Southern stars

Southern stars · 01:11 PM

OK, I lied.
But this is the last one - really!
So here it is, taken close to home during some 'me' time...
Info in the gallery:
User Photo Gallery - Night Scene

C&C welcome.

scott-devon · 08-11-2008, 05:49 AM

That is one of the nicest star trail photos I've ever seen. The foreground landscape and the blue of the sky really work to make it contrasty (if there were such a word?) and surreal. I really like this, nice work!

daacon · 08-11-2008, 07:20 AM

I like it as well - almost looks like a vortex entry to another deminsion. Well done.

thomasjmpark · 08-11-2008, 07:29 AM

That is really nice, a 40min exposure! Im really going to have to try this out, thanks for posting with settings

I would have thought you need a smaller aperture than f5.6, goes to show what I know.

Jimbo · 08-11-2008, 08:22 AM

Great photo... well centered and the fence draws your eye to the sky line. Would love to try this but need to get out of the city! JIMBO

**Ash** · 08-11-2008, 01:52 PM

Thanks guys.
Took me a couple of nights to get the settings right, but the results keep surprising me each time.
I found a difference in brightness between the DA 10-17 (very bright at f/5.6 and ISO 160) and the DA 16-45 (more dull, needing a little boost PP at f/5.6 and ISO 200). So I settled for ISO 250 to maximise brightness on the DA 16-45 without a filter and was pleased with this result.

I'm fortunate to live in a semi-rural town with this darkened landscape a short walk away from my doorstep...

Mechan1k · 08-11-2008, 06:03 PM

I should give this a try ... I have been meaningto get out and shoot ... but it has been getting pretty cool of an evening down my way.

I am in a semi-rural area myself ... and the night skies have been perfectly clear.

cupic · 08-11-2008, 06:24 PM

^^^ Rural life's good till you hit suburbia girdlock

Still the quite semi country life must do you good

Nice set of trails Ash you seem to have found your niche
cheers

vievetrick · 08-11-2008, 06:38 PM

well done!!!

**Ash** · 08-11-2008, 10:25 PM

Thanks all.
I'm not the fan of city traffic either.
Nevertheless, I'm destined to return to Sydney in 18 months - where I'm originally from...
No more star trails from me then...

**Ash** · 09-20-2009, 01:19 AM

Another attempt, this time with the DA 12-24 on the K20D

This time with a 50 minute exposure at the same settings as above, I got significant white speckling over the scene, which becomes quite unsightly at 100% - don't know why this is so...

Taff · 09-20-2009, 01:30 AM

love the first one ash. well done mate

Class A · 09-20-2009, 04:35 AM

Great shot, Ash!
Very impressive.
I wonder whether it would be better to move the centre of the rotation a bit more off centre.

Here are some more southern stars:

In hindsight, I should have used a shorter exposure time but it was one of my first attempts at something like this.

**Ash** · 09-21-2009, 02:54 AM

Well that kind of capture takes a whole different approach.
Something I haven't yet found I can do well...
High ISO, wide aperture, shorter exposures to avoid stars' motion blur...
Elusive so far - thanks for sharing your attempt Class A - it's come up pretty good...

Class A · 09-21-2009, 03:23 AM

Originally posted by Ash

thanks for sharing your attempt Class A - it's come up pretty good...

Thanks, Ash.

You are right, high ISO (I used 800-1600) and wide aperture (I used f/1.8-2.2). 30sec already lead to small lines instead of points (without a tracking tripod, that is

). But it is amazing how many stars emerge from the black background once one starts pushing the exposure.

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08-11-2008, 05:49 AM	#2
scott-devon Inactive Account Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Alberta Posts: 2,140	That is one of the nicest star trail photos I've ever seen. The foreground landscape and the blue of the sky really work to make it contrasty (if there were such a word?) and surreal. I really like this, nice work!

08-11-2008, 07:20 AM	#3
daacon Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Alberta,Canada Photos: Gallery Posts: 20,914	I like it as well - almost looks like a vortex entry to another deminsion. Well done.

08-11-2008, 07:29 AM	#4
thomasjmpark Inactive Account Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Keswick, England Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,134	That is really nice, a 40min exposure! Im really going to have to try this out, thanks for posting with settings I would have thought you need a smaller aperture than f5.6, goes to show what I know.

08-11-2008, 08:22 AM	#5
Jimbo Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Maple Ridge BC Canada Photos: Gallery Posts: 11,368	Great photo... well centered and the fence draws your eye to the sky line. Would love to try this but need to get out of the city! JIMBO

08-11-2008, 01:52 PM	#6
Ash Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Toowoomba, Queensland Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 23,920 Original Poster	Thanks guys. Took me a couple of nights to get the settings right, but the results keep surprising me each time. I found a difference in brightness between the DA 10-17 (very bright at f/5.6 and ISO 160) and the DA 16-45 (more dull, needing a little boost PP at f/5.6 and ISO 200). So I settled for ISO 250 to maximise brightness on the DA 16-45 without a filter and was pleased with this result. I'm fortunate to live in a semi-rural town with this darkened landscape a short walk away from my doorstep...

08-11-2008, 06:03 PM	#7
Mechan1k Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Sydney, Australia Posts: 2,891	I should give this a try ... I have been meaningto get out and shoot ... but it has been getting pretty cool of an evening down my way. I am in a semi-rural area myself ... and the night skies have been perfectly clear.

08-11-2008, 06:24 PM	#8
cupic Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Australia-NSW Photos: Gallery Posts: 4,824	^^^ Rural life's good till you hit suburbia girdlock Still the quite semi country life must do you good Nice set of trails Ash you seem to have found your niche cheers

08-11-2008, 06:38 PM	#9
vievetrick Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Easthampton - Massachusetts - USA Photos: Gallery Posts: 5,183	well done!!!

08-11-2008, 10:25 PM	#10
Ash Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Toowoomba, Queensland Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 23,920 Original Poster	Thanks all. I'm not the fan of city traffic either. Nevertheless, I'm destined to return to Sydney in 18 months - where I'm originally from... No more star trails from me then...

09-20-2009, 01:19 AM	#11
Ash Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Toowoomba, Queensland Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 23,920 Original Poster	Another attempt, this time with the DA 12-24 on the K20D This time with a 50 minute exposure at the same settings as above, I got significant white speckling over the scene, which becomes quite unsightly at 100% - don't know why this is so...

09-20-2009, 01:30 AM	#12
Taff Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Perth Western Australia Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 1,612	love the first one ash. well done mate

09-20-2009, 04:35 AM	#13
Class A Pentaxian Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Wellington, New Zealand Posts: 11,251	Great shot, Ash! Very impressive. I wonder whether it would be better to move the centre of the rotation a bit more off centre. Here are some more southern stars: In hindsight, I should have used a shorter exposure time but it was one of my first attempts at something like this.

09-21-2009, 02:54 AM	#14
Ash Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Toowoomba, Queensland Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 23,920 Original Poster	Well that kind of capture takes a whole different approach. Something I haven't yet found I can do well... High ISO, wide aperture, shorter exposures to avoid stars' motion blur... Elusive so far - thanks for sharing your attempt Class A - it's come up pretty good...

09-21-2009, 03:23 AM	#15
Class A Pentaxian Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Wellington, New Zealand Posts: 11,251	Originally posted by Ash thanks for sharing your attempt Class A - it's come up pretty good... Thanks, Ash. You are right, high ISO (I used 800-1600) and wide aperture (I used f/1.8-2.2). 30sec already lead to small lines instead of points (without a tracking tripod, that is ). But it is amazing how many stars emerge from the black background once one starts pushing the exposure.