You can plan, plan and plan some more but sometimes your ideal night sky photo is just the luck of the draw. After all, you can't control what the night sky decides to display every evening. Oh, but don't fret; there are some helpful apps available to get you set with all the ideals you're looking for! Dark Sky Finder will help you choose the best location to scout out the Milky Way without that pesky ambient light pollution and Photopills is a super helpful app that

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While you're packing up your gear to head out on that well thought out star quest, don't forget a flashlight. This time though, your trusty iPhone won't do. Try to find a flashlight that has a red glow versus the traditional white, bright LED beam. The addition of a red light flashlight will help you retain your night vision much better than the alternative, allowing for less time needed for your vision to adjust between the two light sources. After all, when it comes to night photography,

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You may have the amazing night sky to fill your frame but that doesn't mean that you can get lazy and just simply point and shoot! As you're setting up your shot and exposure, also keep composition and framing in mind. Your photo will be far more dynamic if you include the context of the area around you like trees, the pitch of a roof, or mountain ranges. "I often think that the night is more alive and more richly colored than the day." - Vincent Van Gogh

So you've got your tripod all set up and you've got your manual focus nailed but why do all your test shots have streaks of light behind your stars? To leave those pesky star trails behind, follow the Rule of 600! By following the Rule of 600 you will be able to figure out how long you can expose the image before the stars start to move across the sky, creating those trails. To follow the rule, divide the number 600 for a full frame camera (or