British astrophotographer Josh Dury talks us through the camera kit he uses when shooting stars
(Image credit: Niall Hampton / Future)
He might have been shooting the stars since he was seven years old, but Josh Dury is adamant that astrophotography is for everyone – you really don’t need to be an astronomer.
In fact, the advances made in camera technology over the past decade mean that capturing high-resolution images with low noise – the holy grail for astrophotographers – has never been so straightforward.
All you need, says Dury, is a camera that can handle digital noise well, a wide-angle lens that will let in plenty of light via a large aperture and a solid platform to shoot from.
So read on to explore the essentials that this astro pro takes on every voyage…
Inside astrophotographer Josh Dury’s camera bag
The camera kit that astro pro Josh Dury takes on his small-hours shoots – carried inside an F-Stop Tilopa V3 backpack (Image credit: Future)
“With two settings – a normal torch light and a red light function – this is essential for night shoots.”
Josh Dury’s go-to apps for astro
(Image credit: Future)
BBC Weather and Met Office
(App Store & Google Play)
“Use these to average weather forecasts – the more forecasts you can use, the better.”
The Moon
(App Store & Google Play)
“Essential for planning around moon phases.”
PhotoPills
(App Store & Google Play)
“Very good for planning Milky Way shoots.”
Aurora
(App Store & Google Play)
“The sun is getting stronger: use this to see how strong the aurora is.”
Digital Camera Worldis the world’s favorite photography magazine and is packed with the latest news, reviews, tutorials, expert buying advice, tips and inspiring images. Plus, every issue comes with a selection of bonus gifts of interest to photographers of all abilities.
Niall is the editor of Digital Camera Magazine, and has been shooting on interchangeable lens cameras for over 20 years, and on various point-and-shoot models for years before that.
Working alongside professional photographers for many years as a jobbing journalist gave Niall the curiosity to also start working on the other side of the lens. These days his favored shooting subjects include wildlife, travel and street photography, and he also enjoys dabbling with studio still life.
On the site you will see him writing photographer profiles, asking questions for Q&As and interviews, reporting on the latest and most noteworthy photography competitions, and sharing his knowledge on website building.
