In search of a stellar snap? Strabane photo retailer shares expert tips to capture the perfect winter night sky photo

NOW that the clocks have gone back and early winter evenings have set in, the nights can feel long and dark - however, it offers the perfect opportunity to capture photography of the night sky and its endless magic.

To help Strabane photographers take the perfect shot of the winter skies, a local independent photo retailer is offering their top tips and expert advice on capturing shots using a mobile phone or camera - and how to make the most of those celebratory fireworks photos.

Steven Connolly, owner of Dash Inc ltd at 9/9a Lifford Road in Strabane, said: “Winter brings endless opportunities to capture the magnificent night sky, but without the right techniques, stargazers may miss out on the perfect cosmic snap.

“Make sure you consider the different factors which can affect the quality of any firework themed photos or starry night videos.

"You’ll want to make sure your pictures are just as out of this world as the sky you are snapping!

Battling low lighting

“Although the night sky can be full of stars, it can also be a challenge to capture these on camera.

"Photography with limited light can be tricky, and while some digital cameras like the Fujifilm X-S20 are designed for these conditions, even the smartest phones struggle to light up the sky when the stars don’t.

“To truly see the sky at its best, you need to escape the city glare.

"The bright city lights produce ambient light, which impacts what the eye can see at night.

"Take yourself away from the hustle and bustle of urban life and head to somewhere with minimal artificial lighting to see the true sky.”

Say no to zoom

“When taking a picture of small or faraway objects with a smartphone, it’s natural to want to make the picture larger or more detailed.

“But when capturing stars or fireworks, avoiding zoom will benefit the pictures.

"Zooming in can cause faraway objects to become pixelated, resulting in a grainy image that looks disappointing when enlarged or printed.

“The same rule applies to capturing stars or fireworks – your zoom setting needs to be avoided as stars can become heavily pixelated when zoom is used.

"Once you view the picture on a screen larger than your phone, the images can appear grainy, which won’t work well for prints.”

Ready, steady, go!

“Low light conditions are much easier to manage when the camera is held steady.

"Using a tripod ensures you have a stable surface which reduces shake and avoids UFOs (Unidentified Fuzzy Objects) in your photos.

"With a steady set-up, you might find yourself capturing a real-life UFO – you never know when photographing the unknown up above!”

Print your photos

“Once you’ve got the perfect photo, don’t hide it away in your phone storage only to be forgotten.

"As a PHOTO by Fujifilm retailer, we offer the latest in photo printing technology that can bring your winter night scenes to life.

“Whether you want to hang your starry photo with pride or use a firework-lit sky to customise a gift, our in-store printing services make it easy to create a personalised canvas or a festive present for the upcoming season of giving using one of our printing kiosks – because a photo can never be brought to life on a mobile phone screen!”

For more information about Dash Inc ltd, email:

steven@dashinc.co.uk.