To preface: this camping trip actually followed our road trip out west after a few days of resting. The third week of the three weeks I had requested off happened to fall during a new moon, so we planned a trip to Manistee National Forest for the occasion and some attempts at halfway decent star photos for a complete n00b.
It’s one thing to coincidentally get a good photo, but another to plan a photoshoot based on mother nature; this was my first time doing so, and here is my experience with that camping trip!
The outhouse, gorgeously illuminated 
View from the kayak 
Water like glass 
One, of many, caterpillar friends 
Kayak ready to go 
Rainbow after two hours or rain 
Our campsite 
The shelter seriously came through this trip! 
Watching the storm roll in :3
As far as planning goes, clear nights with no moonlight are ideal for star photos, so we kept a close eye on cloud cover and potential for rain through the night itself. As far as light pollution goes, we were in the middle of a national forest, so we were set there, and it was the night of a new moon as far as moon phases go, so even better! There was a chance of rain before sunset, but all weather apps I checked said it would clear up before 10:00 PM, so that wasn’t a deterrent at all.
During this particular trip, we were rained on by caterpillars for most of the day, thus dealing with them crawling all over us and our stuff. For those who don’t know, this happens during the spring when caterpillars hatch simultaneously and drop from the trees in search of food! We were also ACTUALLY rained on for about two hours and rainbows appropriately came out as the storm cleared and the sun set. My partner and I are both morning people for the most part, so we made an event out of making coffee as the night truly set in.
After getting the tri-pod set up, I started tweaking settings just based on what I had seen from YouTube and Google, and started snapping away!
Here are some of the shots I left with!
I can’t wait to go back out more prepared with my own tripod (and possibly a star tracker…?), and also now knowing a bit more about post-processing potential; this was such an amazing learning experience!
A Guiding Light 
Was stoked to see the star reflections in the lake!
This was the first photo I loved, and I was stoked to see the different colored star lights…! 
We Are All Made of Star Stuff
Unedited 
Very obviously edited
I honestly don’t know if ever will edit more from this trip… I kind of like them the way they are and the idea of chasing the perfect single shot with settings (what is film? lol). Next time is a whole other story, and I can’t wait to share more star photos in the future! It’ll be fun to document how photos get better over time through this blog!
Why did I choose to actually write about this?
This was actually an incredibly fun experience for both myself and my partner! He isn’t into photography personally, but loves camping, off-roading, and being outdoors while I love being creative whenever possible and bring my love for the outdoors to that. We had a great time staying awake and watching the night set! He even took a chance to try his hand at a few photos! It was an incredible time for bonding. ❤ Maybe some other photogs with significant others who aren’t normally into it can have fun through an activity like this together!
Things I learned for next time:
- Multiple exposures are definitely a thing for post-processing! This time I did single shots for everything and crossed my fingers that the settings were right and I didn’t hit the tripod by accident. Next time I will probably try at least 10 exposures for layering and working with noise in using higher ISO.
- These photos are impossible without a tripod! I borrowed one from a friend for this occasion, and will definitely be investing in one ASAP (thanks Will!). This is the one I plan on getting for myself soon https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/used/1175941?gclid=CjwKCAjwjdOIBhA_EiwAHz8xm31vzFJH-tYXxfpTDvqyUsm2i6fgvgvMQdooHSsAQInDbOyu2ptc2RoCMFIQAvD_BwE
- Make sure you’re prepared for changing weather. I brought a rain cover for my camera just in case! We were prepared with an extra shelter as well as our tent and vehicle for cover as well.
- Get a shutter release cord if you don’t already have one! I used live mode to take the photo with the touch screen to release the shutter, and can TOTALLY see why one of these would be necessary! This is the one I will be getting for my camera https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/580879-REG/Nikon_25395_MC_DC2_Remote_Release_Cord.html
- Be patient, good things come with time! I definitely used this as a learning experience and bonding time above all else!
Appetite From Hell 
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