Preston Shamblen

📸 Shot on October 6th, 2020 — from the farm in West Virginia.

This was one of my very first night shots using the GoPro Hero 8. I had just picked it up and wanted to test out the built-in night photo mode. The moon was bright that night, almost too bright, but the scene still came together: the cabin I lived in, the stars peeking through, and the soft glow from inside.

Even though the GoPro 9 and newer models are out, the Hero 8 still holds its own — especially if you find one at a good price. It’s got built-in night mode and handles long exposures surprisingly well for the size and age of the sensor.

🔧 Settings I Used (and Recommend)

To take a shot like this:

• Go to Photo Mode > tap it > scroll down to Night.

• Shutter speed: Set it to 30 seconds if you want to capture more starlight.

• White Balance: You can leave it auto, or adjust in-camera or during editing for a warmer or cooler vibe.

• Sharpness: Turn it down.

• Color: Set it to Flat for more flexibility in post-editing.

Keep in mind:
If the moon is in your shot, it’ll likely drown out a lot of the stars — just like in this photo. But it can still make for an awesome mood if you frame it right.

💬 Final Thoughts

You don’t need the latest gear to capture something beautiful.
This was taken with an older camera, on a quiet night, on a patch of land I called home. The tools matter — but where you are, what you see, and how you choose to capture it… that matters more.