Chichester photo retailer shares expert tips for the perfect winter night sky photo
An independent photo retailer in Chichester is sharing expert tips to help photographers of all levels take stunning shots of the winter skies.
Whether using a mobile phone or a camera, their advice aims to help locals make the most of the season’s spectacular displays, including festive fireworks.
Mark Smith, owner of Whitby’s in Chichester, explained, “Winter brings endless opportunities to capture the magnificent night sky, but without the right techniques, stargazers may miss out on the perfect cosmic snap.
"Make sure you consider the different factors which can affect the quality of any firework themed photos or starry night videos. You’ll want to make sure your pictures are just as out of this world as the sky you are snapping!”
One of the main challenges of winter photography is low lighting. Mark added, “Although the night sky can be full of stars, it can also be a challenge to capture these on camera.
Photography with limited light can be tricky, and while some digital cameras like the Fujifilm X-S20 are designed for these conditions, even the smartest phones struggle to light up the sky when the stars don’t."
He advised, “To truly see the sky at its best, you need to escape the city glare. The bright city lights produce ambient light, which impacts what the eye can see at night.
"Take yourself away from the hustle and bustle of urban life and head to somewhere with minimal artificial lighting to see the true sky.”
When it comes to capturing fireworks or distant stars, Mark recommends avoiding the use of zoom.
"When taking a picture of small or faraway objects with a smartphone, it’s natural to want to make the picture larger or more detailed. But when capturing stars or fireworks, avoiding zoom will benefit the pictures.
"Zooming in can cause faraway objects to become pixelated, resulting in a grainy image that looks disappointing when enlarged or printed.”
He also emphasised the importance of stability.
“Low light conditions are much easier to manage when the camera is held steady. Using a tripod ensures you have a stable surface which reduces shake and avoids UFOs in your photos. With a steady set-up, you might find yourself capturing a real-life UFO – you never know when photographing the unknown up above!"
Finally, Mark highlighted the importance of printing your best shots. “Once you’ve got the perfect photo, don’t hide it away in your phone storage only to be forgotten.
As a PHOTO by Fujifilm retailer, we offer the latest in photo printing technology that can bring your winter night scenes to life."
He added, “Whether you want to hang your starry photo with pride or use a firework-lit sky to customise a gift, our in-store printing services make it easy to create a personalised canvas or a festive present for the upcoming season of giving using one of our printing kiosks – because a photo can never be brought to life on a mobile phone screen!”
Whitby’s offers a wide range of photo printing services both in-store and online, supporting the local community with the latest Fujifilm technology. For more information, contact Mark at [email protected].