast rang true and it cleared up at about 3am. I waited a bit for the Milky Way to be centered with the road and took the above shot. It’s not a stacked shot, but a single exposure, but I am still proud of it all the same.

I think anyone interested in astrophotography should definitely put this park on their travel list. I have looked all over trying to figure out where these skies fall on the Bortle scale (a scale measuring the brightness of a sky–10 being the worst (lots of light pollution) while 1 is the best (being little to no light pollution), and while I have not seen anything definitive, I have read on some sources online that the park is classified in the Bortle 2 area.

Picture Stats:

Date Taken: July 4, 2021

Canon 5D Mark IV
Rokinon 14mm f/2.8
ISO 3200
Exp. 30s
White Balance 3200

Alone With My Thoughts…The Appeal of Astrophotography.

While many people appreciate the products of astrophotography, i.e. beautiful photos of the celestial heavens, far fewer people are really interested in the process that leads to said photos.

Honestly, that’s okay.

To be fair, driving to the middle of nowhere so that you can be in the middle of nowhere to take pictures of the night sky with the hope that the weather will cooperate probably won’t sound super appealing to a lot of people.

I’ve asked people if they wanted to tag along with me on my excursions, but generally people have plans or tell me they really prefer sleeping as opposed to trouncing around in the wilderness in the dark. That’s fine–I am not offended.

However, I have found the whole astrophotography process to be pretty meditative.

When I am driving to a spot, I put on music I like to break the silence of the drive there. It gets me in the mood to to speak. Usually, I will pick something ambient for the drive.

When I get the spot, I set up my equipment and once that is done, I’m waiting for it to get dark. Normally, most people are leaving the area by this point or I am by myself. Rarely will other people stick around, but I have run into other astrophotographers out in the wilds of Colorado.

I may get the occasional question from a hiker or family leaving wondering why I am just arriving and I explain what I plan to do.

As it gets dark, that is when celestial objects start to appear–first a couple stars, then more and more. Planets shine brightly and appear as super vibrant stars. Soon, the Milky Way becomes visible.

Stars peeking out after the sun sets. Taken in Park County, Colorado.

Every time I see the Milky Way, I really am in awe of it.

Honestly, I like sitting on something–maybe the ground or a camping chair I brought with me or maybe I am sitting with the door open in my car or on a sturdy structure that happens to be in the area.

I am just looking into infinity. That is what it feels like to me.

I feel like I am witnessing something sacred and ancient. I am seeing something that existed long before I ever set foot on this Earth and will continue long after I pass away. I feel so small, but also intimately connected to everyone and everything. Carl Sagan once said we are made of star stuff–I think that is a great way of explaining how we are all interlinked in this thing called existence.

The things that worried me or bothered me me earlier–well, I start to revaluate. Maybe that thing I was obsessing over in my mind wasn’t that big of a deal and I need to let it go. Or maybe that thing that is kind of a big deal–well, let me revaluate the things that are in my control versus the things that are not in my control because I can only do so much.

I honestly couldn’t tell you the how of how I go through this process, I can only tell you that it happens.

Seeing the stars puts me as ease. Can’t really explain the why. Milky Way rising above the horizon near Guanella pass.

Being in the wilderness is my sanctuary of sorts. Seeing the celestial bodies in the sky is my sermon of sorts.

A Visit to Pawnee National Grasslands

Once I got that first astrophotography picture, I was absolutely hooked. I wanted to go out, wanted to go to different locations, wanted to try to photograph different things, wanted to try to capture as many celestial objects as I could, etc.

I believe I went up to that same location outside Idaho Springs a few times before I decided to try somewhere else. Specifically, I decided to try Pawnee National Grasslands (“PNG”).

Pawnee National Grasslands is located in the northern part of the state–in a very rural area. One of the major points of interest there are the Pawnee Buttes which jut out in what is otherwise mostly plains.

One of the things that fascinates me about Colorado is the range of geography you’ll find in the state. I first visited the mountains in the west for my first serious attempt at astrophotography. My next major attempt would find me in the plains and brush to the north.

The drive out there was super interesting.

It was desolate. I was absolutely glad I wrote down directions because I am pretty sure I lost my phone signal several times while driving. While there were farms dotting the landscape, they were very spread out. As I neared PNG, it got the point where it was just me and the occasional vehicle passing by.

I wish I had taken pictures of the plains area during the drive, because it was beautiful in a rustic way.

When I arrived at the park, there was one other vehicle there that appeared to be prepping to leave the park. When they left, it was literally just me–I didn’t see a single other person there.

Pawnee National Grasslands as the sun was about to set. Taken with my iPhone at the time. I don’t remember the model of the phone.

By the time I arrived, it was twilight and I needed to get moving because I realized after a few attempts in the mountains that it is truly is a pain to set up your gear in the dark and it’s better to do it before the sun sets.

I set up my camera just a a few hundred feet away from my car into the entrance area of the grasslands.

As it got darker, I was in for a quite a show as the stars started to show themselves. As it got darker, I turned on the red headlamp I had purchased in so I could see the buttons on my camera in the dark and also not cause too much disruption to my picture-taking.

The number of stars in the sky was indescribable. I felt like I actually got to see the sky in its true glory that night.

Taken in the parking lot as I was about to leave. Taken with my Canon 1000D.

I took as many pictures as I was able to. I ultimately stopped because…it was still winter and thus very cold. I also heard an animal noise that I could not quite identify. While I had on layers to protect myself from the cold, I didn’t have anything to physically protect myself should I encounter anything in the wild.

Erring on the side of caution I gathered my camera equipment and headed back to my car.

I was out there for about 2 hours or so. Even though I ended my excursion early, I was satisfied with what I could capture.

P1: Stars shining brightly in the distance.

Yet still, there was that feeling that what I saw with my own eyes wasn’t quite translating to what I wanted to capture with my camera. Again, I suspected my camera was pretty dated–it was over 10 years old by this point.

This excursion was the one that motivated me to purchase a more modern camera.

Picture 1	Picture 2	Picture 3
ISO: 800 Exposure: 25s F/0 Lens Mode: Manual Lens: 18mm-55mm	ISO: 800 Exposure: 30s F/0 Lens Mode: Manual Lens: 18mm-55mm	ISO: 1600 Exposure: 20s F/0 Lens Mode: Manual Lens: 18mm-55mm

See above if you are interested in the settings used for the pictures above.

Astro Lessons Learned:

Research the area that you plan to visit ahead time: Are there certain hours where the area is open? Is there a fee involved? Do you need to obtain a permit ahead of time? Is parking limited? Is parking limited to certain times out of the day?
Write down directions for the place you are heading to, research the route ahead of time, and bring a map with you. The best places to see the brightest stars will often be in rural areas with literal dirt roads and possibly poor to no signage. Also, GPS/phone signals may be spotty in these areas.
Arrive at least an hour before sunset so you have enough time to find a spot to set up your equipment.
Carry multiple layers with you because the weather can turn unpredictable.
Carry a red light headlamp or a flashlight with a red light so you have a light source. You don’t want to accidentally step on a rattlesnake in the wild. While you can go with a regular headlamp or flashlight (I did so initially), the bright white light will affect your eyes, your ability to see faint stars, and will be distracting in your photographs.
Always let someone know your itinerary!

My First Real Attempt At Astrophotography

I got into astrophotography in earnest right as the COVID-19 pandemic was about to hit parts of the United States.

When the pandemic happened, I was living in Colorado. I still live in Colorado. I moved there for work, i.e. I left grad school, needed a job, and Colorado provided said job. The fact that it is a beautiful place to live in was simply an added benefit.

Now, pre-pandemic, I was averaging about 50-60 hours of work during the week. It was a grueling schedule.

Also, around this time, a lot had been going on nationwide in the United States. It was a lot of civil unrest. To be honest, using the past tense feels too premature here, because for me personally, I still feel that general civil unrest.

There was an increasing politicization of basic things that used to seem common-sense.

Increasing divides across race, ethnicity, etc.

It takes a toll. I needed time to think. Time to reflect. Time to engage with something other than work and whatever was going on in the country.

I am not even sure what exactly motivated me, but one day I looked up several videos on Youtube regarding getting basic settings for astrophotography. I just wanted to get away from my apartment and do something to take my mind off my existence at that point.

The basic settings that I planned on using:

Manual Mode for Camera
Put Lens from Automatic Mode to Manual Mode
ISO set at about 1600
Set Exposure for 15-20 seconds.
I think at this point adjusting my white balance was too advanced for me, so I am pretty sure I never messed with that setting.

It was the dead of winter and I decided to give astrophotography a try (like a real try this time beyond mom’s backyard), since I was actually driving to a location to avoid the light pollution.

I packed up my 1000D, my tripod, several jackets and layers as I wasn’t sure what the weather would be like in the location I headed to. I loaded up my car and took off.

There weren’t a lot of people on the road–unsurprisingly. I ended up picking a mountain location since I correctly deduced not many people would go there given the weather and lack of ski amenities.

I arrived at the spot. It was freezing, cold, and snow covered the roadway–really the entire area.

But…it was dark and there were no other cars around.

I set up the camera on the tripod, input the previous settings.

I actually got a semi-decent astrophotography picture.

My first legitimate astro photo taken one night in the mountains outside of Idaho Springs, Colorado. Taken with my 1000D.

Honestly, I am still proud of this picture. I recognize that it’s not the best astrophotography picture. However, for me, it represents the culmination of something I have wanted to achieve for a really long time. I went from being an observer of astrophotography to being an active participant in it.

You can see some of the noise showing up as a weird pillar in the background.

I stayed up there for as long as I could withstand the cold, which was probably about 1-1.5 hours. I went home and I was absolutely giddy. I couldn’t wait to get home.

While I was generally happy with my pictures, I realized these weird little scribbles and lines would show up in pictures. These were things that were not actually in the background of what was being photographed. You can see an example of that in the first picture in the trio above.

I later learned that that was “noise”–distortions that can show up in photos.

It got me to thinking about whether my camera was a bit dated for astrophotography and whether I needed to upgrade my gear.

Again, a post for another day.

Etienne Rising's Astrophotography Blog

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