How-to: Photographing the Perseid Meteor Shower

Choose the proper ISO
Here in the day of digital, this is a simple task that can be achieved through trial and error. Each camera model react differently during low-light long exposures, so start at ISO 800 and adjust accordingly. You're going to get some noise, but it's best to try and avoid the obnoxious, brightly-colored pixel noise often associated with digital cameras and extremely long exposures. To help, you can try the dark frame technique described here by astronomical photographer, Jerry Lodriguss.

Determine your exposure time
Most digital cameras can easily a handle a 30-second exposure before noise starts getting out of hand. That's a great place to start. That's also short enough to keep stars from becoming light streaks due to the rotation of the earth.

Charge your batteries in-full before heading out
Even if your camera isn't begging for more battery power, it's worth topping off before heading out for a night of long exposures. With shutter times that long, you'll find that you'll get many fewer frames out of a single charge than you would in a normal shooting situation. Luckily, however, it's summer so there's no freezing temperatures to further terrorize your poor power cells.

Know where to point your camera
When you're looking to the sky, the meteors will appear to be originating from the constellation, Perseus, in the northeast sky. Watch for a few minutes without the viewfinder in front of your eyes to get a feel for where they're coming from and where they're going.

Keep shooting
Like lightning, meteors are very unpredictable, which is part of what makes capturing them with a camera so satisfying. Don't be afraid to shoot away, one frame after another. There's nothing more frustrating than having the shutter snap shut just a few seconds before a choice streak shoots across the sky.