I've got a kodak digital camera and it such a clear night, I've been wanting to do star trails. How do I go about setting it up and doing it? What about the shutter?
Approxiamtely how long should the shutter stay open?
I've got a film camers right now for photography class till the end of June.
Best answer:
Answer by fhotoace
You need a camera that you can hold the shutter open for at least a few hours. That means something like a 35 mm SLR or DSLR
With camera on its back, aimed at the night sky, place the cameras shutter speed to bulb and using a remote shutter release that can be locked open.
Know better? Leave your own answer in the comments!
Don't bother trying with a digital camera. It won't look good. I've tried. Use a good old reliable film camera, set to bulb and locked open. You'll need a way to secure the camera, like a tripod. Make sure there's no light from streetlights, porch lights, city lights or headlights.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.apogeephoto.com/mag7-6/stars_moon.shtml
None of these answers are right. Real amateur astro photographers use several shorter exposures (5 min and under) and "stack" the exposures in software, for digital images
ReplyDeleteExample of such software: http://www.astronomie.be/registax/old_index.html
The problem with your Kodak is that U might not be able to take 5 min. exposures. And probably will be noisy too. U'd need a digital SLR to get the best results.
For film, switch yor shutter to "B" for bulb mode on a tripod. Use a cable release, lock the shutter open for for 30 min. to 3 hours. Use a wide angle lens. Aim at Polaris, the North Star if U want circular trails. Set aperture to f/5.6--do not shoot "wide open." Be aware of dew that can form on lens/camera after a few hours at night.
It is all about shutter speed. To obtain star trails you will need to keep the shutter open for a very long time. All types of cameras can do this as long as you have control of the shutter speed.
ReplyDeleteThe technique is called "Long Exposure Photography"
The amount of time that you will keep your shutter open will dictate how long the "trails" will be. For stars you might want to keep it open for at least 2 hours.. I recommend 3
Having fun with other camera functions can change the results as well:
Start with a large lens aperture (f/2.8), a few seconds later carefully reduce it to f/16 to produce trails with the stars visible at one end.
Things to remember:
-Solid camera installation, any movement will distort the trails giving in most case an unwanted end result
-Make sure the foreground is not much brighter than the sky; a darker foreground is not a problem.
-Airplane or satellite, if you don't want them to show in the picture use a 100 ISO film at f/5.6 to lower the chance of them showing. An other option is to put a black cardboard in front of the camera while they pass in front. but this might brake the trail
Have a look at Digital Camera Style for some other examples of Long Exposure Photography. You can probably find an other interesting subject that could give nice results using this technique. And most of all, Star trails is probably the one that requires the longest exposure time.
http://www.digitalcamerastyle.com/long-exposure-photography-sample-photos