Last Saturday night I went on my first star party. It was a small one, with only 15-20 people present. But I had a lot of fun, despite the cold temperatures in the wee hours of the morning.
I learnt a few important things on this occasion:
1. if people say to dress warmly, then you should listen to them. There is definitely a big difference between night temperature in the city and in the fields, even in summer. 2-3 warm jackets are a good idea, an extra pair of trousers, some gloves even...
2. hot tea / coffee is not only welcomed... it's very welcomed. A sip of a hot beverage can make a whole lot of difference. And if it happens to energize you, all the better. The purpose is to stay up as long as possible and take as many photos as you can.
3. buy a flashlight. one of those that you can wear on your head and has two settings: white light and red light. Red light is extremely useful and does not affect your night vision.
4. bring extra batteries - I didn't actually need one this time and I don't even have one at the moment. But it's a thing to remember and invest in. Also applicable to extra memory cards.
5. food is needed - one item on the list I got right :)
I took a lot of pictures that night and I saw a lot of shooting stars. I'm gonna have to find some time in the next few days for post-processing these photos. I can't wait to see what I'll be able to produce.
