How to find the best spot to capture Milky Way
Last edited on September 3, 2023
Last edited on September 3, 2023
Growing up in the city, it was not a normal scene to be able to see a clear sky full of stars like what our parents and grandparents enjoyed when they were our age. It has always been a dream for me to witness the beauty of the outer universe, clear and shiny. Capturing the Milky Way started to become an obsession for me the more I dig into photography. It was a dream that came true when I purchased my first specialised astrophotography lens Samyang 14mm F2.8 to work with my Canon EOS R camera and start the magical work together!
At the beginning, I used to go to areas that I thought were dark enough to capture the milky way. The results were fine at the beginning. However, the more I got better at what I am doing, the more I became hungry to find a better spot to get a clearer view of the sky.
Of course, we have heard of the weather pollution and noise pollution. But have you ever heard of light pollution? In the last few decades, civilization grew widely with advanced transportation systems, high-end lighting systems to lighten up our cities and roads, and more.. All of that caused a lot of light noise that covered our ability to see the sky as it should be. You will be able to see that when studying the night light map.
So in order to navigate your way through to find the perfect spot away from that light pollution, you need a guide that tells you the difference between the closet and father away from such pollution.
I use The Light Pollution Map to help me find the best spot. So what this map does is to area categories on the map based on how clear the sky is against the amount of light pollution that may be affected by. And there are 9 categories, where 9 the visibility of the clear sky is close to none and where 1 is so dark major stars are so obvious. However, it is really hard to be in category 1 unless you are in the middle of the ocean or in the middle of the Sahara desert! Class 3 is most common to find and it is good enough for astrophotography.
The good thing about this map is that it allows you to see the main roads to help find that spot on the map.
On my trip to Serbia last summer, I kind of planned my trip around finding the perfect spot for astrophotography which happened to be the most beautiful scenery in the middle of the mountains which I dearly enjoyed!
Starting from Belgrade, the capital, I started looking for the darkest areas in the country on the map which were mostly on the western side of the country on the borders of Bosnia. I started to cross-check with the actual map on what is accessible and what can offer accommodation and still to be within class 3-2 on the light pollution scale. Eventually, I found Zaovine Lake which makes the perfect framing for my photography with its wooden cabinets and mountain views which worked like a charm!
Even if you are in one of the winning three categories class 3, 2, or 1, having any tiny little source of light in the distance can create an unpleasant and annoying light spot in the scene. In most cases even in pitch black areas, the long exposure will catch the tiny little light sources and increase it in the photographic outcome. So you will end up seeing these sources of light shining in the background and affecting the clearness of the Milky way in the final image processing.
Astrophotographers become experts in understanding the movement of the sky as well as the weather forecast! You may get the perfect spot with perfect timing but gloomy weather can stand in your way to click that award-winning picture!
You need to make sure that the following issues are not there:
I call it the fun killer! The humidity is caused by is the concentration of water vapor present in the air, which eventually will block the view from seeing the sky and its stars. Therefore, it is very important thing to check the level of humidity in the location you intend to shoot from.
On the contrary, the low clouds move faster and can create a nice dramatic scene in the photograph or the time lapse, the high clouds such as Cirrus clouds would spread widely in the sky and move slowly which can again prevent you from having a clear sky to shoot.
Depending on the time of the month, most Milky Way photography seekers would pick the time when the moon is invisible. Having the full moon means having a huge source of light that would affect the level of dark sky you are seeking.
Make sure that you keep checking the weather forecast continually, to be up-to-date with any sudden changes that may occur to the weather. Any of the above forecast issues can destroy your chance to see the mesmerizing beautiful sky full of stars.
There are a few apps that can come in handy to help you track the weather, such as:
Windy: Google Play, Apple Store
I am Iman. A travel lover and a photographer with so much passion to learn new things and meet people! On this website, I will be writing about my travel and photography experience, and add what I learn here to be a useful guide to whoever needs it!
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