Tutorial Photography Guide: Star Trails

parker455 said:
I'm incredibly annoyed its so clear out! Got the perfect setting too!

I'm going to have to buy a proper timer I think, any 3Rd party ones you can recommend?

Thanks
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I use one very similar to this (y) though I'm sure I didn't pay this much and I'm not sure it will fit a 60D but don't think you have to buy the really expensive ones (y)

As to tonight, do you have any strong tape in the house, if so it will cost you your first and last exposure, but just tape down your shutter button (y)

Matt
 
Good plan there Matt! I'm gonna give snow leopard another 15 mins to install, if it doesn't then I'll just do this! :D
 
parker455 said:
I'm incredibly annoyed its so clear out! Got the perfect setting too!

I'm going to have to buy a proper timer I think, any 3Rd party ones you can recommend?

Thanks
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I use this , set the camera to multiple exposure and press the remote shutter and lock it shut. (y)
 
Just found my remote has this function, all this faffing about! I'm just doing an exposure now, sitting in my car as its freezing out!
 
parker455 said:
Just found my remote has this function, all this faffing about! I'm just doing an exposure now, sitting in my car as its freezing out!
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:LOL: I've been there in the cold may times including last week :LOL: at about -5 hope it goes well for you (y) what settings are you using

The wonders of mobile tech :D
 
Currently stacking them now! Got a good amount of movement, there 184 images at 30 seconds exposure and f2.8, 30 seconds exposed good amounts of stars.

Let's see how it turns out!
 
parker455 said:
Currently stacking them now! Got a good amount of movement, there 184 images at 30 seconds exposure and f2.8, 30 seconds exposed good amounts of stars.

Let's see how it turns out!
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Look forward to seeing the results (y)
 
It's extraordinary watching starstax work it's magic,

Here it is!

6752077711_7c6691d361_o.jpg


I'd love to have a better foreground, but i'm going to travel to a specific location next time and try the whole sky with my 8mm samyang. I also think that 20 second exposures would have been enough to satisfy it, but hey, i'll apply it next time!

First shot went well, thanks Matt for the guide!
 
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Cheers! IIRC it was about 50x30second exposures, F8 and ISO800

really chuffed with how it turned out
 
Brilliant. I have been meaing to give this a go for ages. Now armed with your guide I really have no excuses!
 
Haz said:
Cheers! IIRC it was about 50x30second exposures, F8 and ISO800

really chuffed with how it turned out
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As you should be (y) consider opening up a little more as that will help you pick up more of the stars (y)

bass_junkie83 said:
Brilliant. I have been meaing to give this a go for ages. Now armed with your guide I really have no excuses!
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Well I hope that you get clear skys soon to get to give this a try (y)

Matt
 
wallyboy said:
hi matt
just bought a remote for camera to give star trail ago( came to-day ) had a look at star stax software would this be good software to have,
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Hi Walter, glad you've now got a trigger, you will find yourself using it a lot I'm sure, I used mine most days, as to software I'm more than happy to recommend starstax it's brilliant and very easy to use, I did a 240 file layer last week and it knocked it out in under 2 minutes (y) though I'm sure speed will relate to computer spec :D

Matt
 
hi matt gave star trails a go earlier to-night, just to get the feel of it, only took 75 pics, loaded it star stax processed images pushed output and image was white,:bang: any ideas mate

ps cant believe how much light pollution there is
 
wallyboy said:
hi matt gave star trails a go earlier to-night, just to get the feel of it, only took 75 pics, loaded it star stax processed images pushed output and image was white,:bang: any ideas mate

ps cant believe how much light pollution there is
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I know it's terrible the amount of light pollution :( I cannot be sure exactly what the issue is, do you want to post a single frame from your set just in case that is the cause of the issue it may be because of how bright the whole image is but hard to say without viewing it :bonk:

I've just made this up in the hope that it helps


StarStax Pt 1 by mwhcvt, on Flickr


StarStax Pt 2 by mwhcvt, on Flickr


StarStax Pt 3 by mwhcvt, on Flickr


StarStax Pt 4 by mwhcvt, on Flickr

Matt
 
I take it that there are two images there layered together based on the break in the trails?

Now there looks to be some quite pronounced flare in there, did you have a filter fitter at the time?

When stacking in StarStax when watching the stacking process to it get progressively lighter while stacking?

Matt
 
I had a go at this last night, whilst I was reasonably happy for a first attempt, I couldn't get the camera to focus, any hints or tips? Doe anyone know if its possible to get the shutter to lock on a D70?

Thanks for the tutorial, looks like theres going to be a few cold nights ahead:D
 
Matt, i had nothing else better to do this evening so i tried another with my 8mm samyang.
6778504327_0463b18df2_o.jpg

Didn't turn out amazing as there was loads of planes and annoying disruptions, otherwise it would have been pretty neat. I had to take them out it just looked awful. Below is another stack that i made and turned out better trails wise, but still.

6778545057_486afa70b2_o.jpg
 
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dweeb said:
I had a go at this last night, whilst I was reasonably happy for a first attempt, I couldn't get the camera to focus, any hints or tips? Doe anyone know if its possible to get the shutter to lock on a D70?

Thanks for the tutorial, looks like theres going to be a few cold nights ahead:D
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Manual focus is the key, my suggestion is if you have live view try and use it, but without decent lighting that may well not work :( but basically I turn my lens to the furthest focal point, then do a couple of test exposures tweeking the focus back to the point where I'm happy with the focus on my main subject (y) but and I'm going to bold this before you leave the camera to do the actual star trail frames, check, check and then check again that your subject is in focus

I'm afraid I don't know about shutter lock on your camera or are you refering to mirror lockup??? in which case you should be able to but I can only refer you to your manual or to ask a specific question in the talk basics section, sorry

parker455 said:
Matt, i had nothing else better to do this evening so i tried another with my 8mm samyang.

Didn't turn out amazing as there was loads of planes and annoying disruptions, otherwise it would have been pretty neat. I had to take them out it just looked awful. Below is another stack that i made and turned out better trails wise, but still.
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If it had been clear I would have been out myself :bang: as really want to test my sammy on a star trail, they both look good but my concern is the large/pronounced gaps in the trails, what are you using to trigger your exposures you looks to be having large time lapses between exposures :thinking:

Matt
 
That's where i had to cut out the planes etc, the top one is an edited version of the second one.. even the second one went horribly wrong.

I'm just going to try something with the files i've got.

EDIT

here's one that's not all of the photos, had to cut 100+ out hence why the trails aren't huge!

6778858063_d2b64d7b8d_o.jpg
 
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that's very good (y) I think however based on your location, you like I do will have to star cloning out planes if they are too much of a pain to your trails you can do this either on the stacked image or the individual frames, personally I do it on the stacked trail (y)

Matt
 
Yeah I'll have to give it a shot with a decent location. Might wait until the weather warms though, it's freezing out at the moment!
 
hi thanks for the tutorial! will give this a go when i get home from being offshore. i have a question however...

when capturing a star trail, with a point of interest in the foreground, say a tree, how do you focus on this in pitch black at night? any tips?

i have a d3100 and a remote lockable shutter cable
 
kamikazi929 said:
hi thanks for the tutorial! will give this a go when i get home from being offshore. i have a question however...

when capturing a star trail, with a point of interest in the foreground, say a tree, how do you focus on this in pitch black at night? any tips?

i have a d3100 and a remote lockable shutter cable
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Thanks I'm pleased that you've found it worth reading (y)

There are a few different techniques that different people use, if you have a strong touch you can shine that on what you want to focus on and then use auto focus (y) remembering to switch it off once focused (y)

or you can focus to infinity and then take a few test exposure adjusting focus until your happy with the focus :D

If live view is available on your camera you can used that if there is sufficient light to focus manually

If there is a light on your subject AF may be able to lock onto that for focus..

The biggest key is to make sure once you've focused to make sure AF is off (y)

Matt
 
Thanks Matt, ill give that a try next time I head out. i live in the centre of norwich which can be a pain in the ass for ambient light, but im off to vietnam in a month, on a island in the middle of nowhere so that should provide some dark photo opportunities.
 
kamikazi929 said:
Thanks Matt, ill give that a try next time I head out. i live in the centre of norwich which can be a pain in the ass for ambient light, but im off to vietnam in a month, on a island in the middle of nowhere so that should provide some dark photo opportunities.
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I'm sure that will present some wonderful ideas and opportunities for you (y) be careful about saying your from Norwich :LOL: you will have my friends in the Norfolk Mafia trying to initiate you :eek:
 
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