My attempt at photographing the Milky Way last week was a total washout

Drove out to a dark spot about 45 minutes from town around 1am, set up my tripod and everything. But I forgot to check the moon phase and it was like 80% full, just washed out all the detail. Then a car pulled up and just sat there with their brights on for 20 minutes. Does anyone have tips for scouting locations that stay dark and empty?

2 comments

2 Comments

martin.jamie13d ago

Last year I used to think moon phase didn't matter that much, but I changed my mind completely after one ruined shot. I use Photopills or even just a simple moon calendar app to check the phase and rise/set times before I go anywhere. For keeping spots empty, I try to find places on public land that aren't near main roads or popular turnouts. State forests or BLM land with dispersed camping signs usually means less traffic. Also scouting during daylight first helps you spot hidden pull-offs that drivers won't notice at night. The car with brights thing happened to me once and now I always park facing away from the road with my lights off.

evanr7913d ago

Honestly that parking tip is gold but I gotta ask - how do you handle the scouting part without tipping off other photographers? Every time I drive around a spot during daylight checking out pull-offs I feel like I'm just advertising the location to every person who sees my car. And if you find a good spot and leave to come back later, someone else has usually grabbed it. Do you just camp out there all day or what?