Star Trail Photography Presentation · • A star trail is a type of photograph that uses long...
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Transcript of Star Trail Photography Presentation · • A star trail is a type of photograph that uses long...
StarTrailPhotography
• Astartrailisatypeofphotographthatuseslongexposuretimes,ormultipleexposures,tocapturetheapparentmotionofstarsinthenightskyduetoEarth'srotation.Astar-trailphotographshowsindividualstarsasstreaksacrosstheimage,withlongerexposuresormoremultipleexposures,yieldinglongerarcs.
WhyareStarTrailsCircular?• Startrailsoccurbecausestars"move"acrosstheskyastheEarthrotates,andsowhenacamerakeepsits’shutteropenforanextendedperiodoftime,itwillabsorbthismovinglightaslighttrails.ThecircularpatternoccursduetothefactthattheEarthisrotating.
WhereShouldIGo?• Lookforlocationsthatarehavesomeforegroundinterest.Itmaybeanabandonedbuilding,largeinfrastructurelikearadiotowerorabridge,orsomenaturalfeatureslikerockformationsorbigtrees.
WhereShouldIGo?• Youmaychoosetoaddlighttothesefeatures,withaflashlight,orkeepthemassilhouettesagainstthestar-filledsky.
WhereShouldIGo?• Thoughitispossibletocapturestartrailsintown,itismucheasierifyoutrythisfarawayfromanycitylights.Citylightsthatarenotevenvisibletothenakedeyewillshowupoveralongexposure.
• LightpollutionfromtheMoonshouldalsobeavoided.
WhereShouldIGo?• Itreallypaysoffdoingsomeresearchbeforeembarkingonashoot,especiallyifyouhaveneverbeentothelocationbefore.
• Ifyouwanttogetthe“spiral”effect,youmustestablishwheretheCelestialSouthPoleislocated.
• TherearemanyfreeAPPSthatwilltellyouwheretopointyourcameratofindtheCelestialSouthPole.
• Iusethefollowingmethod…
WhereShouldIGo?
Focusing• Inthedark,itisnoteasytogettheAFtolockontoanything,butdonotworry….thereareseveralsolutionstothis.
Focusing• Ifyouareincludingforegroundobjects,Isuggestmakingsurethattheyareinfocus.Ifyouareusingawideanglelens,theforegroundobjectandthestarswillprobablybothbeinfocusevenataverywideaperture.Ifindthatitisfairlysafetojustsetthefocustoinfinityifitisawideangleorfisheyelensrightfromthestart.
Focusing• Onceyouhaveachievedthestateof“infocus”,besuretosetittoMFormanualfocusbeforestartingyourexposureoritwillstartsearchingagainwhenyoustarttheexposureandyouwillloseyourfocus.
Composition• Whencomposingtheshottrynottoincludeanydirectlightsources,likestreetlights,intheshot.
WhiteBalance• Whitebalancecouldbeawholeseparatetutorialonitsown.IalwaysshootinRawwiththeWhiteBalancesettoCloudy.AdjustmentstotheWhiteBalancecanbemadelater.
SingleShotvsStacking• Forshootingoptions,onecouldchoosetodoitallinoneshotorshootmultipleshotsand“stack”themlaterusingcomputersoftware.Ipersonallyfindthatshootingmultipleimagesandstackingthemyieldsmuchnicerimagesthanthosedoneallinoneshot.
SingleShotvsStacking• Ifyouaregoingtodoitallinoneshotthenyourbiggestconcernshouldbenoise.Idonotusethesingleshotbutusethestackingmethodforthisreason.
Stacking• AsIsaidbefore,mypreferredwayofshootingisshootingmultipleshotsand“stacking”themlaterusingcomputersoftware.Shootingshortexposurepicturesmeanslessnoise,soonecanshootwithawideapertureandafasterISOthatwillpickupmanymorestarsthantheoneshotmethod.
StackingSettings• ThesettingsIgenerallyuseare:• ISO200• ApertureF2.8• Shutter25sec• Intervalofsay30secbetweenexposures• Focusinfinity
StackingSoftware• StarStaX.• ThisistheSoftwareIuse.Unlikeotherfreeprograms,itrunsonMacaswellasWindows.WhatIlikeaboutStarStaXistheincrediblespeed.ItismuchfasterthanusingPhotoshop.
• IuseLightroomandStarStaXwhichIwilldemonstratelater.
StackingSoftware• Photoshop.• Thismethodgetsthejobdonebutisslowandtiesupmemorywhilestacking.
• ThereareYoutubevideosshowingtheuseofAdobeBridgeandPhotoshoptostackstarphotos.
StackingSoftware• Startrail.exe• GoodprogrambutonlyavailableforWindows.
EquipmentNeeded• Camera• Tripod• Intervalometer• Torch• Somemeansofheatingthelenstopreventdewforming
• IuseaDIYlensheaterrunningoffa12Voltbatterypackwhichkeepsthecamera/lensatabout25degC.
LensHeater
