Star Trails from my Window

Star Trails from my Window · 09:39 PM

Haven't done a star trail photo for some time. It was a beautiful but bitter cold evening. So instead of trekking outside and freezing my ars, I just set up shop at my office window and pointed skyward. Here's the result. The fact that I got north lined up pretty close to center was shear luck.

K10D w/ DA 16-45mm, f/6.3, ISO 200
3 shots combined (10 minutes each)

heliphoto · 01-23-2009, 09:58 PM

Very cool results. I can tell you live at a northern latitude, Polaris is almost straight up!

Jimbo · 01-23-2009, 10:02 PM

cool shot. JIM

JMR · 01-23-2009, 10:05 PM

That is cool, so well done. This is the kind of shot where distortion is overlooked and accepted because the main element is so wonderfully framed. I see a tinge of purple, but no matter it is still superb to me.

JMR

Last edited by JMR; 01-24-2009 at 05:03 AM.

jezza323 · 01-24-2009, 12:51 AM

certainly something a little different, very nice

stevebrot · 01-24-2009, 12:52 AM

Originally posted by JMR

That is cool, so well done. The kind of shot where distortion is overlooked and accepted because the manin element is so wonderfully framed. I do see a tinge of purple but no matter is still superb to me.

JMR

Distortion? What distortion? I see an appropriate amount of keystone (converging lines of perspective), but little distortion. In fact, I was wondering if a little PT lens had been applied.

I really like the framing as well. The converging lines draw additional attention to Polaris at the center.

Steve

dazman · 01-24-2009, 02:55 AM

Great result...feel like I'm in the twilight zone.

roentarre · 01-24-2009, 04:07 AM

Incredible metering skill. Great shot!

ftpaddict · 01-24-2009, 04:57 AM

That looks fantastic.

I'm going to base my star-trail photography trials on your exposure settings.

How exactly do you "combine" the three shots? Just overlay one on top of the other?

Adrian Owerko · 01-24-2009, 05:01 AM

What a way cool shoot... please tell us the exposure details on this! I just luv star trails. How did you get the windows not to fog over?

cupic · 01-24-2009, 05:04 AM

Nice visual effect even if its indoors

cheers

Nitrok · 01-24-2009, 05:23 AM

Nice idea and implementation!

**sureshgvv** · 01-24-2009, 06:41 AM

Like the shot !!!

daacon · 01-24-2009, 06:49 AM

Well sometimes you have to be lucky to be good - great shot regradless of how you captured it.

navcom · 01-24-2009, 07:33 AM

Thanks for the great comments all! I did notice there is some CA going on. The DA 16-45 allows that to creep in occasionally. When I get a chance, I will attempt to reign it in with PS.

I used three combined shots to make the image. All were using f/6.3 and ISO 200. The exposure was 10 minutes for each shot. To combine the images, I used the free software from www.Startrails.de-Home.

I imported them into Lightroom first and tweeked them slightly. On the final image, I did use just a hair of lens correction to remove some of the barrelling, but it was quite minor. I just thought it looked a bit better with slightly less.

On the windows, they really don't fog over. Our house is pretty air sealed and the humidity is fairly low. The only time we have any frosting on any windows is when the temps get below -20F...and then it's only in the corners and only on west facing ones (go figure).

navcom
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01-23-2009, 09:58 PM	#2
heliphoto Veteran Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Region 5 Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,539	Very cool results. I can tell you live at a northern latitude, Polaris is almost straight up!

01-23-2009, 10:02 PM	#3
Jimbo Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Maple Ridge BC Canada Photos: Gallery Posts: 11,368	cool shot. JIM

01-23-2009, 10:05 PM	#4
JMR Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 3,332	That is cool, so well done. This is the kind of shot where distortion is overlooked and accepted because the main element is so wonderfully framed. I see a tinge of purple, but no matter it is still superb to me. JMR Last edited by JMR; 01-24-2009 at 05:03 AM.

01-24-2009, 12:51 AM	#5
jezza323 Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Brisbane Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,421	certainly something a little different, very nice

01-24-2009, 12:52 AM	#6
stevebrot Otis Memorial Pentaxian Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Vancouver (USA) Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 42,007	Originally posted by JMR That is cool, so well done. The kind of shot where distortion is overlooked and accepted because the manin element is so wonderfully framed. I do see a tinge of purple but no matter is still superb to me. JMR Distortion? What distortion? I see an appropriate amount of keystone (converging lines of perspective), but little distortion. In fact, I was wondering if a little PT lens had been applied. I really like the framing as well. The converging lines draw additional attention to Polaris at the center. Steve

01-24-2009, 02:55 AM	#7
dazman Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Melbourne, Australia Posts: 1,949	Great result...feel like I'm in the twilight zone.

01-24-2009, 04:07 AM	#8
roentarre Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Melbourne, Australia Posts: 11,783	Incredible metering skill. Great shot!

01-24-2009, 04:57 AM	#9
ftpaddict Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Yurp Photos: Gallery Posts: 4,666	That looks fantastic. I'm going to base my star-trail photography trials on your exposure settings. How exactly do you "combine" the three shots? Just overlay one on top of the other?

01-24-2009, 05:01 AM	#10
Adrian Owerko Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: South Australia Posts: 435	What a way cool shoot... please tell us the exposure details on this! I just luv star trails. How did you get the windows not to fog over?

01-24-2009, 05:04 AM	#11
cupic Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Australia-NSW Photos: Gallery Posts: 4,824	Nice visual effect even if its indoors cheers

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01-24-2009, 05:23 AM	#12
Nitrok Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Finland Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,275	Nice idea and implementation!

01-24-2009, 06:41 AM	#13
sureshgvv Site Supporter Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Jacksonville, FL Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,115	Like the shot !!!

01-24-2009, 06:49 AM	#14
daacon Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Alberta,Canada Photos: Gallery Posts: 20,914	Well sometimes you have to be lucky to be good - great shot regradless of how you captured it.

01-24-2009, 07:33 AM	#15
navcom Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Minnesota USA Photos: Gallery Posts: 807 Original Poster	Thanks for the great comments all! I did notice there is some CA going on. The DA 16-45 allows that to creep in occasionally. When I get a chance, I will attempt to reign it in with PS. I used three combined shots to make the image. All were using f/6.3 and ISO 200. The exposure was 10 minutes for each shot. To combine the images, I used the free software from www.Startrails.de-Home. I imported them into Lightroom first and tweeked them slightly. On the final image, I did use just a hair of lens correction to remove some of the barrelling, but it was quite minor. I just thought it looked a bit better with slightly less. On the windows, they really don't fog over. Our house is pretty air sealed and the humidity is fairly low. The only time we have any frosting on any windows is when the temps get below -20F...and then it's only in the corners and only on west facing ones (go figure).