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Big Bend Night Photography Play'shop

Big Bend Night Photography Play'shop

  • Good Idea, I'm In

    Votes: 4 80.0%
  • Good Idea, I'm Out

    Votes: 1 20.0%
  • Bad Idea, You're nutz

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Just get off your duff and pay to attend a professional workshop

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    5
I love Big Bend. In a 2-3 day period I can get more gallery shots than 6 months of trying elsewhere...it's magical. The sheer beauty, lighting, geographical diversity and remoteness are all attributes that make photography a joy.

A wise man once said "Great subjects, great pictures".
 
If I understand your process right, you shot shutter open for 58 seconds, closed for two seconds then repeated? Or was there a minute inbetween shots? And that image took six hours give or take?
 
If I understand your process right, you shot shutter open for 58 seconds, closed for two seconds then repeated? Or was there a minute inbetween shots? And that image took six hours give or take?

Yes, I metered for +/- 1 minute exposure at f/9 and set the timer to open for 58 seconds and close for 2 seconds. This was repeated roughly 350 times between 11 pm and 5 am.

As it turned out the exposure was spot on. This is the most difficult part.

The lit foreground was painted in with a flashlight. My goal was to lead the eye towards the star trail.
 
And I assume you point the center of the frame at the North Star for perfect circles?
 
The North Star is offset, as is the horizon. The rule of thirds is working well in this shot for balance. Ironically, the circles are formed by the earths rotation.
 
The North Star is offset, as is the horizon. The rule of thirds is working well in this shot for balance. Ironically, the circles are formed by the earths rotation.

:doh: I see that now.

Your shot is simply stunning.
 
:doh: I see that now.

Your shot is simply stunning.

Honestly, I had no idea what was going to happen until I got home. :mrgreen:

I was very lucky with this one. It would be a blast to try another one from a different location.
 
I have been studying up some more. I found this on the NIKON site.

http://www.nikonusa.com/en/Learn-An.../photographing-the-night-sky-star-trails.html

Also this weekend is going to be a new moon weekend as well. If the weather clears up, I might just try and shoot some.

i-tVDG42R-L.png
 
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Here is a 1:30 hour long B&H Video Class on night shooting.

The Magic of Light Painting with Tim Cooper

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZqvhNOZaEU"]The Magic of Light Painting with Tim Cooper - YouTube[/ame]
 
Hey Nathan... I don't think you will need new glass. From all that I have read star trails are typically shot at the following settings.

f/1.4 and ISO400 = 30s
f/2.8 and ISO1600 = 30s
f/4.0 and ISO3200 = 30s
f/5.6 and ISO6400 = 30s

As your f/stop gets smaller you will have to adjust your ISO higher so noise may become an issue. I don't remember what body your shooting with to know just how much an issue with noise you might have.

If you were using a camera like my D90. Well I would need a lens with a f/2.8 or faster because noise gets to bright after ISO 1600/2000 or so.

Here is a pretty good article that I think could serve as a lesson plan. http://petapixel.com/2013/03/18/how-to-photograph-star-trails-from-start-to-finish/
Ah man, now you're taking away my reason to get new glass! :miffed:

Scored a 35mm f/1.8 for Christmas, so I can get pretty low in the f range now.
I'm shooting with a D7100, so I've got more ISO room than a D90 does.

April is looking really full already, so I'm becoming less likely to make it. I'll keep watching and see if I can make it.
 
AS a Getty Images photographer for over 25 years and having traveled the globe I can give you a bit of advice. NEVER think that you can fix it on the computer. GREAT Images begin in the minds eye and that is the most important stage of creating great images. Your ability to SEE is paramount to spectacular images. Camera and lenses are just tools to achieve that. Put more energy into seeing than technical aspects.

Think long exposures with of course a very stable tripod. Vary the times for different effects. Good shooting.
 
AS a Getty Images photographer for over 25 years and having traveled the globe I can give you a bit of advice. NEVER think that you can fix it on the computer. GREAT Images begin in the minds eye and that is the most important stage of creating great images. Your ability to SEE is paramount to spectacular images. Camera and lenses are just tools to achieve that. Put more energy into seeing than technical aspects.



Think long exposures with of course a very stable tripod. Vary the times for different effects. Good shooting.


Awesome advice and something we should all remember. Also, along with a very good tripod I would suggest some sandbags or extra forms of ballast just to make sure that it doesn't move with a gust of wind that the TX desert is known for.
 
And those sandbags sit where? Do they hang?


In the past, I have put them on top of each leg where it meets the ground. The ones we have at work are split down the middle with sand on each side. These seem to work very well in this way. That being said, I suppose you could hang one. I've never done it before but why else would that hook be on there?!?!? LOL.
 
Well crap-o-la.... I'm booked to shoot the TeamRWB Tri-Camp April 16-19 in Austin. Bummer.


.
 
I'm still planning on heading out there. Got it marked on the calendar and everything!
 
Keep us updated this sounds like a pretty cool cooperative effort.

I have no update, I shared Mike's info so whoever is organizing this can coordinate with him if desired. I don't want to be a go between.

The other (and main) thing I am bringing to the effort is a dark place to set up miles from the lights of town.

My little spot makes even the hill behind the Chisos Mining Co look like the bright lights of Broadway.
 
OK... Got to start putting something resembling a formal plan together.

But not tonight.


Ed, were you serious about permitting camping? How many can you host?

IN:
Ed - (might shoot, might not... I predict will shoot) - Camera?
Duke - Nikon
Bill - Nikon
Rachel - ?
*Clayton (co-worker of Duke) - Canon

Maybe
Kory - Nikon
RTScott - Canon
Jred - ?

Out
M38A1 - Nikon
 
Training Videos worth watching.

[ame="http://youtu.be/COlvv21gRXQ"]Beginner DSLR Night Sky Astrophotography - TCS * Astrophotography - YouTube[/ame]

[ame="http://youtu.be/DKyaoVIA8Oo"]How to Shoot and Retouch the Milky Way - PLP #134 - YouTube[/ame]

[ame="http://youtu.be/IkLaTdfIAv8"]How to - Take Pictures of the Milky Way - YouTube[/ame]

[ame="http://youtu.be/A6ovDdRNNg8"]Glowing Tent Under a Night Sky: Getting the Shot with Corey Rich: Tech Tip: AdoramaTV - YouTube[/ame]
 
I am serious about the camping

I have 20 acres, rudimentary toilet facility, and rainwater on hand. There is no electricity at my place, so I will set up a temporary power station with a solar panel and a small inverter for charging phones, laptops, etc in a common area. It will be a quasi-square wave inverter which works fine for electronics that use transformer chargers. Showers are not available on site, but I do have two grills and a smoker. If anyone is squeamish about drinking rainwater please bring your bottled water.

There is space for camping and parking for all folks on the IN and MAYBE lists.

Camera is Canon SX-20-IS.
 
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