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These Milky Way photographs were captured with an iPhone 14 Pro Max—but not as ordinary handheld snapshots. MacRumors forum member ToddH reported using the iPhone’s Camera app in Night mode for a 30-second exposure, with the phone mounted on a Sky-Watcher Star Adventurer tracker. He captured Apple ProRAW files and edited the striking finished images in Lightroom Mobile. See ToddH’s original post and image comparisons.
The photographs and their photographer
The images that prompted the story were posted by ToddH, a hobbyist photographer, in a MacRumors forum thread that began on September 19, 2022. The collection includes edited Milky Way photographs and an image ToddH identified as the Andromeda Galaxy. The post also includes an unedited JPEG for comparison. View the original forum post; BGR covered the photographs on November 9, 2022. Read the BGR article.
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The images are ToddH’s photographs, not Apple sample images. His account is the source for the camera and processing details; it is self-reported, not an independently controlled test. The finished images should be described as captured on an iPhone 14 Pro Max and processed in Lightroom—not as unedited pictures straight from the phone.
How ToddH captured the images
In his forum post, ToddH said he used the iPhone 14 Pro Max’s native Camera app, Night mode, and a 30-second exposure. He reported ISO values of 10,000 and 12,500, captured in Apple ProRAW, and mounted the phone on a Sky-Watcher Star Adventurer to track the sky. He then edited the files in Lightroom Mobile. These are the photographer’s reported settings, not a recipe that every iPhone will reproduce under any conditions.
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The ISO figures need context: Apple’s standard Camera interface does not work like a conventional camera with a user-set ISO dial. Treat the figures as values ToddH reported for his captures, not settings readers can necessarily enter in the stock app.
Why the tracking mount matters
Earth’s rotation makes stars appear to move across the sky. In a long exposure from a stationary camera, that apparent motion can turn stars into trails. A tripod holds a phone steady relative to the ground; a star tracker moves the camera to follow the sky. ToddH said he used the Star Adventurer during the 30-second exposure to keep the stars pinpoint. His post describes the setup.
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The tracker was important for this exposure and his goal of sharp stars, but it is not a requirement for every attempt at photographing the Milky Way. It does, however, change the foreground: as the camera follows the stars, stationary land features shift relative to the frame. For a composition that needs both sharp stars and a crisp, natural-looking foreground, photographers may need a separate untracked foreground exposure and a composite, or they may choose a shorter exposure and accept less star detail.
What editing contributed
ToddH described adjusting contrast and overall lighting, working with green and blue tones, using linear and radial gradients, applying dehaze, reducing texture, and correcting or compensating for vignetting. Those adjustments shape the final appearance. The unedited JPEG in the original thread is useful context, but it is not the same finished image as the processed examples.
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- Capture: Record a ProRAW file to retain latitude for later adjustments.
- Recover structure: Balance the sky’s brightness so the Milky Way’s detail is visible without losing the surrounding sky.
- Shape contrast: Use contrast and dehaze with restraint; too much can make noise and color artifacts more obvious.
- Refine color and local brightness: Apply color adjustments and gradients to manage different parts of the frame.
- Finish the image: Address texture and vignetting, then export the edited result.
Apple describes ProRAW as combining standard RAW information with iPhone image processing to give more flexibility over exposure, color, and white balance. It preserves editing options; it does not create additional light or remove the need for a dark site, stable support, good focus, and careful processing. Apple’s ProRAW guide explains compatibility, settings, resolution, and file-size considerations.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Can you reproduce the result with your own iPhone?
It depends on what you mean by “reproduce.” A casual night-sky picture, a sharp tripod-mounted frame, and a tracked, edited Milky Way image are different goals.
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| Setup | What it can do | Limit to expect |
|---|---|---|
| Phone only, handheld | Quickly attempt a casual Night mode sky photo. | Hand movement, weak Milky Way detail, noise, blur, or star trails can undermine the result; it is not a reliable route to ToddH’s 30-second pinpoint-star images. |
| Phone on a fixed tripod | Improve stability and framing, making longer night exposures more practical. | The phone remains fixed relative to the ground, so star movement still limits how long stars stay point-like. |
| Phone on a star tracker | Follow the stars during longer exposures and most closely match the tracking approach ToddH reported. | Alignment and setup take more work; the moving camera also blurs stationary foreground features. |
A tracker is a specialist option, not a sensible first purchase for everyone. If you are just learning, start with a stable tripod and your existing phone. Consider tracking when pinpoint stars during longer exposures are a priority and you are willing to learn polar alignment and accept the foreground trade-off.
A practical checklist for a Milky Way attempt
- Choose a dark location. City light reduces sky contrast; ToddH noted that darker skies would improve the result. See his comments in the original thread.
- Check the sky and timing. Look for clear conditions, low moonlight, and a time when the Milky Way is above the horizon. Haze, humidity, thin cloud, or nearby lights can wash out the view.
- Clean the lens and stabilize the phone. Smudges and vibration can soften the image. Use a secure phone holder and a timer or remote trigger to avoid touching the phone during exposure.
- Plan focus before the exposure. Autofocus can hunt in darkness. A distant light can help establish focus; if using an app with manual focus, verify stars at magnification rather than assuming focus is correct.
- Choose support to match the goal. A tripod is a straightforward starting point. Use a tracker only if you are prepared to align it and manage foreground motion.
- Capture several frames and inspect them. Check star shape, focus, exposure, and framing before packing up. A single exposure may not reveal a focus or tracking problem until you zoom in.
- Leave room for large files. ProRAW files use substantially more storage than HEIF or JPEG. Apple estimates about 25 MB for a 12-megapixel ProRAW file and about 75 MB for a 48-megapixel one; these are approximate file sizes, and Night mode captures are limited to 12 megapixels. Apple documents ProRAW file sizes and resolution limits.
- Keep power in mind. Long sessions and repeated captures can drain a phone battery; arrive with enough charge for shooting and reviewing images.
Turning on ProRAW on supported iPhones
Apple’s current support instructions give this route: Settings > Camera > Formats > Apple ProRAW & Resolution Control. Turn the control on, then tap the RAW control in the Camera app before taking a picture. Labels and available controls can vary with iOS version and device. Check Apple’s current instructions for your model and software.
For the iPhone 14 Pro Max, Apple documents ProRAW capture at 12 MP or 48 MP, but Night mode images are limited to 12 MP. The larger 48 MP option therefore does not apply to the Night mode images described here. ProRAW’s larger files can fill storage quickly; it is most useful when you plan to edit the captures.
What the photographs do—and do not—demonstrate
This is a 2022 example of what an enthusiast produced with an iPhone 14 Pro Max as part of a broader astrophotography workflow. It demonstrates that the phone can be one part of a capable night-sky setup; it does not establish that the same result is available as a handheld snapshot, that Night mode always provides a 30-second exposure, or that another phone will produce identical images. Location, sky conditions, tracking, focus, capture format, and editing all affect the outcome.
“Amateur” describes ToddH as a hobbyist, not the simplicity of the technique. The images involved specialist tracking equipment and deliberate raw processing. Anyone using them as a benchmark should compare like with like: a processed tracked image against another tracked, processed image—not against an unedited handheld frame.
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