Photographing the Night Sky: Star Trails

BetterPhoto instructor Deborah Sandidge proves that you don't have to put away your camera when daytime turns to nighttime. Check out her amazing photo and her valuable tips and insights for photographing star trails:

(c) Deborah Sandidge

"I love taking pictures of the night sky," says Deb Sandidge. "This was photographed in my neighborhood on a cool clear night. With my camera, a Nikon D3s, consecutive exposures can be made by using the interval timer shooting option under the shooting menu options. An intervalometer can also be used for other cameras. Rather than make one long exposure, about seventy 30-second exposures were made, and stacked in Photoshop Extended using Image Statistics.

"There are quite a few options for star trails, and a single long exposure can be made too. I used a 14-24mm Nikon lens, f/4, 30 seconds adjusting the ISO to suit the scene. Want to try it? Bring a tripod, flashlight, and a compass to locate north if you wish to compose for circular trails. Once the camera is set up to record consecutive exposures, sit back and relax, and enjoy the night sky! Have fun shooting!"

Notes:
- Need more? Check out Deborah's online photography courses. At BetterPhoto, we have some great ways to get inspired! For example, check out our free Photo of the Day photography newsletter.
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Comments

[F.Zaman]

excellent