Hmm, what did I do wrong?

[Michaelangelo716]

Been reading about star trails for a little while now, I finally had a clear night to do it. So i did on Bulb setting with a shutter remote for an hour about and got this.... ugh!

Also my trails are just straight lines, why dont they go in a circle?

Thanks if you can help...


1_hour_exposure_star_trails by kane.Mike, on Flickr

[Nighthound]

Light pollution/sky glow are responsible foe the background brightness. I don't know your location but in the northern hemisphere you need to point at Polaris(very near the north celestial pole) to capture the rotation you mentioned. I the southern hemisphere you also need to point at the south celestial pole to capture spinning rotation although it's more difficult to locate since there is no star like Polaris to help locate it.

As far as the light pollution issue you can shorten your exposure times considerably and combine multiple exposures to achieve what will look like a very long exposure using this free program:
http://www.startrails.de/html/software.html

Your best bet is to go to a location with dark skies in the direction of your celestial pole, you'll get far better results. Also try to shoot at a focal length that'll give you a wide view that includes some interesting foreground objects like trees, mountains, windmills, lighthouses, etc. These kind of foregrounds add a lot of interest to the overall image. You can light the foregrounds a bit using a flashlight(torch) during your exposures to help make them more visible. You'll have to experiment just how long or how much to light the foreground to get the effect you want.

[Michaelangelo716]

thanks steve, yeah Im in Pa, so next time I will find the north star. Also do not zoom at all. Short exposures I can do, I actually have that program but this time I will use it.. Maybe 2 min exposures then. yeah as for background stuff, that is definitely on my mind, I just set the camera up on my deck and let it go. ( its still cold here) I just wanted to get comfortable with understanding whats going on with my camera and how different stuff will come out. Great tips I will do tonight!

[Nighthound]

You're welcome. I would start at 15-20 minutes as a test and dial back if the sky still looks too bright. If not stretch it a bit longer. Good luck and please post what you get.

[Michaelangelo716]

oh, ok. I see what you mean. lol its like a click in my head went off. I will try 20 and go up or down as need till I know what exposure gives me the longest and darkest picture.

It's funny, I had no idea you need the north star to see the rotation. I thought it's like that no matter where you look.

So much fun,( cant it be nighttime yet lol)

[va_rider]

According to the EXIF, you're at 64mm... that's far too tight... I typically like to be as wide as I can go... which is 8mm in most cases....

as far as time... as an example, the last trails I did were at the Dark Sky Observatory here in NC... it's the darkest piece of sky on the East Coast, and I managed to pull about 1/2 hour exposure.... even as dark as it is here, I wouldn't go for an hour...

as others have said, point towards the polaris for circles.... but also keep your foreground in mind... for the most part, star trails in their very nature are arcs of light... which... is boring... so, put something interesting in the foreground.. a statue, a cool building... a crazy looking tree.... etc... I think you'll be disappointed with the end result as long as the end result is just showing the sky... find an old church or graveyard... there's normally interesting subject matter there....

keep trying! You'll get it!

[Michaelangelo716]

I kinda got the creeps when you said old graveyard with the stars... That's eerie , but wow if it came out good would be pretty unforgettable to me.

Thanks I appreciate the feedback. I will also not zoom at all so the widest I could get with what I have is 18mm. Practice makes perfect

One more note. Say I was at a graveyard its totally dark. And I shine say an led light at a stone, would the pic be too bright?

[va_rider]

the key is to not leave the light on the stone for too long.... I'll PM you some examples....

[Casper Smit]

+1 to the advice posted,

see my posts in the thread below on what works for me

enjoy !

http://photography-on-the.net/forum/...d.php?t=946990

[the jimmy]

Originally Posted by Casper Smit

+1 to the advice posted,

see my posts in the thread below on what works for me

enjoy !

http://photography-on-the.net/forum/...d.php?t=946990

Nice write up...thanks

[Trugga]

Not a bad first attempt - smooth and colourfull - at least you've made a start and know where to improve.

I found the north start last Monday night (clicky) and while I don't yet consider that session a success, it has only made me more determind - be carefull, it's mildly adictive.

Good luck, and I look forward to comparing notes...

Lawrence