Night Startrail Clouds

BendingPhotography · 09-26-2011, 08:43 PM

Startrail Clouds

30second exposures for ~40minutes
General tips, advice?

unixrevolution · 09-26-2011, 08:53 PM

I'd say keep doing what you're doing. It looks great to me! Maybe avoid the direct light source next time.

snappychappy · 09-26-2011, 10:44 PM

Super patterns and colors, well done, great shot.

**Clarkey** · 10-09-2011, 06:57 AM

As mentioned, keep lights out of the frame to avoid lens flare (do you have a hood? - if not,one of the collapsable rubber ones will work well). The only other thought I have would be to WB check off the clouds in order to reduce the purpleness a bit - because of the street light running at a funky temperature, the auto WB has shifted in this direction.
If you can get hold of a lens (manual focus is fine) with an aperture faster than 3.5 (say a 24 or 28mm) you might be able to run it at F2.8 and reduce the noise some more.
Good effort though.

BendingPhotography · 10-09-2011, 02:42 PM

This is one I did after a bit more experience.

Zav · 10-10-2011, 03:17 PM

The 2nd attempt is much better colorwise. Much cleaner as well. I like that you still have details in the windows. And it looks like you catched a couple of shooting stars as well. Nice.

**Clarkey** · 10-12-2011, 04:42 AM

Very nice. Have fun!

applejax · 10-13-2011, 06:40 PM

I actually like the first one better. I like how the color radiates out from the right side. I'd cut the bright stuff off the bottom, though.

DK77 · 10-20-2011, 12:00 PM

Big improvement, I think. The first was sharp, but noisy (NR would help that) and had a lens flare (I second the suggestion of a rubber lens hood). It felt busy too, I would have cropped out the light and a bit of the bottom, leaving just trees, as well as that bit of tree sticking out on the right.

Your last one is great, clean, longer trails, interesting foreground (what is that red "e" thing on the roof?). I've been trying to shoot star trails for a while and have had trouble finding a subject, getting the settings right, setting up the camera to do inverval shooting (I have the K-x too), and finding a clear sky at the right time without the moon.

I'm very curious how you took interval shots with the K-x - did you use PK Tether, or tape down the shutter?

BendingPhotography · 10-20-2011, 02:38 PM

Originally posted by DK77

Big improvement, I think. The first was sharp, but noisy (NR would help that) and had a lens flare (I second the suggestion of a rubber lens hood). It felt busy too, I would have cropped out the light and a bit of the bottom, leaving just trees, as well as that bit of tree sticking out on the right.

Your last one is great, clean, longer trails, interesting foreground (what is that red "e" thing on the roof?). I've been trying to shoot star trails for a while and have had trouble finding a subject, getting the settings right, setting up the camera to do inverval shooting (I have the K-x too), and finding a clear sky at the right time without the moon.

I'm very curious how you took interval shots with the K-x - did you use PK Tether, or tape down the shutter?

That red thing is the solar water heating system, and yes I used PK Tether

DK77 · 10-20-2011, 03:22 PM

Aha! Very cool.

I was using PK Tether the other night and it worked...but it seems to have a minimum of three seconds in between each shot, which in reality turned into 4-5 seconds between shutter presses, enough to produce a dotted trail instead of a smooth one (at 50mm), it won't be such an issue at a wider angle unless you view it 100%, but it would be nice to eliminate the issue - have you by any chance found a way to reduce the time between exposures?

BendingPhotography · 10-21-2011, 01:03 AM

Originally posted by DK77

Aha! Very cool.

I was using PK Tether the other night and it worked...but it seems to have a minimum of three seconds in between each shot, which in reality turned into 4-5 seconds between shutter presses, enough to produce a dotted trail instead of a smooth one (at 50mm), it won't be such an issue at a wider angle unless you view it 100%, but it would be nice to eliminate the issue - have you by any chance found a way to reduce the time between exposures?

well, I set it to take 30second exposures so that the gap between was minimal. Also, set the automatic noise removal at higher shutter speeds off in the settings, because that takes quite a bit of time.

DK77 · 10-21-2011, 10:25 AM

Yeah, it certainly does. I only wish it could be turned off for 30+ second exposures.

09-26-2011, 08:43 PM	#1
BendingPhotography Forum Member Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Brisbane Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 56	Startrail Clouds Lens: DA L 18-55mm Camera: Pentax K-x Photo Location: Home Brisbane ISO: 400 Shutter Speed: >6s Aperture: F3.5 Startrail Clouds 30second exposures for ~40minutes General tips, advice?

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
K5 Startrail, what am I doing wrong	telfish	Pentax K-5 & K-5 II	94	11-21-2010 09:30 PM
Landscape Clouds in the sky	basso4735	Photo Critique	9	04-16-2010 11:53 AM
Landscape Clouds And Halo	Nitrok	Post Your Photos!	14	02-24-2010 09:33 PM
Landscape Above the Clouds	Taff	Post Your Photos!	13	01-15-2010 04:22 PM
Landscape Curtain Clouds	Nitrok	Post Your Photos!	6	01-02-2010 11:45 PM

09-26-2011, 08:53 PM	#2
unixrevolution Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Waldorf, MD Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 1,861	I'd say keep doing what you're doing. It looks great to me! Maybe avoid the direct light source next time.

09-26-2011, 10:44 PM	#3
snappychappy Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Leeds Posts: 1,636	Super patterns and colors, well done, great shot.

10-09-2011, 06:57 AM	#4
Clarkey Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Brampton, ON, Canada Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,456	As mentioned, keep lights out of the frame to avoid lens flare (do you have a hood? - if not,one of the collapsable rubber ones will work well). The only other thought I have would be to WB check off the clouds in order to reduce the purpleness a bit - because of the street light running at a funky temperature, the auto WB has shifted in this direction. If you can get hold of a lens (manual focus is fine) with an aperture faster than 3.5 (say a 24 or 28mm) you might be able to run it at F2.8 and reduce the noise some more. Good effort though.

10-09-2011, 02:42 PM	#5
BendingPhotography Forum Member Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Brisbane Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 56 Original Poster	This is one I did after a bit more experience.

10-10-2011, 03:17 PM	#6
Zav Pentaxian Join Date: Feb 2009 Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,371	The 2nd attempt is much better colorwise. Much cleaner as well. I like that you still have details in the windows. And it looks like you catched a couple of shooting stars as well. Nice.

10-12-2011, 04:42 AM	#7
Clarkey Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Brampton, ON, Canada Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,456	Very nice. Have fun!

10-13-2011, 06:40 PM	#8
applejax Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Photos: Albums Posts: 271	I actually like the first one better. I like how the color radiates out from the right side. I'd cut the bright stuff off the bottom, though.

10-20-2011, 12:00 PM	#9
DK77 Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Ontario Photos: Gallery Posts: 134	Big improvement, I think. The first was sharp, but noisy (NR would help that) and had a lens flare (I second the suggestion of a rubber lens hood). It felt busy too, I would have cropped out the light and a bit of the bottom, leaving just trees, as well as that bit of tree sticking out on the right. Your last one is great, clean, longer trails, interesting foreground (what is that red "e" thing on the roof?). I've been trying to shoot star trails for a while and have had trouble finding a subject, getting the settings right, setting up the camera to do inverval shooting (I have the K-x too), and finding a clear sky at the right time without the moon. I'm very curious how you took interval shots with the K-x - did you use PK Tether, or tape down the shutter?

10-20-2011, 02:38 PM	#10
BendingPhotography Forum Member Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Brisbane Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 56 Original Poster	Originally posted by DK77 Big improvement, I think. The first was sharp, but noisy (NR would help that) and had a lens flare (I second the suggestion of a rubber lens hood). It felt busy too, I would have cropped out the light and a bit of the bottom, leaving just trees, as well as that bit of tree sticking out on the right. Your last one is great, clean, longer trails, interesting foreground (what is that red "e" thing on the roof?). I've been trying to shoot star trails for a while and have had trouble finding a subject, getting the settings right, setting up the camera to do inverval shooting (I have the K-x too), and finding a clear sky at the right time without the moon. I'm very curious how you took interval shots with the K-x - did you use PK Tether, or tape down the shutter? That red thing is the solar water heating system, and yes I used PK Tether

10-20-2011, 03:22 PM	#11
DK77 Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Ontario Photos: Gallery Posts: 134	Aha! Very cool. I was using PK Tether the other night and it worked...but it seems to have a minimum of three seconds in between each shot, which in reality turned into 4-5 seconds between shutter presses, enough to produce a dotted trail instead of a smooth one (at 50mm), it won't be such an issue at a wider angle unless you view it 100%, but it would be nice to eliminate the issue - have you by any chance found a way to reduce the time between exposures?

10-21-2011, 01:03 AM	#12
BendingPhotography Forum Member Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Brisbane Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 56 Original Poster	Originally posted by DK77 Aha! Very cool. I was using PK Tether the other night and it worked...but it seems to have a minimum of three seconds in between each shot, which in reality turned into 4-5 seconds between shutter presses, enough to produce a dotted trail instead of a smooth one (at 50mm), it won't be such an issue at a wider angle unless you view it 100%, but it would be nice to eliminate the issue - have you by any chance found a way to reduce the time between exposures? well, I set it to take 30second exposures so that the gap between was minimal. Also, set the automatic noise removal at higher shutter speeds off in the settings, because that takes quite a bit of time.

10-21-2011, 10:25 AM	#13
DK77 Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Ontario Photos: Gallery Posts: 134	Yeah, it certainly does. I only wish it could be turned off for 30+ second exposures.