I have been playing around with taking night time photos for a few years. Never really got it sorted, always had disappointing results. Decided to have another go a few weeks ago. Did lots of research. Set up a test center in my basement car shed to test things out. It's as dark in there during the day with the lights out as a moonless night.
Have had 4 failed night time trips over this time. Last night I finally had some success. There was a 1/2 moon in the middle of the night sky giving just enough light to make things easier. 112 photos taken on the night. Most are sets when varying exposure time, aperture (f/stop) or ISO, to see the impact of the changes and learn the best settings for my camera and lens. Still have lots to learn and will be going out again soon on suitable nights.
It's impossible to get everything in the frame in focus and have crisp dot stars. There are compromises to be made or you get really talented in lightroom/photoshop layering up between 3 to 20 photos to make the impossible.
This is the first framed and set-up shot of the night. As soon as I saw the picture in the camera's LCD screen, I knew I was going to have a good night. Car is in focus, bush to the right out of focus and blurry stars. Time to play with the camera settings. Photo is, as it came out of the camera.
Nikon D5300, 50mm lens, 6 sec exposure, f/1.4 ISO 2016
Getting better, got the bush in focus and the rock is looking not too bad. Stars are getting trails from the long exposure. This photo has been made lighter in post production.
Nikon D5300, 50mm lens, 25 sec exposure, f/1.4 ISO 635
Time to embrace those star trails and reduce the aperture so that the Hyper-Focus can do it's thing. Got crisp start trails and everything in the foreground is in focus. This photo has been made lots lighter in post production. I should have gone for a 7 or 9 minute exposure.
Nikon D5300, 50mm lens, 300 sec (5 minute) exposure, f/8.0 ISO 400
A bit more playing and this photo is the pick of the night. Car and surrounding are in focus. The stars are trailing but not too blurred. This photo is as it came out of the camera. It's also the one I've posted into the Picture of the Month competition.
Nikon D5300, 50mm lens, 30 sec exposure, f/2.0 ISO635
As an aside. The location is a beach road-end not too far out of Timaru. It's in a gully, so protected from much of the light pollution from the town. I've discovered that its also a favorite spot for young lovers to park up. A car comes to the road end, I put my headlight on and shine it onto the camera so they can see it. Many just slowly turn around and leave. Some, however, park up, put the front seat right forward, hop into the back of the car and make the windows all foggy. I leave them alone and they leave me alone.
Have had 4 failed night time trips over this time. Last night I finally had some success. There was a 1/2 moon in the middle of the night sky giving just enough light to make things easier. 112 photos taken on the night. Most are sets when varying exposure time, aperture (f/stop) or ISO, to see the impact of the changes and learn the best settings for my camera and lens. Still have lots to learn and will be going out again soon on suitable nights.
It's impossible to get everything in the frame in focus and have crisp dot stars. There are compromises to be made or you get really talented in lightroom/photoshop layering up between 3 to 20 photos to make the impossible.
This is the first framed and set-up shot of the night. As soon as I saw the picture in the camera's LCD screen, I knew I was going to have a good night. Car is in focus, bush to the right out of focus and blurry stars. Time to play with the camera settings. Photo is, as it came out of the camera.
Nikon D5300, 50mm lens, 6 sec exposure, f/1.4 ISO 2016
Getting better, got the bush in focus and the rock is looking not too bad. Stars are getting trails from the long exposure. This photo has been made lighter in post production.
Nikon D5300, 50mm lens, 25 sec exposure, f/1.4 ISO 635
Time to embrace those star trails and reduce the aperture so that the Hyper-Focus can do it's thing. Got crisp start trails and everything in the foreground is in focus. This photo has been made lots lighter in post production. I should have gone for a 7 or 9 minute exposure.
Nikon D5300, 50mm lens, 300 sec (5 minute) exposure, f/8.0 ISO 400
A bit more playing and this photo is the pick of the night. Car and surrounding are in focus. The stars are trailing but not too blurred. This photo is as it came out of the camera. It's also the one I've posted into the Picture of the Month competition.
Nikon D5300, 50mm lens, 30 sec exposure, f/2.0 ISO635
As an aside. The location is a beach road-end not too far out of Timaru. It's in a gully, so protected from much of the light pollution from the town. I've discovered that its also a favorite spot for young lovers to park up. A car comes to the road end, I put my headlight on and shine it onto the camera so they can see it. Many just slowly turn around and leave. Some, however, park up, put the front seat right forward, hop into the back of the car and make the windows all foggy. I leave them alone and they leave me alone.
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Nice effects
which is still possibly a little much.