Star Trails

throughout my project this is the one technique i failed to master despite several long attempts on a number of cold winter nights. I followed the instructions of many websites and teachers to obtain the shots but time and again unforeseen, irritating problems (such as condensation building up and the lens freezing over) prevented me from achieving my goal of long sharp star trails.

If these problems hadn’t occurred, here’s the basic information which would have allowed me to produce the star trails...

Where to Shoot –

·          choose a spot as far away from any cities as possible to avoid light pollution caused by street and car lights etc (i travelled to Glendoll, a valley 40 miles from Dundee).

·          Try not to shoot during a full moon as this is far brighter than the stars and will appear very overpowering in the final image.

·         long exposure star trails can last for house so try to hook your camera up to a power supply to avoid it cutting out half way through.

·         And of course try to choose a clear night where you can actually see the stars in the sky through the mass of cloud which frequently obstructs out view of them.

http://www.schursastrophotography.com/software/photoshop/startrails.html

Setting up your equipment –

·         set your DSLR to bulb mode which will allow you to take a very long shot. Use the lowest ISO setting (ISO 100) to reduce the amount of noise in your final photograph. A tripod is absolutely essential (particularly when its windy).

·         Use a wide aperture to ensure you capture plenty of light which will give brighter trails.

                ·         And i know it sounds silly but wrap socks around your camera lens to prevent it fogging over – particularly on cold nights.

http://webspace.webring.com/people/re/excathedra/HighRes.htm