Awesome pics! What camera/lens do you use?
Hi Josh, settings below:
1. Set the lens' focal length to wide-field (18mm)
2. Exposure time 30"
3. Lens f-ratio (or f-stop/f-value) to its lowest value (set to widest opening of the iris to accommodate more light, e.g. F/1.8 is more preferred than f/10)
4. Set the camera ISO value to moderate. I usually shoot at ISO 1600
5. Check that the camera's flash remains off
6. Use a tripod and make sure it's sturdy and won't shake easily
7. Since the camera's auto focus will not work in this case, you need to set the camera's focus to manual mode. 8. Set the lens focus to infinity. Since the milky way is too much faint, set the focus to a brighter target (e.g. Any bright star). Turn the focus ring clockwise or counterclockwise to bring any bright star into focus.
9. Point the camera to the general direction of the milky way
10. Turn on the cameras time delay feature to avoid shaking (10 second delay will do)
11. When ready, press the shutter to take your shot. In this case, the camera will expose for 30 seconds. During exposure, you must not allow any stray light to reach the camera sensor, and certainly not allow the camera to move or shake. You may need to shoot several shots for proper framing.
Please post your pics soon!
Cheers!