10 pro photo tips for out-of-this-world star-filled astro images

PhotoPlus Astrophotography Apprentice
(Image credit: Future)

When the sun has set and light levels dip you might be tempted to put your camera away for the day. But this is when the night sky comes alive with incredible twinkling stars that can transform your scenes into magical astro landscapes.

While astrophotography does have some pretty niche and specialist equipment, such as equatorial heads to counter the Earth's rotation, the great news is you can get started taking top night shots with just a basic DSLR or mirrorless camera, a wide-angle lens and a sturdy tripod, then upgrade your kit bag as you see fit.

Chris Grimmer
Chris Grimmer

In 2015 Chris was shortlisted for the incredible Insight Astronomy Photographer of the Year, and was also shortlisted twice for the UK Astrophotographer of the Year! It’s safe to say Chris knows a thing or two about capturing great shots of starry skies, and he uses a whole host of equipment, from converted EOS cameras to tripod heads that rotate to track stars – and even telescopes.

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Dan Mold
Deputy Editor

Deputy Editor on PhotoPlus: The Canon Magazine, Dan also brings his technical wizardry and editing skills to Digital Camera World. He has been writing about all aspects of photography for over 10 years, having previously served as technical writer and technical editor for Practical Photography magazine, as well as Photoshop editor on Digital Photo

Dan is an Adobe-certified Photoshop guru, making him officially a beast at post-processing – so he’s the perfect person to share tips and tricks both in-camera and in post. Able to shoot all genres, Dan provides news, techniques and tutorials on everything from portraits and landscapes to macro and wildlife, helping photographers get the most out of their cameras, lenses, filters, lighting, tripods, and, of course, editing software.

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