Capturing portraits under the starry sky is one of the most challenging photography projects. This is not only because the night sky is extremely dark, requiring long exposures at high ISO settings, but also because it's crucial to ensure that the subject remains sharp without any motion blur during the extended exposure. In such situations, it becomes especially important to properly set the flash output to balance the lighting ratio between the subject and the environment, and use the appropriate orange gel filter to balance environmental color temperature, thereby making the photo appear more natural. The model's exposure is entirely controlled by the flash, and with the appropriate exposure for the night sky established, the flash is manually triggered to freeze the model's exposure.

The following samples were all taken using a dual-flash setup. One flash, equipped with an orange gel filter, was positioned approximately 8~9 feet in front of the model, set to a low output to create rim light, emphasizing the model against the dark environment. Another flash, also fitted with an orange gel filter, was placed about 5~6 feet behind the model, at a low output to illuminate the subject and control the model's exposure. Both camera focus and flash output were set manually. Due to the extremely low light conditions of the night sky, the lens was set to its widest aperture. The Sigma 14mm/F1.8 Art lens was used for this shoot, which was considered the most suitable lens for capturing the night sky, thanks to its ultra-wide aperture and outstanding imaging capabilities – it became my dedicated lens for astrophotography.