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He might have been shooting the stars since he was seven years old, but Josh Dury is adamant that astrophotography is for everyone – you really don’t need to be an astronomer.
In fact, the advances made in camera technology over the past decade mean that capturing high-resolution images with low noise – the holy grail for astrophotographers – has never been so straightforward.
All you need, says Dury, is a camera that can handle digital noise well, a wide-angle lens that will let in plenty of light via a large aperture and a solid platform to shoot from.
So read on to explore the essentials that this astro pro takes on every voyage…
Inside astrophotographer Josh Dury’s camera bag
1: Sony Alpha 7S II
“For me, the camera that’s best suited to landscape astrophotography due to its low-light capabilities.”
2: Sigma 14mm F1.8 DG HSM Art
“A wide-angle lens that gathers plenty of light, which is essential for shooting at a good signal-to-noise ratio.”
3: Canon EOS 5D Mark III
“This is a versatile camera and is very good for landscape astrophotography. It usually acts as my second camera body when required.”
4: Canon EF 35mm f/2 IS USM
“A great lens for shooting panoramas – I used it for the night shot of Durdle Door that’s on my website.”
4: Sigma 150-600mm F5-6.3 DG OS HSM | C
“The ‘moon bazooka’ is very good for capturing distance shots of the moon, and can be doubled with an extender.”
F-Stop Tilopa V3
“This camera backpack has sturdy tripod straps on the side and is padded on the inside with good dividers that protect my kit really well.”
5: Slik Video Grande II tripod
“Aluminum-based and durable, which I use low to the ground to minimize any environmental effects.”
6: RGBS LCD Shutter Release
“This camera remote has an LED is very handy for inputting information – capture duration, interval, image count – in the dark.”
7: LE Pro head torch
“With two settings – a normal torch light and a red light function – this is essential for night shoots.”
Josh Dury’s go-to apps for astro
BBC Weather and Met Office
(App Store & Google Play)
“Use these to average weather forecasts – the more forecasts you can use, the better.”
The Moon
(App Store & Google Play)
“Essential for planning around moon phases.”
PhotoPills
(App Store & Google Play)
“Very good for planning Milky Way shoots.”
Aurora
(App Store & Google Play)
“The sun is getting stronger: use this to see how strong the aurora is.”
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