• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

DIGITAL PHOTO MENTOR

Photography tips, tutorials and guides for Beginner and Intermediate Photographers.

  • Start Here
  • Photography Basics
    • Beginner Photography Tutorials
    • Free Photography Basics for Beginners Course
  • Photography Articles
    • Beginner Photography Tutorials
    • Photography Challenges
    • Photography Tips
      • Portrait Photography
        • Flash Photography
      • Night Photography
      • Street Photography
      • Photo Editing
      • Landscape Photography
      • Macro Photography
      • Photoshop Tutorials
      • Photography Equipment
  • Online Courses
    • Luminar Neo Course
    • Lightroom for Photographers: The Complete Course
    • Photoshop For Photographers: The Complete Course
    • Portrait Fundamentals
  • Private Tutoring
  • Store
    • Online Courses
    • Bokeh Overlays
    • Sky Replacements
    • Texture Backgrounds
    • Lightroom Presets
    • Private Tutoring
    • Cart
  • Login
  • Photography Basics
    • Beginner Photography Tutorials
    • Free Photography Basics for Beginners Course
  • Photography Challenges
    • Photography Challenges E-Book
    • 5-Day Photo Editing Challenge
    • All Our Photography Challenges
  • Photography Tips
    • Portrait Photography
      • Free Portrait Photography Key Concepts Course
      • Flash Photography
    • Night Photography
    • Street Photography
    • Travel Photography
    • Landscape Photography
    • Macro Photography
    • Photography Equipment
  • Photo Editing
    • Luminar
    • Learn How to Use Lightroom Classic – Online Course
    • Photoshop Tutorials
  • Gallery
  • Resources
    • Free Basics for Beginners Course
    • Free Portrait Photography for Beginners Course
    • Lightroom Presets
    • Texture Pack for Photoshop, Luminar
    • Webinars
    • YouTube Channel
Home » Night Photography » Night Astral Photography – an Interview With Jesse Summers
Night Astral Photography – an Interview With Jesse Summers

Night Astral Photography – an Interview With Jesse Summers

by Darlene Hildebrandt | Last Updated: September 26, 2022

Share9
Tweet
Pin13
WhatsApp
Email

Learn how to create stunning night sky photographs with photographer Jesse Summers. Jesse specializes in night astral photography, and by using his techniques seen in this video interview, you too can learn how to blend foreground scenes with the night sky for images as seen in the examples below.

First a few tips from the interview as a sneak preview of what you’ll learn, then the interview itself.

Night Photography Tips

arches-and-stars-jesse-summers

Exposure Time to Avoid Star Trails
Sometimes you want to capture the star trails across your photograph and other times you don’t. To get crisp clear shots of the night sky without trails or blurred stars, use the rule of 600. Divide 600 by your focal length. This is the maximum exposure time you can use before star trails show up.
Finding Dark Areas with Minimal Light Pollution
Using this website app Dark Sky to find places around you where there is little or no light pollution.
Finding the Milky Way in the Sky
Use any star finder app like Stellarium. Stellarium shows a realistic sky in 3D on your computer and it’ll help you look for the constellation Sagittarius. Find Sagittarius and you will find the Milky Way.
How to Focus Your Camera at Night
First, switch the focus on your lens from auto (AF) to manual (MF) – on Nikon you may have to switch it off on the camera body as well. Then turn the magnification on your ‘live view’ to 10x and focus on any point of light within the frame (a radio tower light, a light on a building, the brightest star). Secondly, invest in a good quality green laser pointer and carry it with you for night shots. Use the green laser to paint light onto a distant object that you’ll be able to focus on. Green is a different wave length from red and it travels further and is more visible.
(I apologize for the quality of video on myself, the light in my room was not working and it’s dark – maybe appropriately so for a discussion on night photography.)

ruby beach washington with milky way

night sky over palouse falls washington

Jesse Summers Night Photographer

About Jesse

Jesse Summers is a Florida-based landscape photographer who specializes the newly developing niche of night landscape astrophotography. Composing scenes at twilight on nights where the conditions perfectly align, Jesse is able to incorporate the stunning center of the Milky Way galaxy into his landscape photos through the use of creative long-exposure imagery.

Jesse’s photography has been shared extensively around the globe including by National Geographic. He leads workshops on night photography in Yosemite (CA), St. George State Park (FL) and has online photography courses covering his digital workflow.

Share9
Tweet
Pin13
WhatsApp
Email

About Darlene Hildebrandt

Darlene is an educator who teaches aspiring amateurs and hobbyists how to improve their skills through her articles here on Digital Photo Mentor, her beginner photography course, and private tutoring lessons. To help you at whatever level you're at she has two email mini-courses. Sign up for her free beginner OR portrait photography email mini-course. Or get both, no charge!

ultimate photography bundle

There’s NEVER been a better time to get Luminar Neo. With this Ultimate Photography Bundle promotion, you recieve the Luminar Neo software, hundreds of LUT’s, Skies, presets and overlays, a Landscape Photography editing course, a Drone photography course and my very own Portrait Fundamentals course, along with a number of other items.

Click here to Get $1019 worth of photography software and courses for an 85% savings.

Digital Photo Mentor is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to products on Amazon. As an Amazon Associate Digital Photo Mentor earns from qualifying purchases.
ultimate photography bundle

Ultimate Photography Bundle

There's NEVER been a better time to get Luminar Neo. With this Ultimate Photography Bundle promotion, you recieve the Luminar Neo software, hundreds of LUT's, Skies, presets and overlays, a Landscape Photography editing course, a Drone photography course and my very own Portrait Fundamentals course, along with a number of other items.

Get $1019 worth of photography software and courses for an 85% savings.

Click Here to Purchase

Top Beginner Articles

  • Avoid these 9 beginner photography mistakes
  • 7 Tips for Beginner Photographers
  • Top 15 Photography Accessories under $25
  • How to choose the best digital camera for you
  • 5 Photography Ideas for When There's Nothing Interesting to Shoot
  • 5 mistakes beginner photographers make while using a wide angle lens and how to avoid them
  • 9 Tripod Mistakes Ruining Your Images and Putting Your Camera at Risk
  • Long Exposure Photography

Top Intermediate Articles

  • 10 Camera Settings and Equipment Tips for Portrait Photography
  • Best Photo Editing Software Reviewed
  • Lightroom Alternative: Is Luminar the answer?
  • Top 15 Photography Accessories under $25
  • How to Use a Gray Card for Custom White Balance and Metering
  • Night Photography Settings – Guide to Getting the Best Exposure

Learn Photography Basics

Yes, you can learn to take better photos! It’s my passion to help you learn the photography basics and take better pictures. It’s also the same reason I teach workshops, do photo travel tours, and have online photography courses available.

Enroll in our free photography basics for beginners course, or 12-part portrait photography course, also free.

Recent Photography Articles

  • Stunning Night Photo Edits With Luminar Neo
  • Six ways to make your travel photography stand out
  • Why Street Photography Is So Difficult And How To Overcome It
  • Review of Sigma’s 56mm F/1.4 Lens – Is It Worth It?
  • How To Create Stunning Old-Style Hollywood Black-and-White Glamour Portraits

Useful Links

  • Beginner Photography
  • Intermediate Photography
  • Photography Challenges
  • Photography Tips
  • Photo Editing
  • Resources
  • Recommended Amazon Products
  • Course Login
  • Workshops
  • Webinars
  • Contact
  • Write for Us

Copyright © 2023 Digital Photo Mentor · Privacy Policy · Cookie Policy · Disclaimer