I did well in high school biology class. But perhaps the greatest thing that I learned from that teacher was that anything is possible in life — it’s just not always highly probable. Lots of photographers say that you can’t photograph stars in NYC because you can’t even see them. So they’ll often say and claim that it’s impossible. But it’s totally possible — I’ve done it so many times. And it’s often one of the most calming things that I can do when I don’t feel like going out and being social — though at the same time, it’s also fun to do with friends who have similar cameras.
This article is presented in partnership with LUMIX. Cameras like the LUMIX S1RII, S5II, and S1IIE can all do this. Try it for yourself.
LUMIX cameras are the only full-frame options on the market that let photographers photograph stars over big cities. They do this with a feature called Live View Composite. This was originally only available for Micro Four Thirds, but in the past few years, it has come to full-frame cameras.
Essentially, you set the camera down on a tripod and photograph a base scene. Then from there, your LUMIX camera layers bits and pieces of the scene’s changes over the original image. You can photograph stars over NYC in this way pretty easily.
I have to say before I go on: it’s always hilarious to see the faces and reactions of other photographers when they realize that they can do this in-camera and that they don’t need to feel like they’re slaving away in front of a computer.
Here are some things that I’ve learned over the years of doing this effect in-camera:
- Use a zoom lens because it will give you the most versatility. Of course you can still switch to a prime lens. But if you don’t want to worry about cropping later, choose a zoom lens.
- Use a lower ISO setting
- Slow the shutter speed down but still underexpose the scene. This will provide the most contrast overall.
- Use a sturdy tripod — this is pretty key
- Go full manual. Don’t just set the aperture, ISO, and shutter speed. Choose one of your LUTs, white balance, etc. Do it all in-camera and you’ll be rewarded with a greater sense of accomplishment.
- Flip the LCD screen out so that you can see what’s happening to the photo as it’s developing over time.
- Don’t be afraid of ending the session early and restarting. LUMIX cameras can do this process for as long as 90 minutes.
Specifically, if you want to photograph the stars over big cities like NYC at night, I recommend checking apps to find out when night really happens. Sometimes on the ground, it will look like nighttime. But in the sky, it might be something like nautical twilight or something like that. You’ll get the fullest effect on a clear night during the actual night hours. This is such a fun activity if you’re more of a night person than a day person. And the next time that something like an eclipse happens, give this a shot.