My first attempt at a StarTrail, a bit of advice Please?
Feb 19, 2015 08:51:45 #
dlmorris
Loc: Loma Linda, Ca
The trick is to take 30-60 or so sec. exposures, with as short of time between exposures as possible. Here is a shot I took a couple of years ago. 30 sec exposures with 5 sec between them. 3 hours total. I was able to make a time lapse movie as well as this star trail composition.
Complete with an airplane flying through..
Feb 19, 2015 10:01:05 #
Well there goes the neighborhood.. :lol: :lol:
Oh hi Sonny.
Just a little bit of formula (Math) to help you with not getting streaking although I know you are looking to have long streaks.
This is the infamous rule of (insert number here) that you hear about. It is more designed to allow pinpoint shooting rather than what you are after.
Regarding star trails, I have been using this formula to minimize the length of star trails in my photos. This is for digital cameras and it seems to work well.
shutter speed = 600 / focal length (for full frame sensors or)
shutter speed = 400 / focal length (for crop sensors)
But the lower, the better for the sharpest image possible.
Then select the ISO that will work with this by using the following formula:
ISO = 6000 * f-stop (Squared) / shutter
For example:
crop sensor, 15mm lens, at f/4.
shutter = 400 / 15mm (approx. 26s)
ISO = 6000 * 16 ( 4 Squared) / 26 = (approx. 3692 so choose ISO3200)
Welcome to the group.
Be wary weedhopper, the path to what you seek is like the path to Macro photography. It is filled with options and expenses if one becomes truly hooked.
:D
Oh hi Sonny.
Just a little bit of formula (Math) to help you with not getting streaking although I know you are looking to have long streaks.
This is the infamous rule of (insert number here) that you hear about. It is more designed to allow pinpoint shooting rather than what you are after.
Regarding star trails, I have been using this formula to minimize the length of star trails in my photos. This is for digital cameras and it seems to work well.
shutter speed = 600 / focal length (for full frame sensors or)
shutter speed = 400 / focal length (for crop sensors)
But the lower, the better for the sharpest image possible.
Then select the ISO that will work with this by using the following formula:
ISO = 6000 * f-stop (Squared) / shutter
For example:
crop sensor, 15mm lens, at f/4.
shutter = 400 / 15mm (approx. 26s)
ISO = 6000 * 16 ( 4 Squared) / 26 = (approx. 3692 so choose ISO3200)
Welcome to the group.
Be wary weedhopper, the path to what you seek is like the path to Macro photography. It is filled with options and expenses if one becomes truly hooked.
:D
Feb 19, 2015 10:07:15 #
Nice shot... I'm not one for trails, but this is interesting because you can actually identify the stars in (your second star-trail). Dead center, is Orion, with the 3 belt stars standing out pretty well. Just below, is M42, the famous Orion Nebula. Diagonally down and left from this is Sirius - which is the brightest-visible star we can see. This makes the very bright streak in the upper left the planet Jupiter!
It isn't usually easy (or sometimes possible!) to identify the stars in a trail shot like this, which is why I find this one interesting.
It isn't usually easy (or sometimes possible!) to identify the stars in a trail shot like this, which is why I find this one interesting.
Feb 19, 2015 10:10:08 #
dlmorris wrote:
Nicely done, Morris. Questions: The trick is to take 30-60 or so sec. exposures, with as short of time between exposures as possible. Here is a shot I took a couple of years ago. 30 sec exposures with 5 sec between them. 3 hours total. I was able to make a time lapse movie as well as this star trail composition.
What was your ISO setting?
What focal length were you using?
Did you do this during blue hour at all or was it all after dark?
How were the trees illuminated?
Did you apply the same adjustments to all the frames when processing?
Did you have your intervalometer set up to automatically take the exposures, or did you use it as a remote to take them?
How many exposures did you take?
Feb 19, 2015 11:13:39 #
Bloke wrote:
Well done!Dead center, is Orion, with the 3 belt stars standing out pretty well. Just below, is M42, the famous Orion Nebula. Diagonally down and left from this is Sirius - which is the brightest-visible star we can see. This makes the very bright streak in the upper left the planet Jupiter!
I was thinking that might be Orion. But I forgot most of that.
It will probably come back in time. :roll:
Man, I wish I lived about 200 miles East, out in the desert. :shock:
But that would be a long commute to do the school runs, and Grand Baby sitting. :lol:
Feb 19, 2015 12:02:44 #
Sonny, Wow. What a difference a day makes...
If you have an iPhone or iPad, get the app "Sky Guide". It's not just a map. It's made up of about 37,000 astrophotographs. You can just hold it up to ID what you see in the sky or predict where whatever will be.
If you have an iPhone or iPad, get the app "Sky Guide". It's not just a map. It's made up of about 37,000 astrophotographs. You can just hold it up to ID what you see in the sky or predict where whatever will be.
Feb 19, 2015 12:04:18 #
dlmorris wrote:
Nice, dlmorris!The trick is to take 30-60 or so sec. exposures, with as short of time between exposures as possible. Here is a shot I took a couple of years ago. 30 sec exposures with 5 sec between them. 3 hours total. I was able to make a time lapse movie as well as this star trail composition.
Right now I'm at the mercy of my camera's available timing until the Intervalometer arrives. Latest check shown it in California, but it will arrive while we are out of town for a Memorial Service. Such timing.
When the control arrives I will try the longer exposures with tight a re-run as possible.
Once I feel confident I can grasp the concept then I'll do some traveling to get better locations.
Oddly enough, I have so much light pollution here that Stars show up in the composition that are nearly invisible to the naked eye.
I began making a video of last night, but to many things going on and ran out of memory at frame 286 of 298. :hunf: So I had to abort and start over. There done now. ;)
Thank You.
Feb 19, 2015 12:11:35 #
SonnyE wrote:
Much better job Sonny. You are really getting the hang of this now.OK, I shot till the camera dropped. Thank You!
Feb 19, 2015 12:22:10 #
Albuqshutterbug wrote:
Au Contraire...Be wary weedhopper, the path to what you seek is like the path to Macro photography. It is filled with options and expenses if one becomes truly hooked.
I find my geared head works wonderfully for composing a Star-trail set. Let's me do precise positioning, much like the Macro side of things. But admittedly the macro rail is not much help... :-D
And my Wide Angle Lens now has more to do than interiors, sunsets, landscapes, etc.
You make me dizzy with all this math business. I like to jump in, then realize there are alligators. :lol: More sporting that way...
But before my first Star trails came eyeballing camera adaptacators for our spotting scopes.
This Photography stuff is pure poison. It's like Heroin for the wallet. ;)
Feb 19, 2015 14:30:05 #
dlmorris
Loc: Loma Linda, Ca
Nightski wrote:
ISO probably 800-1600What was your ISO setting?
What focal length were you using?
Did you do this during blue hour at all or was it all after dark?
How were the trees illuminated?
Did you apply the same adjustments to all the frames when processing?
Did you have your intervalometer set up to automatically take the exposures, or did you use it as a remote to take them?
How many exposures did you take?
What focal length were you using?
Did you do this during blue hour at all or was it all after dark?
How were the trees illuminated?
Did you apply the same adjustments to all the frames when processing?
Did you have your intervalometer set up to automatically take the exposures, or did you use it as a remote to take them?
How many exposures did you take?
Focal length probably around 18 or so
It was all after dark, but we do have some light pollution...
Trees were illuminated by a passing car
I'm not sure I did any adjusting at all
I do use an intervalometer. So I tried to sleep on top of a picnic table during the exposures.(this is important!)
A little over 300 exposures. I don't remember all the details, it was done probably 5 years ago.
Hope that helps some. From a camp site on Mt Palomar.
Feb 19, 2015 15:00:37 #
dlmorris wrote:
The trick is to take 30-60 or so sec. exposures, with as short of time between exposures as possible. Here is a shot I took a couple of years ago. 30 sec exposures with 5 sec between them. 3 hours total. I was able to make a time lapse movie as well as this star trail composition.
Really nice work DL.
Feb 19, 2015 15:29:54 #
dlmorris
Loc: Loma Linda, Ca
SonnyE wrote:
Thanks! You will always get more stars in a time exposure than you can see with your naked eye. That is the whole point of time exposures. Just expose till the histogram is about 1/3 from the left side, and that will be about right.Nice, dlmorris! Right now I'm at the mercy of my camera's available timing until the Intervalometer arrives.
Feb 19, 2015 15:32:01 #
Feb 20, 2015 12:49:31 #
skylane5sp wrote:
OK, I have it downloading to my android Smarter-Than-Me-Phone. (Wife is IPad/IPhone; I'm Android.)Sonny, Wow. What a difference a day makes. If you have an iPhone or iPad, get the app "Sky Guide". It's not just a map. It's made up of about 37,000 astrophotographs. You can just hold it up to ID what you see in the sky or predict where whatever will be.
We have another app called Star Walk on IPads that is a lot of fun. (I have it on my phone as well). If you haven't seen it, it's worth a look.
(I hate that, it's an "application". Where did "Programs" go?) :lol: Dating myself. :?
Anyway, we are out of town for the weekend. So mostly I'll be sharing of everybody else's successes. ;)
Thank You all for your help and encouragement! It is greatly appreciated. :)
Feb 21, 2015 08:23:50 #
Sonny I alway use mirror lockup, and add a two second delay on my shutter timer. Just a little extra insurance to make sure you dont get any vibrations from your mirror.
Looks really cool. Personally, I am waiting on night temperatures to move above zero at night before heading out. I want to try my hand at the orion nebual. I got a tracker I am just dyin to use
Looks really cool. Personally, I am waiting on night temperatures to move above zero at night before heading out. I want to try my hand at the orion nebual. I got a tracker I am just dyin to use
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