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Alright so I thought that I knew what I was doing but...
Our Beautiful Universe: Taken By Jack Quinn
So I realized that this was going to be a lot harder than pointing and shooting. I did some research, and there are many, many factors that contribute to a great astrophotograph. Here's what I found.
Heavenly Bodies
It's always good to know what your taking a picture of. These stars are hot (literally), and they deserve credit for their looks. I familiarized myself with the constellations using this link I used in 8th grade science. It is a very detailed, accurate, and user-friendly planetarium on your computer.
Light Pollution
One of, if not the hardest thing about astrophotography is finding and area unaffected by light pollution. You can have the best lenses, best camera, and be the best photographer ever, but it all doesn't matter if the sky isn't dark. Because we live in a pretty urban area, this will be a major struggle for me. However, through research I have found numerous places that a dark enough and fairly easy to drive to.
Here's a list of some good spots:
Here's a link to a light pollution map:
Other Factors
A lot of other factors contribute to the perfect shot. Cloud cover and humidity both make the pictures fuzzy and hazy, even with an advanced camera. You have to pick the right night for a session, and seize all opportunities given to you.
A Sky Chart: http://www.cleardarksky.com/c/FrnchCrkPAkey.html
Mastering the Camera
To take the perfect shot, one must think like the camera. My family just bought the professional quality Canon 6D, so unfortunately and with great difficulty I'll have to be pretty smart to think like the camera. This machine is no joke, and I feel unworthy in its presence. This baby is rocking a full-frame sensor, making it's light sensitivity (as well as the price) absolutely insane. It was not cheap, and I think it was my birthday and Christmas present for the next 4 years. We also purchased a wide angle, large aperture lens to add to that sweet light sensitivity. The camera has a lot of advanced features which I know nothing about. A few hours of intense reading later, I was still hopelessly lost. Thankfully, there is this thing called YouTube where a bunch of really great guys upload really great videos for you to enjoy.
Mastering Low-Light Photography: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32jtJLCmd8M
Astrophotography: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_kC1nKlIPU0
I think that you're project has a lot of potential. I respect the fact that you are willing to travel 30 minutes at nighttime just to take pictures somewhere, that to for a project in school. I can't wait to see how your skills improve and what you will be able to produce by the end of the project.
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