Star Trail Photography... we are spinning!

[trackdaynova]

For Christmas I got a remote shutter off my Dad, so I tried it out tonight, as it was a fairly clear night.

In short, star trail photography, is where you leave the lens open for so long that the earth spinning in orbit creates the stars to blur, where everything else on earth, along with the camera is stationary, and in focus.

Get some quite funky results from this, but you need to be in a dark place with as little light polution as possible, as the shutter is open for so long, that light pollution from the next town, village or city can ruin the shot.

Here are just three examples of what I've done tonight, but there is alot more to come!

28mm | F/8 | 445.1sec | ISO-100
http://i136.photobucket.com/albums/q161/neocapture/Photography/StarTrailsweb.jpg

19mm | F/7.1 | 735.7sec | ISO-100
http://i136.photobucket.com/albums/q161/neocapture/Photography/StarTrails1web.jpg

15mm | F/9 | 1028.4sec | ISO-100
http://i136.photobucket.com/albums/q161/neocapture/Photography/StarTrails2web.jpg


Hope you like :)

[Ernie]

thats cool

[Jay]

Olly, as always your photography skills amazes me. Well done. :thumb:

[Spudly]

Thats ace man it looks like some kind of meteor or lazer shower lol

[bmw156]

jesus, that is super amazing, is that how people do the shots when all the car lights are blurred?

[Benn]

Wow i didnt know you could do that.

[Cle]

Shooting stars ???

Good photo's :thumb:

[trackdaynova]

No not shooting starts, the stars are stationary, its just the earth movement rotation thats causing them to be streaks.


bmw156 - kinda, same principle, just long exposure

[Rexy]

woooooo, using a tripod of love i take it mr olly :D

[trackdaynova]

lol I have steady hands... but not steady enough to stay mega still for... ermmm... 1028.4sec / 60secs in a minute = 17minutes :eek: lol

[tom reid]

That's the bollox matey, I'd love to see you get some shots in an empty location,no houses etc, do you still get the same results in a very dark place, would imagine that all you'd see are white streaks on a black background?

[trackdaynova]

Yeah thats right, but you always need something on earth still in shot, to put it into perspective that its the earth moving if you gets me.

Any remote location would work, but the sky would never be pitch black black, as the lens is open for that long, that it can pick up light from the sky from cities 20+ miles away, but would be really dark blue :)

Thanks for the comments :)

When I find a suitable location, I'll be doing a few shots with a shutter speed of a couple of hours etc

[Mazz]

wow - they are really cool, 17mins per photo :) thats some mega lens..opening!

[Stuart]

awesomeness :D


now get learning how to write in light in reverse lol

[trackdaynova]

sorry to be a smart ar.se, but been there, done that lol

http://i136.photobucket.com/albums/q161/neocapture/TOTB08/ncTOTB0822.jpg

http://i136.photobucket.com/albums/q161/neocapture/TOTB08/ncTOTB0823.jpg

[Riggy]

PMSL @ 2'nd photos they are ace ,

first ones are amazing though , so that how much the earth moves in 17 mins

[Stuart]

ok then mr cocky pants :p

goto the north pole and get a full on circle of stars

[trackdaynova]

you don't need to go to the north pole ;) :p lol

you just need to photograph the north star in the centre of the photograph ;)

[mowgli]

you really need to get on a brianair flight to shannon airport & hit the wild west coast of ireland (I'm thinking co. Clare near Lahinch). the sky seems huge over there & there are no big towns for miles plus 3000 miles of clear sky to the west. the photos will be incredible.

[trackdaynova]

last one of tonight, slightly light, as I used a lower F-stop, to see how it'd work, longest shutter by far though

17mm | F/5 | 1906.6secs (31m 6secs) | ISO-100
http://i136.photobucket.com/albums/q161/neocapture/Photography/StarTrails3web.jpg

[Riggy]

awsome olz :thumb:

[trackdaynova]

I think what still amazes me, is the colours it manages to pick up, I mean... its pitch black out there, I cannot even see the silouette of the branches of the tree...

the side of the garage looks lit up, but it's not at all, only the red and green flashing light on the side of the garage i could see

[Rexy]

olz how do you do the light writing??? I took my camera out tonight when i went for a blast up the moors, but it was a bit too cold to start messing with pics and standing around.

[Riggy]

^ id have a gues at a very long shutter speed , the use a torch or something and pretend its a sparkler lol ,

[Mazz]

its cool to see how much earth moves in 30 minutes.

[trackdaynova]

adjust your camera to the longest shutter speed possible, usually 30 seconds... or put it on the 'bulb' setting if you have someone with you - as this means the shutter will stay open for as long as they keep their finger on the button for

get into position, and write the words backwards, covering up the torch, or switching it off in between letters, or when letters have a break in them

do it within 30 seconds, or get your mate to let go of the button once you're done :thumb:

[Jonlem]

Ace pics Olz, there doing a photography comp on Passion Ford, I'm not sure what this weeks subjedct is but you should have a look, no prizes but the winner gets to choose the following weeks category.

[Jonlem]

http://passionford.com/forum/showthread.php?t=276809


Sorry for going off topic

[trackdaynova]

I'll go and have a look this afternoon Jon :thumb:

[Nova_Tek]

Totally mint pics there Olz I have such a great opportunity where I is to take some good pics like that, just wonder if my cam can keep shuter open for that long, need to go check.

* This is in the wrong section it should be in the 'photography forum' oh SORRY we dont have one YET ! Im looking at you forum admin / staff / etc :D *

[burgo]

thats fapping awesome. loving the first picture

[Graeme]

Really impressive mate, love it

[dj_wudgey]

good photo skills dude!!

[trackdaynova]

cheers chaps :) give it a go yourselves :thumb:

[Stuart]

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_0NypRCdnf9o/SWEe2Uh6z1I/AAAAAAAAB9s/CnIyIWoS-s4/s800/DSC06887.jpg


first go.... well ok took a lot of trying to get a long exposure.
427seconds, 18mm, F8, ISO80. Had hoped to get a nice line of light where the plane flew through it but hey ho



and just to show how dark it was.... on a 64second shot same other settings.
http://lh5.ggpht.com/_0NypRCdnf9o/SWEfioTpZyI/AAAAAAAAB9w/JkTgPIiKLFQ/s800/DSC06886.JPG

[trackdaynova]

Good work Stu :thumb: good on ya for trying

Not overly sure why your trees are so blurry, unless it was either windy, or you had your manual focus not set to infinity :)

Top work mate :)

[Adam]

Stunning pics/results there!
Not quite as good as the pics in my wip thread tho ;)

[ade]

love star trail pics - prob with your average DLSR is the fapping batteries dont last long enough to get UBER trails.

I'll need to see if I can dig out my old film based pics - did a project on this at school on one of those away trips to the Yorkshire dales - was pitch black - we set up Nikon film cameras on bilb setting 1/100sec f11 and just left them pointing at the sky for summut like 4 hours - the results were amazing - sort of semi circular!

really freaky - but youre right - it looks fake unless theres an earth based object in th frame (eg tree or house).

[ade]

mind you saying that this site got some amazing results with a canon 400d!
http://www.belugalakeobservatory.com/sale-photo.php?Star-trails-over-a-Homer-neighborhood&photo=32

[trackdaynova]

Ade - sorry, but they're not true star trails on that site, and it annoys the hell outta me, all he's done is done multiple 5min exposures and stitched them/ layered them in photoshop. Hence why the houses in the first pic are not blown out.

Any photo that requires photoshop to make an image look good, isn't impressive photography IMO.

[dhdev (Oli)]

Any photo that requires photoshop to make an image look good, isn't impressive photography IMO.

Glad its not just me that thinks that!

The pics look awesome Olz, i take it you're using the shutter lock on the remote? Or does your Nikon have infinite adjustment on shutter opening time?

[trackdaynova]

the earlier :thumb:

[dhdev (Oli)]

the earlier :thumb:
Another reason for me to buy a remote then! :D

[Stuart]

I got myself a remote for mine :D 17pence + 2.99 postage on egay lol

[Nova_Tek]

So guys what sort of setting adjustment should I be looking for on my camera? I dont have the manual with me so any tips on what I should be looking for so I can physically check on the camera.

:thumb:

[Welsh Dan]

look for a bulb setting for the shutter.

[ade]

Ade - sorry, but they're not true star trails on that site, and it annoys the hell outta me, all he's done is done multiple 5min exposures and stitched them/ layered them in photoshop. Hence why the houses in the first pic are not blown out.

Any photo that requires photoshop to make an image look good, isn't impressive photography IMO.

lol - I never even clocked that! Just thought the image was really cool (pros and cons of searching via google images!)

Bulb seting is denoted by a little light bulb (obviously) - usually in the "creative setting" zone of the dial...

[Dar]

Just stumbled across this cool piccy
http://cache.boston.com/universal/site_graphics/blogs/bigpicture/2008_pt1/11_17250697.jpg

[KPautomotive]

Thats amazing! :)

[Nova_Tek]

Cool pic Dar very good quality shot. My cam dont have a bulb setting :cry:

I hope a firmware upgrade puts one on there but thats being hopefull :(