Avalon Beach, NJ Astrophotography
Photography Hot Spot Location
AVALON MILKY WAY PHOTOGRAPHY
MILKY WAY PHOTOGRAPHY IN NEW JERSEY
Nestled quietly on the southern coast of New Jersey, the charming town of Avalon offers a rejuvenating escape from the bustling cities. With its pristine beaches, tranquil atmosphere, and picturesque Victorian architecture, this hidden gem will enchant any traveler seeking relaxation and tranquility.
Avalon, New Jersey, is one of the few places in New Jersey where you can do Milky Way Photography. Walk right up on the beach at the right time of year and get superb Milky Way images.
Suppose you want to see the Milky Way in New Jersey from March to October; knowing when, where, and how to look is essential. This means avoiding cities and bright lights that can obscure her beauty. While she may not always be visible, there are still opportunities to see her if you know where to look. Luckily, we have compiled a list of locations where the Milky Way is known to appear, along with helpful resources for finding her.
This article will discuss the Milky Way Photography How-to, covering important topics such as the best time to go, recommended locations, essential equipment to bring, and techniques for capturing stunning shots of the Milky Way. To get even more details, visit our Milky Way Photography How-to page.
WHAT IS THE BEST TIME TO GO?
Months: The Milky Way Core can be seen from March to October, disappearing below the horizon for the rest of the year. In March, it appears in the early morning hours and becomes visible earlier each month. The best time to catch a glimpse of the core is during summer when it can be seen immediately after sunset, providing an ideal viewing opportunity for stargazers and photographers.
New Moon: Timing is crucial to catch a glimpse of the Milky Way. This celestial event can only be seen on clear nights without a visible moon, limiting the window for viewing.
Light Pollution: The best way to experience the full wonder of the Milky Way is to escape from areas with heavy light pollution. However, it may be possible to see some faint traces of the galaxy from places with mild artificial lighting; the most spectacular views can be found in remote locations far from cities and civilizations. Check out our How to Section for more details, including using a light pollution map to guide you to dark sky locations.
HOW LONG TO PHOTOGRAPH THIS AREA?
This area can be explored and photographed in just one day and night. If the weather is favorable, you’ll have the opportunity to create stunning shots of the Milky Way in the surrounding areas.
WHAT PHOTOGRAPHY GEAR SHOULD I BRING?
- Full Frame Camera with wide-angle lens with f/2.8 or Greater Maximum Aperture
- Tripod
- Shutter release
- Light pollution filter
- Red light headlamp
- Dark sky map app and Milky Way tracking apps
- Bright Flashlight
- Light painting gear.
SEE DETAILS BELOW
WHAT ESLE SHOULD I BRING?
If you’re heading out in the early morning, make sure to dress warmly and bring a backpack with all your camera equipment. You might need to do some hiking in the sand, so be sure to wear appropriate shoes. And if you have an extra hand, consider bringing along a thermos of coffee. It can also be helpful to bring a headlight, extra batteries, or a portable charger for your trip.
HOW DO I GET THERE?
Avalon is a borough in Cape May County, New Jersey, United States. It neighbors Stone Harbor. Take the Garden State Parkway to Exit 13 and head east towards the beach area.
WHAT OTHER PHOTOGRAPHY IS NEARBY?
We highly suggest you pair this trip up with the East Point Lighthouse. You can also see all of our New Jersey Milky Way Photography Locations here.
HOW BUSY DOES IT GET?
It’s not too bad but very similar to other New Jersey shore towns. This is one of the more quieter towns along the New Jersey shore. They do not have very many hotels, unlike the other towns so it is not as busy.
GEAR LIST FOR SHOOTING MILKY WAY
LIGHT POLLUTION MAP:
CAMERA:
You will need a camera to manually control your ISO, shutter speed, and aperture.
LENS:
A fast, wide-angle lens of 1.4 – 2.8 is ideal. If you use a 3.5 or higher (slower lens), you must increase the ISO. The higher the ISO, the more grain or digital noise or grain will appear in your photos.
TRIOPD:
A good, sturdy tripod is essential for night photography. If it gets windy, you will need a sturdy one. Remember that when you buy one, it should be sturdy enough to withstand the wind but small enough to fit in your suitcase.
SKY MAP:
Sky Guide is available through the iTunes Store for $1.99. It has a 5 out of 5-star rating on both the current (3.2) version (1200+ ratings) and all previous versions (8600+ ratings).
FLASHLIGHT:
Our choice is Coast brand for flashlights. The ideal flashlight will have high lumens, and you can zoom in and out on the light emitting from the flashlight. Get the HP7, PX45, or the G50. Ideally, go with the HP7.
MOON PHAZE MAP:
The best time to go is during a new moon; you want to be in the darkest area possible. The week before the new moon, when the moon has not risen, is a perfect time to go, so be sure to check the moonrise chart to see when the moon will be up.
REMOTE SHUTTER RELEASE:
When painting with light and over a 30-second exposure, you must have a shutter release to use your bulb mode. When exposing your pictures in general, you can use the remote release or use your camera’s built-in two-second timer.
CAMERA SETTINGS FOR MILKY WAY
ISO:
Start with ISO 1600 – 3200. This is just a common starting point, and you will adjust from here.
Shutter Speed – Remember, the earth is rotating. If you leave the shutter open for too long, you will see star trails that will not make for a crisp image. We want crisp, non-star trail images. Here is the formula to avoid star trails—the 500 rule – Divide 500 by the focal length of your lens. So, if you have a 24mm lens on a full-frame camera, you will set your shutter speed to 20 sec. (500/24 = 20.83). If you are using a crop sensor camera, first do the math of the crop sensor to find the focal length. Cannon is 1.6, Nikon is 1.5. Convert to full-frame focal length, then use the formula. Nikon 18mm x 1.5= 27mm – 500/27 = 18.51 seconds.
APERTURE:
Depth of field isn’t critical on these shots, but letting the light into the camera is; therefore, you should shoot wide open if. If the depth of field is essential to you, try not to go too high. (wide open =the lowest aperture your camera will allow). You will have to increase the ISO some, giving you digital noise.
SHUTTER SPEED:
Now that the ISO and aperture are set in manual mode, roll your shutter speed until your meter reads (0) zero. Take a test shot and adjust from there. Remember, the earth is rotating. If you leave the shutter open for too long, you will see star trails that will not make for a crisp image. You can make star trails specifically, but that’s not what we are going for here since we started with Milky Way photography. We want crisp, non-star trail images when doing this.
Here is the formula to avoid star trails—the 500 rule – Divide 500 by the focal length of your lens. So, if you have a 24mm lens on a full-frame camera, you will set your shutter speed to 20 sec. (500/24 = 20.83). If you are using a crop sensor camera, first do the math of the crop sensor to find the focal length. Cannon is 1.6, Nikon is 1.5. Convert to full-frame focal length, then use the formula. Nikon 18mm x 1.5= 27mm – 500/27 = 18.51 seconds.
WHITE BALANCE:
In live view mode, you can change your white balance settings and see what it will look like. You can shoot in shade or cloud mode as a standard setting and adjust things later when editing.
LIVE VIEW:
To focus in the dark, use your camera’s live view, hit the zoom button, and focus on a bright star. You can also use the infinity setting on your lens but do several test shots to determine accuracy. It can be off a little on some lenses. You can also light it up with a flashlight, focus, then gently, without touching the focus ring, put the camera in manual focus so it will not search for the focus. You must do this each time you move your camera to take your next angel.
WHEN TO VIEW THE MILKY WAY:
The best images are usually of the dense part of the Milky Way. We can see this part of the milk way in the southern sky. During March, April, and May, the Milky Way rises above the horizon in the pre-dawn hours. In June, at about 10:00 p.m., you will see the Milky Way. From July until October, you can see the Milky Way as soon as it sunsets, and it becomes dark enough to see about an hour after sunset. In November, the Milky Way no longer comes above the horizon. You will have to wait until March if you want to stay away really late or get up early to see her again.
See our Milky Way Hot Spot Locator and our Night Photography Information.
HOTELS IN AVALON BEACH
Add your Avalon Beach Hotel Here
Do you want us to send our photography friends to your hotel for their photography or ghost-hunting trip? Put your hotel information here. We will put pictures of your hotel, the website link, the phone number, and your information on your hotel.
Would you like to be a featured hotel like this article or this one? Please send us an email. You will be surprised at how affordable our prices can be.
THE COLLONADE INN
The only place we stay when we are in town.
4600 Landis Avenue Sea Isle City, N.J.
609-263-8868
ENTRANCE FEES:
No entrance fees off-season or at night to do Milky Way photography.
Permits are effective from September 15th until March 31st. The fee is $40. They accept cash or checks made payable to the Borough of Avalon. Vehicles must be 4-wheel drive or all-wheel drive. The permit must be affixed to any corner of the rear window. Items Needed– Tow rope, jack with a board, inflated spare tire, shovel, fire extinguisher, supplied first aid kit, and a flashlight. Beach Paths– 9th Street (if this path is available), 20th, 32nd, 38th, 60th, and 79th Street. Call (609) 967-4220.
CAMPING
CAMPING
Add your campground here! Do you want us to send our photography and ghost-hunting friends to your campground to stay during their ghost-hunting trip? Put your campground information here. We will put a picture of your establishment, the website link, the phone number, and the information on your campground to make it easy for our photographers and ghost hunters to find you. They are good at getting there in the dark.
Would you like to be featured in an article as a place to stay while doing photography or ghost hunting? If so, please send us an email. You will be surprised at how affordable our prices can be.
FOOD AND DINING
Add your Restaurant here! Do you want us to send our photography and ghost-hunting friends to your restaurant after their ghost-hunting trip? Put your restaurant information here. We will put a picture of your establishment, the website link, the phone number and your information on your restaurant to make it easy for our photographers and ghost hunters to find you. They are good at getting there in the dark.
Don’t forget that you can use a rain sleeve on your camera if it is raining. If it is bright and sunny, you want to use a low ISO such as 100.
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