How to Capture Starburst Photography

Wednesday, June 8, 2016

See the difference?

I've been taking my own photos for quite some time now, but it's only recently that I decided to learn how to make those bursting light shapes that you see on Instagram and Flickr. Gorgeous, aren't they? I had one or two happen by accident, but I wanted to know how to capture starbursts on my terms. I googled a ton of information and got so overwhelmed trying to figure out starburst photography that I decided I should make a simple 1-2-3 post whenever I finally learned the craft.

After many experiments and a few photo shoots, and it just so happens that starburst photography is actually pretty easy! Here are a few secrets to capture magical starbursts each time.

First, you need full sun. Partially cloudy days will not help. You need bright sun to be directly behind you for this kind of project. Stand with your subject partially blocking the light from one side to let the burst shine through them.

Second, you need the golden hour. I found it easiest to shoot starbursts about 30 minutes before sunset. Much earlier than that and your pictures will turn out kind of harsh and the bursts won't be as noticeable.

Third, you need a narrow depth of field. I really like aperture 2.8 and below for lots of beautiful bokeh, and that is why I had never captured starbursts with the exception of a few accidents when I first got my Nikon. You need to set that aperture to around f11 to f16! All of these starbursts were created with f13, on a tripod, in Aperture Priority mode. If your AP mode is making your shutter too long, switch to Manual for a shorter shutter speed (to avoid blurriness like above) and edit later.

Shooting starbursts is really fun, though I admit I was frustrated at first because I was trying to rush. That's the trouble with using a tripod to take all your own photos - you are always in a hurry lest you lose the sun.

Here are a few detail shots of the rest of my outfit, non starburst, but I'm still a fan.