How To Photograph Subjects Under The Milky Way
Considering that humans can only hold still 1-2 seconds, how do we create a decent portrait of a human subject under the Milky Way while using a slow shutter speed?
- Constant Light
- 1/30th (standing subject)
- 1” (sitting subject)
- Off-Camera Flash
- 1”-5” seconds (depending on ambient)
When using a constant light, you will be more restricted in terms of shutter speed and whether or not you can adequately freeze your subject; constant lights require faster shutter speeds for freezing the subject. With a flash, shutter speeds can be slower as the flash will only pop for a fraction of a second, effectively freezing the subject. If subjects are placed in front of a dark background, you can shoot for even longer.
In order to avoid the “ghosting” effect, create a plate shot (a photo in which you remove the movable subject from the scene) so that you can remove the ghosted artifacts during post-production.
