star trails

[Colin]

This is, to date, one of my favorite star trails pictures.


Teton National Park, with a Rebel XT, with my first and only wide angle lens (and still with me today), the 16-35mm f/2.8..


A single exposure with a full battery seemed to work fine. I hung out in the rental car while it was shooting. To the naked eye, there wasn't nearly so much light. I could barely see the mountain range after getting used to the dark for about 20 minutes. I used the cheap canon shutter release.






Shooting ModeManual Exposure
Tv( Shutter Speed )993
Av( Aperture Value )2.8
Metering ModeCenter-Weighted Average Metering
ISO Speed100
Lens16.0 - 35.0mm
Focal Length16.0mm

[Rodger]

That's beautiful Colin!


Time to take some money out of the 70-200 f/2.8envelopeand get a remote shutter! hahah

[mpphoto12]

do yo have to focus on the North Star first? also i am going on a trip in the open New mexico and was wondering(since it is soooo clear out there due to lack of civilization) if i could get a cable relase for my point and shoot. The G9 that im going to purchase. ??? help becasue i thought that would be amazing.

[Jon Ruyle]

I don't think the north star is relevant unless you want it in your picture.


I hope you'll post your reslults... I'd be interested to see them.

[mpphoto12]

haha thanks i can only shoot by my house for now so idk how great they will be lol If ther efis surrounding light like from a town do i need to zoon in more to get rid of it or just stop down to like f/20 for a lonnngggg time lol

[btaylor]

Stopping down isn't going to remove ambient light from a town/ city etc. That light is still going to filter into the shot and essentially reduce the time you can expose your shot for before everything gets washed out by ambient light. At f/20 you're going to find it difficult to pick up the light from the stars anyway unless you have a high ISO - which is the worst thing you cando for long exposures apart fromleaving the lens cap on.


The major downside of taking night shot near city lights is that you will see a lot less of the stars. Getting out of town makes a huge difference. I live in outback Australia and thestars are amazing if you travel into the middle of nowhere.

[Jon Ruyle]

I live in outback Australia and thestars are amazing if you travel into the middle of nowhere.

Living there is a fantasy of mine. I envy your starry southern night sky. (I just looked in the mirror and I'm actually green. Hope that clears up before I have to go to work...)