Focus Stack. Light Painted Foregroud. Sony A7R IV + 16-35mm GM. 30 sec @ f/2.8, 16mm, ISO 6400 đź“ŤChisos Mountains
Big Bend National Park in West Texas nestles in the “Big Bend” of the Rio Grande river, marking the boundary between Mexico and Texas. As the largest protected area of Chihuahuan Desert topography and ecology in the United States, it is also one of the largest, most remote and least-visited national parks in the lower 48 states. Its great distance from major urban centers renders the skies over Big Bend among the darkest in North America, making it a prime destination for stargazing and astro-landscape photography.
My expectations were sky-high, and the park delivered in spades. Capturing impressive astro-landscape shots at night comes with its unique set of challenges. Let’s dive in as I walk you through the process of capturing the images of your dreams.
Single Shot. Backlit by Moonlight. Sony A7R IV + 16-35mm GM. 30 sec @ f/2.8, 16mm, ISO 6400 đź“ŤRio Grande Valley
Essential Gear
Wide Angle Lens
I recommend a 16mm f2.8 lens at a minimum. The Sony 16-35mm GM is a fantastic choice.
Sturdy Tripod
Night photography requires long shutter speeds, so a sturdy tripod is essential. Make sure it’s tall enough to position the camera at eye level—your back will thank you later. I love Benro tripods.
Remote Triggers & Intervalometers
These tools are invaluable, allowing you to release the shutter without touching the camera. If you’d rather not invest in additional gear, many cameras have a 2-second delay setting and built-in intervalometers.
Headlamps & Lume Cubes
Don’t forget your headlamp! The red light setting will help maintain your night vision and prevent you from stumbling around in the dark. I recommend Black Diamond.
Light painting is one of the most fun aspects of astro-landscape photography. Products like Lume Cubes provide just the right amount of illumination.
Alternatively, using your headlamp to paint the light can be a fun way to involve friends and family. For this shot, I experimented solo as my wife was fast asleep in the tent—Lume Cubes won the night.
Four Shot Vertical Panorama. Manually Stitched and Cropped in Photoshop. Sony A7R IV + 16-35mm GM. 30 sec @ f/2.8, 16mm, ISO 6400 đź“ŤChisos Mountains
Essential Considerations
Moonlight
The moon, while beautiful, can be a bit of a party pooper for astro-photography. Plan your shoot during a new moon or after moonset and before moonrise. Apps like PhotoPills and your weather app can help set you up for success.
Milky Way Galaxy
Knowing the position of the Milky Way is crucial. There are “Milky Way seasons” that vary between the northern and southern hemispheres. Many apps can provide this information in advance. Sometimes, winging it in the field works too.
Foreground Subjects
In the desert, there are plenty of cacti, succulents and other plants that make wonderful foreground subjects.
Shutter Speed, Aperture, and ISO
Keep the shutter open for 15 to 30 seconds or longer. Start with an aperture wide open at f2.8 or more, and ISO at 6400. Yes, 6400. High ISO can produce a lot of noise, but modern techniques and post-processing software can easily handle this.Â
Focus Stacking
For grand astro-landscapes, take multiple exposures with different focus points and blend them in post-processing to produce a fully sharp, in-focus image.
Single Shot. Light Painted Foreground. Sony A7R IV + 16-35mm GM. 30 sec @ f/2.8, 24mm, ISO 6400 đź“ŤRio Grande Valley
Workflow
Now that we’ve discussed the essential tools and considerations, let’s go through the workflow:
Timing
First and foremost, get out when moonlight is minimal to none. For this image, I used PhotoPills to determine this was between 1am and 5am.
Scout Your Surroundings & Locate the Milky Way
In an International Dark Sky Park like Big Bend, locating the Milky Way isn’t too hard.
Find an interesting subject that aligns nicely with the Milky Way, like a prickly pear cactus with minimal foreground distractions. In this image, the Chisos mountain range mid-frame below the Milky Way adds extra charm.
Pro-tip: advance scouting during daylight hours really helps with this process. Learn how to become a scouting pro at the end of the blog.
Illuminate the Foreground & Capture the Foreground Image
Illuminate the foreground of your subject using your headlamp and gain focus on it using autofocus.
Next, set up the Lume Cube or have your light painter ready. For this shot, I utilized a single Lume Cube on the lowest illumination setting.
Release the shutter to capture the forground image. Check exposure for balance between the foreground and sky, adjusting as needed.
Focus on the Stars & Capture the Sky Image
It’s time for the “star of the show”, capturing your sky image.
Switch to manual focus and adjust until stars are tiny points using the LCD screen. Just short of infinity is the sweet spot for most lenses.
Release the shutter and capture your sky image. Now you have two images with similar lighting and different focus points.
Post-Processing
Your digital dark room is where the real magic of creation happens. Creating the final image involves combining your focus-stacked images in the software of your choice and developing them to acheive your creative vision.
My tool of choice is Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic. More on this in an upcoming post.
Single Shot. Sony A7R IV + 16-35mm GM. 60 sec @ f/2.8, 16mm, ISO 12800đź“ŤChisos Mountains
Conclusion
After about two hours of working and capturing these images in the dark, I was able to combine the technical aspects with the natural beauty of Big Bend National Park to create stunning astro-landscape photographs. 

The effort involved—from timing the moon’s absence, locating the Milky Way, scouting the perfect foreground, to patiently adjusting the camera settings—was well worth it. Offering some of the darkest skies in North America and a serene escape into the vastness of the universe, Astro photography in Big Bend is an experience like no other.
By following these steps and considerations, you’ll be well on your way to capturing your own breathtaking images. Happy shooting, and may your nights be filled with stars!
Want to learn how to scout like a pro, perfect your composition and make every image tell a unique story? Get your “5 Essentials Every Landscape Photographer Needs” guide here: