Star Trails

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mkemp

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Hey I'm relatively new here, and basically I need a good tutorial for creating star trails I've done what I call the easy part; taking the exposures just need to put them all together in one final image?
 
Cheers for the link to the software - I'm hoping to give it a run out in the next few days!
 
I've been naughty and downloaded it at work, works a treat! cheers guys
 
I wrote this in a thread a few months ago, hope it helps :)

Here's some tips for your first time at star trials to make it easier.

Get your fastest lens on (F2.8 being faster then F4 etc).
Go to manual mode, set to widest aperture and set to 30 secs.
Set your white balance to tungsten (this is my preference, you could do a custom WB).
Set your iso as low as possible that will allow the stars to be exposed, just do a few try-outs and you'll probably be ok with iso 800 (obviously dependant on how fast your lens is).
When checking your "iso try-outs" make sure the image is in focus.
Set to continuous shooting mode and jpg (star trail software doesn't like my raw files)
Compose your image and set your camera to keep taking images. This can be done either with a remote shutter release or a cheap way is to place a suitable object on the shutter button and hold it there with an elastic band.
Let the camera shoot off for a good 20-30 mins to give you a good effect.
Download startrail.de software, load the images into it and watch as your pretty picture comes to life.
Click to expand...

All I'll add to that is take a flask and some sandwiches :)
 
Comfy said:
I wrote this in a thread a few months ago, hope it helps :)

All I'll add to that is take a flask and some sandwiches :)
Click to expand...

Hi, Ryan, and apologies the the minor hijack, but does focal length matter? Sorry if thats a stoopid question..:)

Great tips, by the way.

Cheers.
 
@Andy, Focal length when shooting objects at infinity only really affects composition as far as I'm aware.
 
focus at infinity if your lens supports it!

Funny, I was tying to do a super super long exposure with about 3 gradient filters on top, it worked, but not well enough and a 28 minute exposure didn't quite work... didn't really think about shooting tonnes and tonnes of pictures!
 
These are some great tips, I can't wait to try it out, how do I know were to point the camera so I get the circular motion of the stars and not just some lines going through my picture???
 
leeharrison2 said:
These are some great tips, I can't wait to try it out, how do I know were to point the camera so I get the circular motion of the stars and not just some lines going through my picture???
Click to expand...

You need to point it at Polaris.. the North star or pole star (just different names for the same star)...

Look here
 
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Hi Dave thanks for the link to your tutorial, I'm off to north Cyprus next week, there's very low light pollution in the locations I'm planning which is obviously a bonus, but this will be my first attempt as well.
Could you advise me on a few things please ?
I don't know when to take the dark frames, I think at the beginning in case the battery runs out, and why more than one?
I will be able to frame Polaris as well as my foreground subject so would I be best using my 28-70 f2.8 or my 17-55 kit f3.5 for more fov but less light?
If I wanted to light the foreground subject should I do it on a single frame or multiple exposures?
Any tips would be greatly appreciated, thanks Si
 
Poochops said:
Hi Dave thanks for the link to your tutorial, I'm off to north Cyprus next week, there's very low light pollution in the locations I'm planning which is obviously a bonus, but this will be my first attempt as well.
Could you advise me on a few things please ?
I don't know when to take the dark frames, I think at the beginning in case the battery runs out, and why more than one?
I will be able to frame Polaris as well as my foreground subject so would I be best using my 28-70 f2.8 or my 17-55 kit f3.5 for more fov but less light?
If I wanted to light the foreground subject should I do it on a single frame or multiple exposures?
Any tips would be greatly appreciated, thanks Si
Click to expand...

Enjoy the hols! :thumbs:

Don't worry too much about dark frames if you're just starting out :shrug: It does get complicated :) Dark frames are used to subtract noise from the shot.. If you want to use them then they should be taken in exactly the same conditions as the shot ... i.e. same exposure length, same ISO and just as importantly same temperature.....

Then consider light frames, averages etc. Not to mention average light frames and average dark frames ;) Nah! sod it...... Just take the shots and begin the fun and the the learning process... Have fun
 
Poochops said:
I don't know when to take the dark frames, I think at the beginning in case the battery runs out, and why more than one?
Click to expand...

Like Dave said, having a dark frame at the same temperature is the main thing - so I take them at the end of a shoot. At the beginning just one will suffice.

Poochops said:
I will be able to frame Polaris as well as my foreground subject so would I be best using my 28-70 f2.8 or my 17-55 kit f3.5 for more fov but less light?
Click to expand...

I've always used as wide as possible. 17mm @ f/3.5 should be good.

Poochops said:
If I wanted to light the foreground subject should I do it on a single frame or multiple exposures?
Click to expand...

Just the one exposure should be enough.
 
Thanks for the replies fellas I'm pretty happy now about what I need to do, think is I've got this image in my mind of a particular shot I want and I just have a feeling it'll turn out a load of pants! Still I'll enjoy trying and post up to give everyone a laugh.
Cheers
Si
 
I've got a couple of related questions if that's OK? Should I turn the noise reduction feature off if I attempt this? And if I leave it on will it affect the star trails themselves by leaving little gaps in the trails? Presumably if I left it on I wouldn't need the dark frames?

Ooh, and what's the best way to light the foreground, paint it with flash or with a torch? Cheers!
 
benley said:
I've got a couple of related questions if that's OK? Should I turn the noise reduction feature off if I attempt this? And if I leave it on will it affect the star trails themselves by leaving little gaps in the trails? Presumably if I left it on I wouldn't need the dark frames?

Ooh, and what's the best way to light the foreground, paint it with flash or with a torch? Cheers!
Click to expand...

Yes, yes and yes again ;) Turn it off.
 
gnirtS said:
I will add though finding the north star exactly in a viewfinder is difficult even if you can see it clearly without the camera.
Click to expand...

You don't need Polaris dead centre, as long as it's somewhere near the middle of the frame you'll be fine.
 
hollis_f said:
You don't need Polaris dead centre, as long as it's somewhere near the middle of the frame you'll be fine.
Click to expand...

Yeah but i have a habit of getting it just out of frame or other places that screw up the shot. No matter how obvious it is to me by eye i always struggle to find it in a view finder.

(its also a high elevation here meaning you cant really use foreground objects to help sight it).
 
gnirtS said:
Yeah but i have a habit of getting it just out of frame or other places that screw up the shot. No matter how obvious it is to me by eye i always struggle to find it in a view finder.

(its also a high elevation here meaning you cant really use foreground objects to help sight it).
Click to expand...

How wide a lens are you using? At 10mm it's virtually impossible not to include it in any shot where the camera is pointing north and/or up.
 
gnirtS said:
10-22mm (at 10mm but on a crop body).

Ive "nearly" got it a few times and just missed. It is 50+ degrees elevation which doesnt help framing.
Click to expand...

It's 51º high from here and if I get the horizon just out of frame then Polaris is smack in the middle at 10mm on a 7D.

StarTrail.jpg
 
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