Getting MORE from your photos !

[04OFF]

Hey Steve, just checked out your last lot of pics, bloody brilliant.
What settings did you use for stars in the night sky and what lens. Have tried same shot before with a big fail.

Thanks bud, assume you are talking about this pic ?......



Details are...

Canon 50D
Sigma 10-20mm
Exposure 178 sec
ISO 320
F-stop f/3.5
Focal length 10mm
Metering Mode Centre Weighted Average
Exposure program Manual
White Balance Auto


You obviously need a Tripod and a Remote Timer (depending on your camera), it helps to have a very dark location so the sky is not lit by city lights etc, even kilometres away lots of light will very quickly wash out the night sky background , and wont help "bring out" the stars (you can see this happening on the right above the trees), in my pic, this light helps highlight the profile of the trees a little.

To speed up the process ,I often use a Hot Shoe bubble level to ensure the horizon is level, well, it actually lets you get only the "camera" body level in reality , but that's normally a good place to start.


IMO, This is far from my best pic with stars, and I normally would have lit the trees for a much better pic, I was a bit rushed because I had someone "waiting" for me to finish, so we could go to meet some other people further up the beach, I had to lay in the sand to compose the pic, of course getting covered sand, normally not a problem, but not so great when you have to touch your camera gear