Night Sky Photography: From First Principles to Professional Results

I first purchased and read this book in the Kindle format, but soon realized that I HAD to have the printed version. One reason is the marvelous astro color photos in the print version! I need a thesaurus of praise-worthy adjectives to adequately describe this book. First it is extremely well written in plain and understandable language with a minimum of jargon (for a topic as complex as astrophotography). Second, it is extremely well organized in a logical and intuitive manner. Third, it is full of helpful suggestions and insight for both the beginner and the experienced. Fourth, the charts, graphs, figures, and example photos are so well done and add another level of understanding to the text. I have done a lot of research on the web and visited countless sites with articles and instructions on different aspects of astrophotography and have found this book to be hands-down the best I've encountered. Kudos to Adam Woodworth for taking the time and care to write this book. For a beginner in night sky photography, I consider it to be essential reading. Approaching the holidays, I can assure you that it would make an excellent gift for anyone with an interest in astrophotography.

I have been following Adam’s work online and through his courses for about three years now and was eager to see what he had to offer in his book on astrolandscape photography. I am not disappointed. The book summarizes the essentials and more of capturing the night sky in the context of the environment. I will remind folks that it is one thing to read about it and something quite else to actually do it. There certainly is an art but the technical aspects are significant, not hard, but demanding. Once you get your arms around the technical aspects which Adam describes in his book you are well on your way to capturing your personal vision of the night sky. Astrolandscape photography is as much about the environment as it is the sky. I highly recommend complementing the materials in this book with the video instruction that can be found online. Many of the folks who are artists in this field are very generous in sharing how they do it, from capturing exposures under the night sky to processing the images. Adam’s latest course, which I purchased earlier, is available at his website and provides an excellent complement to this book, covering in detail the processing and development of images. Once this COVID-19 experience has passed I am hoping Adam will restart his in person training sessions.

The author writes with an easy optimism and distinct clarity that provided a wonderful boost to my confidence as a new night photographer. Chapters and sections are plainly laid out and arranged in a natural order, from general considerations through appropriate gear, on through shooting techniques and finally into photo processing and case studies. New concepts and terms are explained carefully, but there is no sense of condescension and no sacrifice of depth - this book covers a great deal of ground without rushing or getting ahead of the topic at hand. Example images and camera settings are provided throughout the book - excellent reference points and opportunities to compare one's own approaches and results with the author's techniques. My own equipment is not as advanced as the author's, but it never impeded my understanding or suggested a limitation on my own art. The principles in the book still apply, and differences in types of cameras, lenses, and other gear are described. The whole book was an enjoyable exploration, with a sense of having a kind and experienced teacher at hand. As I am new to effective post-processing, I particularly appreciated the tips on blending and noise towards the end of the book. Overall a great read, with references I'll return to as I practice. I am quite excited to take my DSLR out again soon and try some new things!

Wow! This one has it all under one cover—beautiful photograph examples, technical information accessible even to beginners, apps, lenses, settings, tools, information for planning, editing software, stacking/layering, making creative decisions, troubleshooting, lovely printed paper, alternating light/dark mode print pages, and flaps to hold your place. All without being pedantic or off-putting. I’m excited to learn, prepare, and practice ahead of my trip to dark skies. A nice blend of technical and creative.

I really like the content of this book. It contains lots of information for both the novice and more advanced. My complaint is the poor construction of the book. Within a month the binding started coming apart. The cover is almost off the book. I am not rough with my books. I read this while sitting in my recliner. It is either on my lap or the side table. Very disappointing, as this seems to be the way many books are constructed these days.

Yes, quality paper is getting expensive. Good info throughout but the small font is hard to read easily, even with a handheld magnifying magnifying glass.

The headline says it all. Really, this book provides the best and most information for those interested in getting into or advancing their astrophotography. Adam provides instruction and recommendations on cameras, lenses, tripods, star trackers, remote shutter releases, filters, camera and lens settings, lens warmers, techniques and apps to plan a night shoot and software for post-processing. I’ve been a photography nut since the 1970s but the last decade has seen incredible leaps in technology for the amateur and more advanced photographer. Literally everything you need to know is in this book. There is no reason why you can’t have fantastic photos after your first night out if you read this book. Highly recommended, obviously. Clear skies!

Adam has written a great book on astrophotography. Very informational. You can easily see that the author is an expert.

Book is amazingly good for any admirer of astrophotography.. There are examples for they aren't detailed enough to make you an advanced amateur.

Bought for my partner and she can’t put it down. Full of lovely pictures and well explained how they were taken. A very interesting and knowledgable read.

This product was bought as a present for my wife. It is a recommended product for anyone that is interested in taking Night Sky Photography, she definitely loves it. We are happy to recommend this book to other night sky observers.

This book covered everything I needed to know on how to shoot a beautiful Milky Way and answered all my questions along the way ! Fantastic explanations of all the different aspects to take into consideration with night time photography. Now all I need is a few clear nights.

This is a beautiful book. A lot of easy to understand information, beautiful pictures, good quality paper. I've been into photography and amateur astronomy for years but this book has a lot of useful information and techniques I didn't know. Definitely recommended.