Astrophotography stands as one of the most demanding yet captivating disciplines in photography, requiring a delicate balance between technical precision and an almost meditative experience with nature. Achieving impressive results in this field demands more than expensive equipment or lucky coincidences—it requires a combination of scientific preparation, technical skill in image capture and processing, and a deep passion for the majestic silence of the night sky.
Photographer Jan Rumstadt embodies this passion and has graciously shared insights into his comprehensive workflow, from meticulous computer-based planning to the decisive moment of pressing the shutter under a canopy of stars. His approach demonstrates how modern astrophotography has evolved into a sophisticated blend of art and science.
When asked about what drives him to leave the comfort of studios and daylight photography for the challenges of night shooting, Rumstadt explains that the impulse is less rational decision than deep-seated fascination. "It began on one of those perfect, warm new moon nights," he recalls. "Even though fatigue was pulling at me, the urge to go out was stronger. When you stand alone in the silence, hearing the quiet chirping of crickets, and see the band of the Milky Way above you with a clarity you've long forgotten in everyday life, the effort suddenly seems worthwhile."
Rumstadt emphasizes that these moments of wonder are the real reward, with photography serving as an attempt to capture and convey those feelings. However, he acknowledges that without proper tools, such emotions remain unphotographed. His equipment philosophy centers on light-gathering power, leading him to rely primarily on fast prime lenses.
For capturing the sheer dimension of the sky and the relationship between landscape and the Milky Way, Rumstadt considers a SIGMA 14mm ultra-wide-angle lens his first choice. For more targeted compositions or to emphasize deep-sky objects, he turns to a 135mm DG Art telephoto lens, ideally with an f/1.4 aperture. "This enormous light-gathering ability allows me to keep exposure times and ISO values within a range that minimizes noise," he explains. His kit also includes cameras with sensors that deliver clean performance at high ISO values, stable tripods, and often tracking mounts to compensate for Earth's rotation.
Planning proves fundamental to Rumstadt's success, with his process beginning weeks in advance at the computer. His most important tool is the Light Pollution Map, which helps identify areas with minimal ambient light. Once he finds a suitable region, he uses applications like PlanIt Pro to simulate exactly where the Milky Way or other celestial objects will appear at any given location and time.
The planning doesn't stop there. Rumstadt switches to Google Earth and Street View to explore topography and potential foreground subjects like old windmills or water castles. "This chain of digital tools allows me to set out with a very concrete image in mind," he notes. "The actual photography on location then becomes the final execution of a carefully developed plan."
Light pollution remains a significant challenge, though Rumstadt considers clouds his personal nemesis. Even at seemingly dark locations, photographers almost always contend with diffuse light domes on the horizon. To combat this, he employs a technique borrowed from scientific astrophotography called stacking. Instead of single long exposures, he creates series of numerous shorter exposures—often 15 to 40 shots of exactly the same composition.
During post-processing, specialized software layers and calculates these individual images together. The algorithm recognizes constant signals like stars and the Milky Way and amplifies them, while averaging out random noise and, to some degree, static light pollution. "The result is significantly higher detail and color depth in the final image than any single exposure could achieve," Rumstadt explains. "This method improves the signal-to-noise ratio dramatically."
Despite this highly technical approach, Rumstadt maintains that perfect plans rarely survive contact with reality. Planning provides security and a foundation, but real magic often emerges through improvisation. He recalls a night by a water channel where unexpected cloud cover destroyed his original plan. While waiting, he noticed the mirror-smooth water surface and perfect reflection of the few visible stars, which became his subject instead.
"The technique, the stacking, the fast lenses—all of that becomes a pure tool to implement this new, spontaneous vision," he reflects. "The emotional mood, the silence, the feeling of your own smallness under the firmament significantly influences composition. You look for lines in the landscape that guide the eye to the sky, or for foreground elements that ground the cosmic scenery and give it scale."
Panorama techniques represent another key method in Rumstadt's arsenal, particularly for depicting the entire Milky Way arc. Rather than capturing single images with his 14mm lens, he often uses longer focal lengths to create series of overlapping vertical shots. Each individual image becomes a stack of multiple exposures, which he then combines into high-resolution panoramas during processing.
"The advantage is immense," he explains. "The resolution is gigantic, and thus the detail in the Milky Way is incomparably higher because I'm 'closer' with the longer focal length. It's an extremely labor-intensive process, but it leads to results that unfold a completely different visual impact."
Looking toward the future, Rumstadt believes technology will primarily free photographers from repetitive and frustrating tasks. AI algorithms already excel at noise removal, precise star sharpening, and automating complex stacking processes, saving enormous amounts of time in post-processing. However, he argues that core challenges will remain unchanged.
"Finding the right place at the right time, developing convincing compositions, and dealing with unpredictable conditions like weather—these will persist," he predicts. "And that's a good thing. Technology lowers barriers to entry, but it cannot replace the photographer's experience and artistic vision. The fascination of astrophotography will always lie in part in how it lures us from our comfort zones and forces us to engage intensively with nature and the cosmos. Even the best AI won't change that."
Rumstadt's approach demonstrates how modern astrophotography combines cutting-edge technology with timeless artistic principles, creating images that capture both the technical precision and emotional wonder of our place in the universe.
