Star pics failure....

[Kwacker]

This was the third time I attempted to take pictures of the stars.

First time I managed to get the iso setting all wrong.

Next I didn't didn't allow the camera to adjust to the ambient temperature, so the lens misted up.

Last night, total school boy error, didn't get the focus right so every picture ruined.

Maybe next time.

Kwacker

[Crafty_]

You need to put a thread title and link to the pics

[Eggman]

Would have been more annoying with a film camera, though. (Unless that's the reason why there are no pics...)

[neilatter]

Here's one I tried the other night, need to find somewhere darker than the back garden though...

[richcorsavxr]

neilatter said:

Here's one I tried the other night, need to find somewhere darker than the back garden though...

can you give me a quick run down on how its done, i also tried last night and failed

[YorkshirePudding]

richcorsavxr said:

can you give me a quick run down on how its done, i also tried last night and failed

Written by ph'er AndWhyNot,

http://longexposuretips.blogspot.com/2011/06/how-t...

[Kwacker]

:-} Crafty they were pretty bad so there was no point in showing them. Also I thought I had put a title up but I was doing it on my Iphone so could have missed it.

I don't know what it is about wanting to take my own shots of the stars when I know that there are so many out there that I can simply look up on the web.

Also I am going to colorado over christmas (been going for the last 20 years so why not again?) and I know just the spot to get the most amazing shots of the milky way and from what I remember most of the stars in the galaxy. Ok I don't have x-ray vision and can't look straight through the earth, but when you see that many stars in one sky it really looks like someone moved a few around so you get to see more than normal.

So If I can hone my skills before I go I will post the results and impress all of you. If NOT I will claim there was something wrong with the camera.

Kwacker

Ok, If I get a decent shot before I go I'll post it.

[richcorsavxr]

YorkshirePudding said:

richcorsavxr said:

can you give me a quick run down on how its done, i also tried last night and failed

Written by ph'er AndWhyNot,

http://longexposuretips.blogspot.com/2011/06/how-t...

thanking you

[dxbtiger]

YorkshirePudding said:

Written by ph'er AndWhyNot,

http://longexposuretips.blogspot.com/2011/06/how-t...

That is useful although I would echo one of the comments.

'Wonderful images and great guidance, thank you. I just botched a few shots trying to take 20 min exposures. You give us most of the needed info, but one crucial advise is missing: exposure time and roughly how many images you stack. Thanks!'

Any guidance on that would be great, I'll be heading into the desert when the weather cools down to try my hand at this..

[gary71]

I think most of your questions are answered in the other Star Photography thread

Shorter (30sec) exposures are easier to judge the exposure level as you only have to wait 30 seconds for the result

[AndWhyNot]

dxbtiger said:

YorkshirePudding said:

Written by ph'er AndWhyNot,

http://longexposuretips.blogspot.com/2011/06/how-t...

That is useful although I would echo one of the comments.

'Wonderful images and great guidance, thank you. I just botched a few shots trying to take 20 min exposures. You give us most of the needed info, but one crucial advise is missing: exposure time and roughly how many images you stack. Thanks!'

Any guidance on that would be great, I'll be heading into the desert when the weather cools down to try my hand at this..

If all conditions were the same in each location every night I'd be able to predict exposure times for you. Until that happens, I can really only share my general approach - when it comes down to it you've really got to work with what looks and feels right. Use the preview screen, the histogram, your knowledge of how your camera performs with long exposures - and most of all, your vision of how you want the final image to look.

To get you started, try setting the aperture as wide as possible without compromising optical quality. I shoot on primes and my 35mm and 50mm (both of which I use a lot) are sharp enough at their widest settings to allow me to use f/2 and f/1.4 respectively. Shoot a test frame at your base ISO setting - the actual duration doesn't really matter at this stage but lets say 30sec.

> If it's too bright, I would stop the aperture down to a max of f/2.8 before starting to reduce the exposure duration (halve it for a stop of light; halve that duration again for a further stop etc).

> If your test shot is too dim, double your exposure duration and retest. Repeat as required.

Obviously, for exposures longer than 30sec you either need an intervalometer or to time and control each exposure manually - I do this with my phone timer and just locking the camera into and out of bulb mode. If neither of those options appeals, that's when to bring in ISO adjustments. Double the ISO setting to shorten the exposure duration (by half); Halve the ISO to extend the exposure setting.

Light pollution/ ambient light and moon phase/ position will each affect the result and, combined, mean the only reliable way to succeed is to apply some discretion at time of shooting.