Tried to get a picture of the Milky Way with my phone and a cereal box

I saw a video online that said you can make a phone lens hood from a cereal box to cut down on light glare. So last Friday, I cut up a Cheerios box and taped it to my phone, then drove out to the edge of town. I set my phone on a rock, hit the 30-second exposure, and waited. The picture came out looking like a weird orange blob with a corner of the box in the shot. I learned my phone camera just isn't built for that, and maybe I should just buy a real tripod. Has anyone else tried a DIY hack that totally failed for astrophotography?

4 comments

4 Comments

robertlane1mo ago

Honestly that reminds me of the time I tried to use a coffee can as a rain cover for my camera. Tbh it just filled up with water and fogged the lens completely. Ngl I spent more time drying everything out than I did taking pictures. Sometimes the simple gear is just better.

sandraf981mo ago

Oh man, @robertlane, I feel that. I once tried using a plastic bag and rubber bands in a downpour. The whole thing just became a wet, clingy mess that nearly took my lens cap off. You're totally right, keeping it simple saves so much headache.

anderson.piper1d ago

Remember that time I tried to use a shower cap? It worked for about two minutes before it flew off in the wind and landed in a puddle. I had to chase it down the street while holding my camera under my jacket. Some ideas sound way better in your head.

-1

karen_sanchez491mo ago

Robertlane, "simple gear is better" sounds nice but maybe you just picked a bad coffee can.