Night Photography with Olympus & OM System
Interested in the night sky and want to capture it with your Olympus-OM System Camera? This new guide covers everything you need to know for capturing the Aurora, Milky Way, Star Trails and the Moon. Two years in the making to capture all the images I wanted, it is packed with useful tips, tricks, and camera settings for nearly all cameras, how to plan your images for Super Moons and Milky Way, how to predict the aurora and get alerts, even tips for what gear you need.
It has been a passion project spending countless hours out at night, gathering the images and taking four months to write to pass on to you all the information you need to create successful images of the incredible night sky. I include lots of tips, and in each of the example images I include my thought process and the technique used for each one.
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This Guide concentrates on capturing the night sky using stock unmodified Olympus and OM System cameras. Most of the images are captured using an OM1, OM1-II, OM3 and EM1-III. Although an astro modified camera such as the OM3 Astro will capture more of the red light (Ha) you do not have to use a modified camera. Included in the Guide is a chapter where I discuss the OM3 Astro, the benefits it gives, and also the drawbacks of it, and suggestions for how to improve the settings it ships with. If you are interested in the night sky with an unmodified camera, this Guide is for you.
Comprehensive 140 Page Guide
The Guide is a comprehensive ‘manual’ but it goes much further than just a manual as with all of my publications. With 140 pages it can be saved to any electronic device including computers, tablets and mobiles.
Settings are discussed in depth, including exposure times, how to calculate maximum exposures, how to focus, how to make your camera easier to use and what functions you really need. Custom Modes are suggested for all of the cameras below:
EM5-II / EM5-III
OM5 / OM5-II
EM1-X
EM1-II / EM1-III
OM3 / OM3-Astro
OM1 / OM1-II
The EM10’s are excluded from Custom Modes because of a lack of features up to the MkIV, which excluded Mysets, however it does not mean they cannot be used for night photography. Much of the content can still be used.
This Guide is for you if you want to learn about:
- How to shoot aurora images
- How to shoot Star Trails
- Understanding camera settings and techniques
- How to plan shots effectively
- How to shoot Milky Way images
- How to shoot incredible moon images
- How to set Custom Modes
- Best apps to use and how to use them
Guide Contents
Each chapter goes into quite some detail. Along with discussing the main features and settings useful for night photography we then explore what customisations can be applied to particular Olympus / OM System bodies to make them easier to use at night. We then explore chapter by chapter how to shoot the aurora, Milky Way, Star Trails and the moon, along with guidance and tips for planning each one.
As a bonus there is also a chapter with details on how to actually remove stars from your image to allow you to process the background and then put them back again. Lastly, the Gear chapter explores the gear I use along with accessories I find really useful such has how to stop your lenses fogging up at night.
Below is an overview of topics contained in each Section.
Exploring Best Settings & Features
- Suggested Custom Modes
- Most Cameras Included
- How to Shoot Aurora
- Setting and Techniques
- Planning, Getting Alerts and Notifications
Camera Settings, Tips & Technique
- Identifying Dark Sky Locations
- Planning Dates, Times and Positions
- How to Shoot Star Trails
- Planning Your Shot
- Settings and Technique
Tips & Technique for Moon Images
Creative Moon Images
- Planning Super Moon Images
- How to Plan in Advance
Information and Apps to Help Plan
- Visualise you Field of View
OM3 Astro
I discuss the OM3 Astro. Although this guide is for unmodified stock cameras I give my thoughts on the new release, the benefits it could add and also what the shortcomings are, including how the settings could be improved if you are thinking of purchasing this camera.
Camera Settings
Set up your camera specifically for night photography. In this chapter we explore the best settings to apply, what features can be set to buttons for flexibility and how to make the process of shooting at night easier.
Star Trails
How hard are star trail images? In this chapter we explore all of the camera settings, how you can modify settings to make it easier and look at the technique step by step.
I give examples I have captured and go through each one to explain how they were captured, and the thought process behind each one.
Star Removal
Why would you want to remove stars from your image? Processing images can be difficult because everything affects the stars. Noise Reduction, revealing colour, all has an impact.
Discover how to remove the stars onto a new image overlay allowing you to work on the background, and then edit the stars, reduce bloated stars, reduce the number of stars, and sharpen them.
Planning
Throughout the Guide you will find lots of tips and advice on what applications to use to help planning. How to check moon phases, rising, setting and positions, checking tides, weather, planning Milky Way, where it rises, how high it will be, even how to check your field of view.
Moon
Shoot incredibly detailed images of the moon with tips and technique for using High Res, plus learn how I get creative with images of the moon.
Discover how to shoot Super Moon images, how to plan dates, locations, how big the moon will be and how to work out what focal length is needed.
Aurora
We explore settings and exposures for shooting the aurora in detail, including how settings change for different types of displays. What is the aurora, the solar cycle and what are the different colours?
We also discover the best Aurora App available, Glendale, how to use it, what the information means, how to get real time advanced alerts and also what other resources are available to help you plan in advance.
Gear
The Gear section contains tips and recommendation for the gear I use, lenses, tripods, trackers, and the accessories you may find useful. I only recommend items I have used and so give first hand experiences.
Other Guides Available
Shooting & Processing Square Minimalist Images
Creating Mystical Glowing Shrooms Images
Using LR but not PS? Find out why you should!
3 for 2 Bundle Offer of Processing Guides
What People Are Saying
“Best $$ on camera options that I have ever spent! After a year, I know a lot about my camera but still many times, I go back to your guide if I am doing something wrong. One of the best parts of your guide (and you had MANY!) was the pdfs that I could print out to customize my camera. It was a great way to organize my buttons and the guides really pointed out what you talk about how using the same button across all the Custom Modes when possible.Again thanks and whenever possible, I suggest your guide to those who have just purchased their camera or having trouble understanding the manual.”
“Very good content in the OM-3 guide, obviously written by a real user and expert, I saved so much time over trawling Youtube. Phil includes his own images to demonstrate features which are exemplary.”
“Oh My Gosh! Your guide is amazing. I wish I had known about it two years ago. I thought it was going to be just a guide for the OM1 but it is so much more than that, it is a comprehensive guide to photography using the camera.”
“5* for highly recommending this guide, worth every penny.”
“Very readable and the sections on lenses, accessories and workflow are useful.”
“I can highly recommend Phil’s guides, comprehensive and easy to use.”
“I can absolutely recommend the OM1 guide. Comprehensive, well structured and easy to use”
“Excellent Guide, it goes beyond the usual ‘push this press that’, with explanations and examples of how to use each of the in-camera features.”
“An outstanding resourse that is going to be very helpful indeed. Highly recommended for new users and experienced alike, thanks very much.”
“Very useful, not only comprehensive but backed up with stunning images to inspire. Thanks for all the hard work.”
“Really useful tips and insights. Really appreciate not only the camera tips but also the composition and depth of field which I struggle with.”
“So useful! Highly recommended. My camera is all set up and it’s made me really think how I can use it better. And love the processing tips too!”