MIDSUMMER NIGHTS

A PORTFOLIO EDITED BY JEFF KIDA AND KEITH WHITNEY PRECEDING PANEL: Tall saguaros anchor a nighttime view of the Milky Way galaxy near San Manuel, northeast of Tucson. At night, saguaros serve as roosts for woodpeckers and other birds, and bats pollinate the cactuses' flowers. SEAN PARKER SONY ALPHA 7 III, 10 SEC, F/2.8, ISO 12800, 17-28 MM LENS

NIKON D800E, 20 SEC, F/2.8, ISO 5000, 21 MM LENS

NIKON D810, 30 SEC, F/2.8, ISO 5000, 14 MM LENS

Photographing Night Skies

As you'll see in this portfolio, there are several ways to photograph stars, planets and the Milky Way. Some of the images are a single exposure, others are a stitched panorama of multiple exposures, and still others are the result of using stacking software to compensate for noise and grain. Whatever your technique, night sky photography experts recommend you take into account the limitations of your equipment. For example, the shorter the focal length, the longer and brighter the shot, and using a faster lens and a lower ISO will result in less noise. Do your scouting in the daytime so you can pay attention to foregrounds and overall composition, and because the Milky Way and other features of the night sky are seasonal, software such as PhotoPills can be helpful in timing your shoot. Post-processing is crucial, too, and you should plan on spending a lot of time shooting and editing - in other words, pick a night when you don't have any obligations the next day. With practice, you can create your own stunning nighttime images.Rick Burress and Mike Sanchez, photographers

The Mittens and Merrick Butte reach for the stars at Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park, which straddles Arizona's state line with Utah. According to Navajo mythology, the mischievous Coyote created the Milky Way by impatiently tossing stars into the sky. SEAN PARKER

LEFT: Starlight illuminates the strangely textured rocks of White Pocket, a remote destination on the Arizona Strip. The orange glow on the horizon is light pollution from cities far to the south.

MIKE SANCHEZ SKY: NIKON D750, 13 SEC, F/3.5, ISO 25600, 14 MM LENS, 15 EXPOSURES STACKED: LANDSCAPE: NIKON D750, 30 SEC, F/8, ISO 100, 14 MM LENS, SINGLE EXPOSURE

MIKE SANCHEZ

SKY AND WATER: NIKON D750, 10 SEC, F/3.5, ISO 10000, 15 MM LENS, 15 EXPOSURES STACKED: MOUNTAIN AND BOULDERS: NIKON D750, 30 SEC, F/11, ISO 100, 15 MM LENS, SINGLE EXPOSURE

A lone saguaro guards the shore of Canyon Lake, northeast of the Phoenix area, as the Milky Way arches overhead. The glow behind the saguaro is from the lake's developed area, which includes boat launches, a marina and a steamboat that offers sightseeing cruises.

Hoodoos punctuate a serene nighttime view in Blue Canyon, on Hopi Tribe land in Northeastern Arizona. Visiting this isolated canyon, which is known for otherworldly formations and colorful rock layers, requires a Hopi guide.