Discovering the beauty of night sky phenomenon such as Milky Way or other night sky phenomena is always an extraordinary treat, and using an iPhone camera app to do it is even better! However, their use may present certain drawbacks; for more tips on night sky photography read on!
Eyes are amazing tools of communication; we rarely even notice them do their jobs until it comes time to stare into the night sky and attempt to watch all its glory in all its splendor. In darkness, your pupils dilate allowing more detail into view compared to bright light sources (even low brightness settings on phones can show as bright). But once the light has been turned off again, your pupils contract. They usually open wide again within 15-20 minutes resulting in limited night vision until their adjustment takes effect again – what’s the solution then?
Without going too deep into the science behind rods and cones and which receptors they activate, I will offer an alternative: red light. Red allows us to see clearly without our pupils getting squeezed down causing issues. By using it you can still make adjustments without problems but need less light to do it. As an additional tip: practice making all adjustments on your camera by feel. Often I find myself sitting with my camera close my eyes in order to practice finding buttons and changing settings with our minds alone as guides – mind hacks! Our minds can assist us greatly by training our minds accordingly!
Headlamp
Night sky photography requires various lights. I highly suggest purchasing a headlamp as this makes carrying gear easier while leaving both hands free for photography. Most headlamps offer multiple settings of white and red lighting – white for walking to your location and initial setup; red if needing quick peek at something without ruining night vision.