Tutorial Photography Guide: Star Trails

[MWHCVT]

Hi
Great guide.......one thing though.....do I turn the Long Exposure Noise Reduction (LENR) off when making multiple 30 second exposures?
Thanks
JohnyT

Yeah John, turn it off you don't need it and it makes doing it impossible as it causes gaps equal to the exposure between the end of one and the start of the next exposure

Glad you like the guide

 

[Albanach]

Great guide and looking forward to trying this out.

Can anyone recommend a (lockable) remote shutter release cable that's sub £20 (if they exist)?

 

[Albanach]

Great guide and looking forward to trying this out.

Can anyone recommend a (lockable) remote shutter release cable that's sub £20 (if they exist)?

 

[MWHCVT]

Great guide and looking forward to trying this out.

Can anyone recommend a (lockable) remote shutter release cable that's sub £20 (if they exist)?

Any of them will do the job just get a nice cheap one

 

[nickjohnwatson]

Great guide and looking forward to trying this out.

Can anyone recommend a (lockable) remote shutter release cable that's sub £20 (if they exist)?

Amazon is your friend here, I've had a couple of the 3/4 quid ones and they've lasted a while and are perfectly adequate!

 

[jimmy83]

Newcomer to this, those on Mac is StarStaX still the best software?

 

[jimmy83]

To be honest it sort of depends on the scene but if you take this one below it was about 15 flash bursts on 1/8th power for each colour


212/365 by mwhcvt, on Flickr

Just press the "Pilot" button on the flash gun to make it fire it's a little difficult to say x or y number of flashes as it really depends on the scene

Matt

How did you get the colours like that btw?

 

[MWHCVT]

Newcomer to this, those on Mac is StarStaX still the best software?

Out of the two available StarStaX is the only one that works on Mac luckily IMO its the better software option rendering smoother trails, even after the last update of startrails.exe

How did you get the colours like that btw?

Those colours were achieved by using various different colour plastics over about six of the first frames

 

[jimmy83]

My effort C&C welcomed!

First attempt at Startrails.

Found it really hard to locate Polaris, need to research this. Also wasn't happy with the fencing around the windmill, not too mention the planes in the sky that caused me problems too.

 

[jimmy83]

Out of the two available StarStaX is the only one that works on Mac luckily IMO its the better software option rendering smoother trails, even after the last update of startrails.exe



Those colours were achieved by using various different colour plastics over about six of the first frames

Thanks!

 

[MWHCVT]

My effort C&C welcomed!

First attempt at Startrails.

Found it really hard to locate Polaris, need to research this. Also wasn't happy with the fencing around the windmill, not too mention the planes in the sky that caused me problems too.

I'd have liked to have seen a subtle bit of lighting on the windmill, just to make it stand out a little, the clouds have some what spoiled it, but not ruined, would just have been better without them :bonk: if you see the guide there is a wonderful photo provided by Andrew (AndWhyNot) to show you exactly how to locate polaris

 

[jimmy83]

I'd have liked to have seen a subtle bit of lighting on the windmill, just to make it stand out a little, the clouds have some what spoiled it, but not ruined, would just have been better without them :bonk: if you see the guide there is a wonderful photo provided by Andrew (AndWhyNot) to show you exactly how to locate polaris

Yeah, and I did have my flash gun with me aswell! But I didnt even think to use that, just had my small torch.

 

[MWHCVT]

Yeah, and I did have my flash gun with me aswell! But I didnt even think to use that, just had my small torch.

Either would have worked always next time

 

[IanC]

Hi Matt, apologies if this has already been asked but when you light a foreground subject up with a flashlight, how long should you light it up for? For all of the exposures, or just one? If just one, and assuming your exposure is 30 secs, do you keep the flashlight on for all 30 secs or just a few secs? Many thanks

 

[MWHCVT]

Hi Matt, apologies if this has already been asked but when you light a foreground subject up with a flashlight, how long should you light it up for? For all of the exposures, or just one? If just one, and assuming your exposure is 30 secs, do you keep the flashlight on for all 30 secs or just a few secs? Many thanks

No need to apologise, in short no you don't need to light up all the frames but you may need to light sections up at a time for the first few exposures if your looking to light a larger area or use different colours, so for that reason I'd recommend doing lighting at the start and at the end of the series that way you can select the lighting from either the start or end depending on with lighting came out best once you've done it a couple of time you shouldn't need to do this, however then you can then move on and do two different light painting sets if your into that and basically get two star trails out of a single star trail session

Hope that clears the mists a little

 

[IanC]

Hi Matt,

Thanks for this. How long do you leave the torch/other light source on for? Is it the full 30 seconds of the exposure?

No need to apologise, in short no you don't need to light up all the frames but you may need to light sections up at a time for the first few exposures if your looking to light a larger area or use different colours, so for that reason I'd recommend doing lighting at the start and at the end of the series that way you can select the lighting from either the start or end depending on with lighting came out best once you've done it a couple of time you shouldn't need to do this, however then you can then move on and do two different light painting sets if your into that and basically get two star trails out of a single star trail session

Hope that clears the mists a little

 

[MWHCVT]

Hi Matt,

Thanks for this. How long do you leave the torch/other light source on for? Is it the full 30 seconds of the exposure?

That's a pieces of string question in that there are far too many variables to answer that question :shrug: usually a single area will only need lighting for part of the exposure but as I say to many variables to actually give you an answer to be of much use to you, your best bet is to spent a little bit of time experimenting with different lighting duration and types you'll quickly get to know what will be needed

 

[IanC]

Cheers Matt

 

[JamesU2002]

Great guide. I'm heading out tonight to try it!

 

[MWHCVT]

Great guide. I'm heading out tonight to try it!

Fantastic please do post your results as I'd like to see how you get on

 

[Jdevaney89]

Im just wondering how i can set up my camera to take images continuously? I dont have a trigger cable as one doesnt exist for my camera, so i have the IR button..

 

[MWHCVT]

Im just wondering how i can set up my camera to take images continuously? I dont have a trigger cable as one doesnt exist for my camera, so i have the IR button..

I've never found the IR triggers to be that reliable and it's not easy to get them to fire continually, what camera do you have? You can always go down the most basic of route and dial in the settings and then tape the shutter button down this will cost you your first and last frames though

 

[Jdevaney89]

Haha i was contemplating doing that! I think thats going to be my only route, i was thinking of changing the camera but ive only just got it so no point in doing that yet lol..

With a newer camera i could get a shutter cable.. I have a Nikon D40x.

Thanks for the speedy reply too.

 

[MWHCVT]

Haha i was contemplating doing that! I think thats going to be my only route, i was thinking of changing the camera but ive only just got it so no point in doing that yet lol..

With a newer camera i could get a shutter cable.. I have a Nikon D40x.

Thanks for the speedy reply too.

I feared you were going to say one of the Nikon cameras that don't take a wired trigger, they can be a real pain

My phone gets an email when there is a post on one of my guides I like to be able to help as quick as I can

 

[Jdevaney89]

Do the newer cameras allow use of wired triggers? Just for future reference..

& good, i set a couple of my threads up to do that.

 

[MWHCVT]

Do the newer cameras allow use of wired triggers? Just for future reference..

& good, i set a couple of my threads up to do that.

A lot of the newer nikons do allow triggers that are wired

 

[IanC]

Thought I would post my results from the other night.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?...19402344.83219.336709546415088&type=1&theater

This was only 15 mins worth of 30 sec exposures so next time I will probably need something like an hours worth to get the real long star trails. The long continuous line is a helicopter which came right over the building on it's way to RAF Shawbury.

 

[Thedodo]

Thought I would post my results from the other night.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=493530580732983&set=a.340170319402344.83219.336709546415088&type=1&theater

This was only 15 mins worth of 30 sec exposures so next time I will probably need something like an hours worth to get the real long star trails. The long continuous line is a helicopter which came right over the building on it's way to RAF Shawbury.

Would that building happen to be moreton corbett?

 

[IanC]

Would that building happen to be moreton corbett?

It would indeed quite spooky looking at night time

 

[MWHCVT]

Thought I would post my results from the other night.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=493530580732983&set=a.340170319402344.83219.336709546415088&type=1&theater

This was only 15 mins worth of 30 sec exposures so next time I will probably need something like an hours worth to get the real long star trails. The long continuous line is a helicopter which came right over the building on it's way to RAF Shawbury.

I quite like that, should be head there in the not to distant future what were your individual frame settings for ISO and Aperture?

 

[IanC]

I quite like that, should be head there in the not to distant future what were your individual frame settings for ISO and Aperture?

Thanks

ISO 200
F2.8

 

[MWHCVT]

Thanks

ISO 200
F2.8

I'd have been tempted to ramp the ISO up a bit you'd have then picked up more stars

 

[IanC]

I'd have been tempted to ramp the ISO up a bit you'd have then picked up more stars

Oh right I didn't realise the ISO would have that effect. Something like 400 or 800 do you think?

 

[MWHCVT]

Oh right I didn't realise the ISO would have that effect. Something like 400 or 800 do you think?

It really depends on the light pollution and your camera but 800 is about the minimum I use these days

 

[IanC]

It really depends on the light pollution and your camera but 800 is about the minimum I use these days

I use a D90 so the noise isn't too bad. Do you live in Shropshire then Matt or are you just coming for a visit?

 

[MWHCVT]

I use a D90 so the noise isn't too bad. Do you live in Shropshire then Matt or are you just coming for a visit?

I live in Warwickshire but myself and thedodo travelled up a few weeks back to have a look around for running some nights up there

I run The Night School, you'll see the links in my signature we are just starting to offer workshops on night photography

 

[IanC]

haha it is a small world. Just checked out your thread on meeting up with everyone at Moreton Corbet, having not seen it previously.

I literally live 5 minutes away from there.

I live in Warwickshire but myself and thedodo travelled up a few weeks back to have a look around for running some nights up there

I run The Night School, you'll see the links in my signature we are just starting to offer workshops on night photography

 

[MWHCVT]

haha it is a small world. Just checked out your thread on meeting up with everyone at Moreton Corbet, having not seen it previously.

I literally live 5 minutes away from there.

Nice one might see you there once I've got a date set

 

[Simon K]

On a slightly different topic, should I use similar settings to those used in star trails if I am trying to photograph the Milky Way? Apart from the continuous shooting.

Simon

 

[MWHCVT]

On a slightly different topic, should I use similar settings to those used in star trails if I am trying to photograph the Milky Way? Apart from the continuous shooting.

Simon

Basically yes, but as you want static stars you need to be careful of your shutter speed as you get star trails a lot faster than you'd think...so to work out roughly what shutter speed you need use the "600 rule" first you need to know your focal length in 35mm format so once you know that value divide 600 by it e.g. 600 / 24mm = 25 second exposure

I hope that this helps