Is the full moon shining in all its glory in the sky again or do you want to photograph shooting stars and the stars? Below are the tips for mobile phone photos of the night sky.
Most photos are now taken with a cell phone – hold it, release it, done! The best camera smartphones now show an impressive performance. The automatic system usually takes over: if it recognizes a sunset, for example, it selects the appropriate settings. The Samsung S23 Ultra even produces moon photos at 100x magnification – controversial but impressive . Here you will find tips on how to take the best photos of the sky with your cell phone camera.
Samsung S series: This is how moon photos look good
Samsung’s S models from the S20 upwards are ideal for moon photos, especially the Ultra devices from the S22 Ultra upwards. But normal S cell phones like the Galaxy S22 also benefit from automatic optimization: brightness and autofocus are adjusted, several photos are merged (multi-frame processing), and finally artificial intelligence comes into play. How to get started with star photography: Start the camera app and select the maximum zoom (100 for Ultra models). Use the overview that appears to get the moon in the viewfinder. Very important: Hold the cell phone steady. After triggering, wait a few more seconds. If you have a current Samsung Galaxy (S21 Ultra or higher), it is also worth taking a look at the app
Expert RAW (see tip below).
Google Pixel: photos in astrophotography mode
Many smartphones (Pixel, Samsung, Realme) have a special mode for star photography. Long exposure allows more stars to appear in the photo. This works especially far from urban light sources and with a tripod. The astrophotography mode on Pixel phones like the
Pixel 7 Pro is particularly successful: select night vision mode in the camera app and focus on the night sky. When the exposure changes from moon to stars, press the shutter button. Tip: If you wait another three minutes, the pixel will create a time-lapse video in addition to the photo.
Apple, Samsung, Pixel, Xiaomi & Co: time-lapse videos
Time-lapse videos made at night are also fascinating. They record, for example, lightning and shooting stars (around May 6/7 and August 12/13, 2023), with long exposures also star “migrations”. With Apple, the time-lapse can be found directly in the camera app, with Samsung and Xiaomi under the More entry (Samsung Hyperlapse) and with Pixel under Video.
- The best results are obtained with a tripod. Choose a lens with the widest possible angle, i.e. the main camera. The S23 also works with the ultra-wide-angle camera.
- Cell phones sometimes activate night mode themselves, and sometimes you can select it manually. One minute of real time results in one second of time lapse.
iPhone: Just turn off night mode
Since the iPhone 11, Apple has offered a night mode in its camera app, which often delivers very convincing results. But it doesn’t always produce the best photo. Night-time moods often look too bright with it (picture on the right with night mode, picture on the left without). But luckily, night mode can be turned off by tapping the yellow moon icon next to the flash icon in the camera. Alternatively, you can fine-tune the duration of the exposure.
Samsung S series: Expert RAW with Astro mode
For S21 Ultra owners, or any S22 or S23 model, Samsung offers a photo treat: the Expert Raw app (hidden in the Camera app under More). In addition to RAW format and manual settings, it also offers Astro mode. If you tap on the sketched zodiac sign in the top right and on Show, the app displays star maps for orientation (“sky guide”). After that, long exposures can be created as in tip 2. Attention: The exposures take a long time, often seven minutes. It doesn’t work without a tripod or a fixed shelf.
