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July 4, 2026
Astrophotography is the art of photographing the night sky — from the Milky Way and star trails to the Moon, planets, and Aurora Australis. It sits at the crossroads of photography and astronomy, and you don't need a telescope or years of experience to get started. With the right camera, a wide-angle lens, and a few key techniques, beginners across Australia are capturing breathtaking night sky images every night. This guide covers everything you need: gear, settings, locations, and post-processing — so you can go from curious beginner to confident night sky photographer.
Ever looked up in absolute awe at the starry sky above? That's exactly the kind of feeling that astrophotography tries to capture. If you want to learn how to photograph stars and take stunning photos of the night sky, you're not alone. It's a challenging skill, but with a little practice, you'll be able to photograph the Milky Way, the moon, stars and planets like a pro.
Whether you want to get to know the sky above you in greater detail, or you want to document important astronomical events, such as Aurora Australis, having the right kit and the skills to use it are essential.
To help you get there, here is our beginner's guide to astrophotography, including our top astrophotography tips for beginners and the best astrophotography cameras.
With astrophotography, a lot of the work happens before and after your night shoot. Here's how to photograph stars and how to take night sky photos from start to finish.
Head outside the city
For the best photos, you need dark, clear skies - and those are hard to come by in urban areas. The light emitted from all the streetlights and buildings creates "light pollution", and that makes it much harder to see the stars and other celestial objects. So, try to travel to remote or rural areas for the clearest skies.
Shoot on a clear day
Think about postponing your night sky shoot if you've experienced wet weather that day. After rain or wild weather, the air is often full of moisture and dust, which can affect the transparency of your photos.
Visit your shoot location during the day
That way, you can look for any interesting subjects to include in the foreground of your photos, like buildings or trees. These features not only draw in the viewer, but help them to appreciate the vastness of the sky.
Use the Rule of Thirds
This will help you to compose balanced photos. To do it, divide your image into nine equal squares, and place your points of interest where those lines intersect. Your viewer's eye will naturally be drawn to those points.
Follow the 600 rule
Stars are beautiful - but unwanted star trails in your astrophotography can be distracting. To minimise them and get the best exposure for astrophotography, divide 600 by the focal length of your lens. This is the longest exposure time (in seconds) before stars start to trail. For example, if your focal length is 24mm, the longest exposure would be 600 ÷ 24 = 25 seconds.
Make the most of filters
If you're shooting close to a city, invest in a Clearsky Light Pollution filter. This will block any extra light in the sky so you can snap a clearer photo of the sky.
Novatech Direct Top Pick of Astrophotography Lens Filter: Cokin Nuances Clearsky Light Pollution Filter
Set aside some time for post-processing
If your astrophotos don't turn out as well as you'd hoped, don't stress. When you're photographing the sky, a lot of the magic happens in post-processing. Use Lightroom or Photoshop to adjust the colours and exposure of your images, and make the stars appear even brighter.
The Aurora Australis, commonly known as the Southern Lights, is a breathtaking natural light display caused by solar particles colliding with the Earth's atmosphere near the South Pole.
Recently, a significant solar event has been detected, in which the Sun has released a huge burst of energy, known as a Coronal Mass Ejection. This event disrupts the Earth's magnetic field and creates perfect conditions for the appearance of Auroras - meaning a bright and beautiful colour show!
When should I look out for Aurora Australis? The best time to view this event is expected to be the night of the 20th of January. As we are currently in the new moon phase, the darkness of the sky should make the sights particularly spectacular.
Who is in the best position to view this event? This exciting astronomical event should be visible to some extent throughout Australia, but those in the southern-most states of Tasmania and Victoria will likely have the most success.
Here's how to set up your camera and find the best camera settings for astrophotography to capture the best night sky photos:
If you like astrophotography, you might want to invest in these products:
A high-quality mirrorless or DSLR camera — Since you'll be taking long exposures, the ability to shoot in manual mode is a must.
A wide-angle lens of 35mm or more — With a wide-angle lens, you'll be able to capture more of the night sky and landscape below.
A tripod — A sturdy tripod is the key to clear, blur-free photos. It can get windy at night, so choose a tripod for astrophotography that has stabilising features, like a centre column or spiked feet.
A remote control — To cut down on camera shake and star trails, firing your camera remotely is a must. If you don't have a remote control, try using your camera's in-built timer.
To produce the best possible starry sky photos, pop into your local Novatech Direct store today. Our team will help you find the best camera for night sky photography, and answer any questions you might have about astrophotography; we can even guide you through choosing your first telescope, so you can fully immerse yourself in the night sky. To get started on that journey, check out our Ultimate Guide to Telescope Buying for Beginners.
Choosing the best beginner camera for astrophotography comes down to three things: sensor size, high ISO performance, and manual controls. A full-frame mirrorless or DSLR camera delivers the best low-light sensitivity, but crop-sensor cameras are a strong, budget-friendly starting point. Look for cameras with good performance at ISO 1600–6400 and the ability to shoot in RAW format. Popular beginner astrophotography cameras include the Sony A7 series, Nikon Z5 II, and Canon EOS R8. Pair any of these with a fast wide-angle lens (f/1.8 or f/2.8) to maximise light capture. Novatech Direct stocks a curated range of astrophotography-ready cameras — explore our recommendations below.
Mastering a handful of core astrophotography techniques will dramatically improve your results. Start with the 500 Rule to avoid star trails: divide 500 by your focal length to find your maximum shutter speed. Use manual focus set to infinity, then fine-tune using live view zoom on a bright star. Shoot in RAW for maximum editing flexibility. For Milky Way shots, aim for ISO 1600–3200, f/2.8 or wider, and a 15–25 second exposure. Try image stacking — combining multiple exposures in post — to reduce noise without sacrificing detail. Planning apps like Stellarium or PhotoPills help you time and frame your shots perfectly before you leave home.
If you'd like to explore other creative possibilities with long exposures and light at night, our Ultimate Guide to Light Painting Photography is a natural next step.
