Whuff Loc: Marshalltown, Iowa

I'm not sure if movement will be a problem with this or not. I see you used 20 sec. Shutter speed for this shot. I'm thinking you'd need 3 bracketed 20 second exposures to achieve true HDR, so star movement may come into play but what do you have to lose?

Walt

Desert Gecko Loc: desert southwest, USA

Very nice result. I did a similar one taking a raw file then making two additional files, one under and one over. I combined them with PS (using the automate function), and the result was good, though not as good as yours.

It would be interesting to see how Photomatrix or other software would align multiple shots, but I think it's not practical because you probably want some foreground interest and the stars will have moved relative to any stationary ground object. Such an attempt, I think, would have to be made of the sky only, and even then any planes, satellites, or planets would move at a different rate than the stars (my attempt I refer to had a very prominent red "star," Mars, front and center.)

6400 seems a bit high on the ISO, but I don't know what your shooting with. Also, 20 seconds seems a bit short, but I don't know your focal length. I shot mine at 11mm on a crop (Sony a77), so equivalent angle of about 16mm, for 30 seconds - which was just a tad long, giving me very slight trails noticeable at 100% crop. And I shot at ISO 1600, about the limit on the a77. The images were pretty ho-hum until I did the pseudo-HDR I described.

Anyway, very nice work and I look forward to seeing more! And since I've upgraded to the a77ii, I can't wait to get out and try some more.

[EDIT] I'll add my before (jpeg, straight from the camera) & after (pseudo-HDR with normal, one stop under and one stop over made from the matching raw file). I'll add one more, one of the first shots I took that night when the MW was still low on the horizon. My 10yo son stood in the image for a few seconds while I hit him with a flashlight, and an old pickup was heading towards us on the dirt road below.

jpeg from camera

(Download)

pseudo-HDR from the matching raw image

(Download)

very novice Lightroom processing of raw. Just after sunset.

(Download)

GTinSoCal Loc: Palmdale, CA

People I've talked to say that Photomatix does a good job of combining images with movement, I will give it a try. Just haven't done it yet :-)

Problem being is that I've maxed my exposure, so the other exposures will all be less than this one.

GT

GTinSoCal Loc: Palmdale, CA

20 sec was the max without showing movement. 25 sec showed movement when zoomed in, 30 sec was obvious :-(

Might be interesting to see how Photmatix would combine images with a little motion blur to them :-)

I'm planning on heading out again soon, but with the weather we've been having it's a crap shoot!

I missed the meteor shower because of cloud cover, we are getting much needed rain though I can't complain too much!!!

GT

joecichjr Loc: Chicago S. Suburbs, Illinois, USA

Amazing ⭐🌠⭐🌠⭐

joecichjr Loc: Chicago S. Suburbs, Illinois, USA

Excellent ⭐✨⭐✨⭐