Milky Way photography --- September 2026 in USA/Canada
AmbientMike Offline • • • • • • [X]
p.2 #1 · Milky Way photography --- September 2026 in USA/Canada
Ming-Tzu wrote:
First off, thanks for the great post!
I just took a gander and actually didn't realize there were different parts of the MW lol.
It seems like the Galactic Core is what you mentioned as the "coolest area?" If I am reading these Capture The Atlas calendars correctly, the Galactic Core can be seen higher in the sky the more south I travel. In a place like Banff, which is far north, it sounds like I might be able to see it....but might be blocked by landscapes and/or the horizon and/or rising sun/moon.
In contrast, it seems like there's also the Milky Way Band part, which seems that I can see in northern areas of the world. Based on a few pictures online, I think this one also looks pretty damn spectacular haha.
Right, the further north you go, the closer it is to the horizon. NYC is about 8° higher latitude than SD/Dallas/Atlanta, so galacticcore etc ~8° lower in the sky, about width of 4 fingers, arm extended (might not be too bad.) Calgary is close to 20° higher, you can probably see it there, but look up atmospheric extinction, it really goes against my grain to go that far north, if you're traveling, although yes, the Scutum star cloud and Great Rift are higher up and could almost certainly be seen there.
Mostly you don't want any moon, for visual viewing, especially if you're traveling to see this, and it's not hard to avoid. You might not believe it but stars move and exposes limited if you dont have a drive so 3.5 hours not completely necessary or difficult to get, really, not familiar with that site, but I'd probably just avoid the moon if I was attempting astro, like I do on visual.
Of course it depends on conditions, if it's cloudy you dont get anything lol. Hard to predict
p.2 #2 · Milky Way photography --- September 2026 in USA/Canada
You've already gotten better advice than I can provide on this topic. All I can add is that there are places within a few hours of NYC where you can go to practice. Below was taken on a beach on Cape Cod a couple of summers ago. Taken in July. It would be about a 4 hour ride from NYC.
p.2 #3 · Milky Way photography --- September 2026 in USA/Canada
I suggest Jasper as being better than Banff. There are more dark sky and the mountains are not as close up. Maligne Lake at night or the yellowheadd about 30km east. If you want north /south the icefields parkway is great.
Or if you want to stay close, I really like camping at Silverhorn - 360degree with a small lake in the middle. And little light except for this campground. And a short distance to Water Fowl lake.
Choose a day where the moon is not going to be in your way. And the sky is clear. Then you have to find an open sky.
3rd week/4th week are great in Banff for tree colours. You will have to choose based on time of night (south, east or north view) and weather forecast.
5dsr will be good. I usually shoot my old Zeiss lens because manual is easiest. I bring my Zeiss 25/2 and 15/2.8 but with a good sky, almost any lens will do as long as it permits about 5s at a reasonable iso. And Iq. Samyang 14 and Tamron 15-30 are good for coma. I think coma is the biggest concern. Lenstip is pretty good at measuring this.
Shooting the Milky Way is a lonely thing to do in grizzly country.
p.2 #7 · Milky Way photography --- September 2026 in USA/Canada
Ming-Tzu wrote:
I've never seen the Milky Way so was planning a trip for some hiking and MW viewing. Specifically, Glacier National Park in Montana and Banff in Canada.
Based on previous research, I know that the skies needs to be dark, away from light pollution and the light of the moon. It looks like the new moon will be on September 11, 2026. So I am thinking to be in one park a few days before this date, and then make my way to the other park a week or so later. It's only a four hour drive between both parks so should be doable.
However, I had a few preliminary questions for those more experienced than myself:
How "dark" does the sky need to be in relation to the moon phases (e.g. 3rd Quater ok? First quarter ok?, etc.)? Just trying to dermine my window for optimal MW viewing and photography.
It seems like the Fall Equinox is around September 22-23, 2026. Google AI says that it's a great time for MW viewing, but it looks like it's almost a full moon at that point. Do I ignore Google AI? lol
Any other considerations are helpful, especially with regards to gear! I was thinking 5DSR because of the high resolution but afraid it might not be great at high ISOs. So maybe the 5D4 or a crop camera like the Fuji XT2? As far as full-frame lenses, I have the Samyang 14mm f2.4 XP. For the Fuji, I have a variety the Samyang 12mm f2. But I have many other lenses I can bring along so suggestions are welcome.
I’m kind of stunned to hear that you have never seen the Milky Way!!!
All you need to see it is to be in a place where there isn’t a lot of ambient light (away from cities, buildings, and preferably with no moon).
You definitively do NOT want to photograph during a full moon, as the light of the moon will overpower the light from the Milky Way.
FWIW, before you travel great distances and spend a lot of money to get that perfect photograph in some exotic location, it would be a great idea to get your gear together and try it out on a very black night not far from where you live.
p.2 #8 · Milky Way photography --- September 2026 in USA/Canada
gdanmitchell wrote:
I’m kind of stunned to hear that you have never seen the Milky Way!!!
All you need to see it is to be in a place where there isn’t a lot of ambient light (away from cities, buildings, and preferably with no moon).
You definitively do NOT want to photograph during a full moon, as the light of the moon will overpower the light from the Milky Way.
FWIW, before you travel great distances and spend a lot of money to get that perfect photograph in some exotic location, it would be a great idea to get your gear together and try it out on a very black night not far from where you live....Show more →
Yeah, I grew up in NYC so seeing the Milky Way was sort of like this bucket list thing that I needed to plan for and go out of my way for. Similar to the Northern Lights. Well, I was in Norway a few years back and saw that frequently. Now, it's time to figure out the Milky Way.
And totally agree about wanting to practice before heading to Banff (possibly).
p.2 #9 · Milky Way photography --- September 2026 in USA/Canada
I have a home near Glacier and the comment about doing night photography in grizzly country being "unnerving" can be accurate. There are also good spots right along the road (like this one) so don't let that stop you.
For best seeing of the MW itself I agree with the comments about shooting on the darkest nights. As a landscape photograph that includes the MW, I generally prefer a rising or setting crescent moon to add light to the landscape. Yes, that does wash out the stars somewhat, but I think the overall image comes out better. Your mileage may vary.
For focal length, I like to carry both a 14mm and a 20-24mm lens. That way I can use the right focal length for the composition. All things being equal, my favorite is 24mm for the MW as it makes the core more prominent in the shot. Again, your mileage may vary,
Bird Woman Falls from the Goint-to-the-Sun Road in Glacier
p.2 #10 · Milky Way photography --- September 2026 in USA/Canada
kylebarendrick wrote:
I have a home near Glacier and the comment about doing night photography in grizzly country being "unnerving" can be accurate. There are also good spots right along the road (like this one) so don't let that stop you.
Yeah, my fear is that I would be so focused on camera settings and composition that I wouldn't hear the big bear coming up on me in the dark. And I'm not usually one to have this sort of "only happens in a blue moon" type of thoughts lol
p.2 #11 · Milky Way photography --- September 2026 in USA/Canada
Those images are visually impressive, and getting them requires some serious understanding and technical chops.
Personally, I have an issue though. I'm fine with the idea that photographs don't reflect reality, particularly when we do night photography. However, as a person who has spent a whole lot of time out there in the night world, the juxtaposition of an extremely bright Milky Way filled sky with sunrise light on the Sierra Crest is, well, you know... ;-)
As we know, in order to see the Milky Way clearly it must be quite dark. My experience has been in somewhat remote desert locations and in the backcountry of the High Sierra. Even then, the actual Milky Way, while quite visible, is not exactly bright, and the rest of the sky and the world around me is very, very dark.
So understand that if you aspire to photographs like these you are going to have to resort to a whole lot of specialized techniques — including photographing the sky (in darkness) and the landscape (in light) separately and then combining in post, etc.
p.2 #12 · Milky Way photography --- September 2026 in USA/Canada
Ming-Tzu wrote:
Yeah, my fear is that I would be so focused on camera settings and composition that I wouldn't hear the big bear coming up on me in the dark.
Most of the time, bears walk so silently that one doesn't hear them. Dry leaves can create an exception, but even then, a mouse generally makes much more noise than a bear.
Whenever someone tells me, "I think I heard a bear," my response is, "If you heard it, it's likely not a bear."
If a bear chuffs at you--signalling alarm--you'll hear that. But a chuffing bear is usually about to run away. I've had them do it a couple of times. One was a black bear sow with cubs doing a partial charge toward me behind my back, but she stopped about halfway, when I turned toward her, looked below her feet to avoid confrontational eye contact, and slowly backed away.
I've photographed the Milky Way in black bear and grizzly bear country. Agreed, it's a bit unnerving. But nearly all bears are scared of us--let them know you are there by making human noises, and they will almost always avoid you like the plague. I've also hiked a lot at night through grizzly country, and I sing at the top of my lungs to let the bears know I'm coming. One time I sang so well that I didn't see a bear for two years.
I respectfully disagree with kylebarendrick on the desirability of a crescent moon to light the landscape, though I admire his images. To my eye, light from a crescent moon casts shadows in the wrong directions, which is a dead giveaway that the light source isn't the stars. In a very dark, clear place (I try to shoot in Bortle one), the Milky Way will cast all the light you need to illuminate your foreground. The Milky Way creates shadows visible to the naked eye, and if there is any airglow, this will also add light. Such light will be coming from the luminous portions of your image, and will cast natural shadows appropriately. Of course to record this, you will need to do a second, longer, exposure for the foreground, and composite this with the sky image.
p.2 #13 · Milky Way photography --- September 2026 in USA/Canada
And that is all part of what I enjoy with night photography. There different ways to do things and it is fun to play with. I don't worry too much if the shadows look weird or if the light looks off when the photo was taken with natural light in a single image. Trying to find when things line up so I can take shots with a single image has been one of my goals of late. That said, if I have the opportunity and clear skies I'll go with whatever is there. Often this means longer exposures for the ground and blending or adding artificial light depending on what I feel like doing. For me the whole thing is addictive.
And I have spent several hours at night at the Hidden Lake Overlook in Glacier knowing there were grizzlies nearby. A group of mountain goats startled the heck out of me when they walked by. I also sing out loud to make sure all the wildlife know I'm there.
p.2 #14 · Milky Way photography --- September 2026 in USA/Canada
gdanmitchell wrote:
Personally, I have an issue though. I'm fine with the idea that photographs don't reflect reality, particularly when we do night photography. However, as a person who has spent a whole lot of time out there in the night world, the juxtaposition of an extremely bright Milky Way filled sky with sunrise light on the Sierra Crest is, well, you know... ;-)
In case it wasn't clear - that isn't sunrise light. That is moonrise light and the photo does in fact represent reality. Just a slightly confusing one :-)
Jan 07, 2026 at 02:32 PM
AmbientMike Offline • • • • • • [X]
p.2 #15 · Milky Way photography --- September 2026 in USA/Canada
Ming-Tzu wrote:
Yeah, my fear is that I would be so focused on camera settings and composition that I wouldn't hear the big bear coming up on me in the dark. And I'm not usually one to have this sort of "only happens in a blue moon" type of thoughts lol
It's not completely safe anywhere, going out in the middle of nowhere in the dark. You can't really keep your dark adaptation using a flashlight to see snakes, for instance, but I go anyway
Heres a light pollution map, you can see the problems in NYC. Yellow and green can be pretty good, blue better of course things tend to be better if no streetlights etc and conditions can make a big difference.
p.2 #16 · Milky Way photography --- September 2026 in USA/Canada
AmbientMike wrote:
It's not completely safe anywhere, going out in the middle of nowhere in the dark. You can't really keep your dark adaptation using a flashlight to see snakes, for instance, but I go anyway
Heres a light pollution map, you can see the problems in NYC. Yellow and green can be pretty good, blue better of course things tend to be better if no streetlights etc and conditions can make a big difference.
p.2 #17 · Milky Way photography --- September 2026 in USA/Canada
Chris S. wrote:
Whenever someone tells me, "I think I heard a bear," my response is, "If you heard it, it's likely not a bear."
While the first reaction to any noise on the part of some folks is “it must be a bear!,” I’ve most certainly been awakened by the sound of their approach in the backcountry. I could tell some stories… ;-)
About bears*, they generally are extremely unlikely to attack a person who is just… sitting there. It isn’t completely impossible, but it is extraordinarily rare.
*My experience is almost entirely with black bears, and things can be a bit different with brown bears.
p.2 #19 · Milky Way photography --- September 2026 in USA/Canada
Ming-Tzu wrote:
Thanks! Depending on cost, I may still go to Banff. My first option is now Iceland. The only drawback is that it's SUPER EXPENSIVE to rent a car.
It's not even going to get dark much of the summer, that far north. What are you even doing man lol
More concerned about meth heads than bears here, other issues on wildlife too, but is it any more dangerous than walking down the street in NYC lol
Montauk shows real promise on the map i posted a link to, Adirondacks too. If you could find good access to a spot having a good view and crime isn't too bad, etc. Iceland is so far north the summer milky way is going to be very low at best, you'd have to be there at exactly the right time to catch it above the horizon even, I'd guess
p.2 #20 · Milky Way photography --- September 2026 in USA/Canada
kylebarendrick wrote:
In case it wasn't clear - that isn't sunrise light. That is moonrise light and the photo does in fact represent reality. Just a slightly confusing one :-)
Moonrise, moonset, sunrise or sunset, the Milky Way does not look remotely like that when it is bright enough for the first (or last) sun to hit the peaks. :-)
That’s fine. Photographs don’t have to (and usually don’t) accurately capture “reality.” But let’s be honest about the difference between what we see in your impressive photographs and what the Milky Way actually looks like.
