How to Photograph Shooting Stars

Take on the Challenge and Photograph Shooting Stars

Several times a year, the night sky is lit up by shooting stars—also known as meteors. Of course, you’ll want to capture this spectacle! In this blog, we explain how to photograph this phenomenon and what equipment you’ll need.

But what exactly are shooting stars? They are pieces of space debris entering our atmosphere. This debris is called a meteoroid. When it creates a visible trail of light, it becomes a meteor. A shooting star is therefore simply a meteor. Meteors enter our atmosphere every day, and sometimes an entire swarm passes by! The best-known meteor shower is the Perseids. Every year in August, the Perseid meteor shower passes Earth, and under ideal conditions, you can see up to 85 meteors per hour. Another well-known meteor shower is the Orionids, which appears every autumn. Under the right conditions, up to 33 shooting stars per hour can be seen!

When Can You Photograph These Meteor Showers?

• Perseids: The Perseid meteor shower is visible for several days each August. In 2025, the shooting stars are best seen on the night of Tuesday, August 12, when looking toward the northeast. You can also spot the Perseids a few nights before and after, though fewer meteors per hour will be visible.
• Orionids: The Orionid meteor shower is visible each October. In 2025, the shooting stars will be best seen on the night of Tuesday, October 21.

Equipment

What do you need? You can capture a meteor shower with most cameras, but if you want truly impressive results, choose a mirrorless or DSLR camera. These allow you to work with long shutter speeds and high ISO settings. Combine this with a fast wide-angle lens to capture as much of the sky as possible, or use a telephoto lens to isolate a single star—both can produce stunning results!

Minimum gear checklist:

• A mirrorless or DSLR camera (with full manual control)
• A fast wide-angle lens (or a telephoto lens)
• A sturdy tripod
• A remote shutter release (preferably wireless)
• A flashlight
• An extra camera battery

Camera Settings

Besides the right equipment, there are several factors that can take your photo to the next level. Start by choosing the right location. In Europe, light pollution is common, so find a quiet, dark spot where the stars stand out clearly. Set up your equipment on location and make sure you’ve already familiarized yourself with the settings.

To capture meteors, you typically use a long shutter speed, wide aperture, and high ISO—allowing more light to reach your sensor and making the stars pop in your image.

Not sure where to start? Try the following starter settings in Manual Mode (M):

• Aperture: As wide as possible, ideally f/2.8
• Shutter Speed: 10–30 seconds (anything longer will create star trails)
• ISO: 1600–2600 to begin with
• Focusing: Manual focus, set to infinity for sharp stars
• White Balance: 3400–4000K for natural-looking colors

Using a Telephoto Lens?
If you're shooting with a telephoto lens, watch out for long shutter speeds. The chance of motion blur increases significantly when the camera isn’t perfectly stable. Take some test shots beforehand to make sure you don’t have too much noise or blur.

Composition

You can also think about the composition and creativity in your photo. Do you want the star trails to be visible, or are you aiming for a more subtle image? Do you want to include foreground objects, or focus solely on the meteor itself? There are plenty of options, so be creative and experiment as much as possible. If you’re smart, you’ll think about this ahead of time — that way, you can quickly adjust your settings once you're on location.

Good preparation is half the work. Don’t forget extra batteries and check your storage so you won’t miss anything. Find out in advance what will happen and when it will occur. This saves a lot of stress during the shoot. And most importantly: don’t forget to enjoy the moment, because even with the naked eye this is an incredibly special phenomenon.

As a final tip: your eyes need at least 15 minutes to adjust to the darkness, so avoid looking at a bright smartphone screen. It’s also important to take regular breaks, as your eyes can tire quickly from staring at the sky.

Astrophotography

Curious how to best photograph the Milky Way or want more information about astrophotography? Read our astrophotography tips or check out all the must-have gear.

Have you read enough and want to see something instead? Be sure to watch this video featuring Albert Dros.