patch308
Well-known member
First off, no photoshop involved...I'm kinda a purist in that I prefer only minor adjustments such as you'd be able to make with film. (that and the fact that I'm no photoshop pro!). Yamafitter is correct on most accounts there. A good solid (read heavy) tripod can make all the difference in the world. Also, the lense I was shooting with is an extremely high quality Nikor lense that stops down to f2.8 (really wide open for good low light but shallow depth of field). The info for the photo with the trees is as follows:
Camera: Nikon D700
Lense: Nikor 24-70mm
Focal length: 24mm
F-stop: f2.8
Exposure time: 30 seconds
ISO: 1600
Now, there are a few considerations to take into account when shooting stars or the moon, the first of which is that they are moving. It may not seem like much, but look at the difference in blur between the two photos. The first one was a 56.2 second exposure and has quite a bit more blur in comparison with the second which was shot at 30 seconds. If you don't have a motorized tripod (as mentioned by someone else), try to up your ISO speed and shorten your exposure time. Many of the newer digital cameras shoot very well at some pretty high ISO speeds.
Also, a shutter release (cable or wireless which is what I have and LOVE) is also VERY helpful, but for shorter exposures not nessessary. You can generally set your camera for a delayed shot (kinda like you're setting it up so you can go jump in front of the camera). Then YOU don't shake the camera when you hit the shutter release. My camera REQUIRES a shutter release for anything beyond 30 second exposures. And, as Yamafitter mentioned, you can prepare the camera with the mirror in the up position so it eliminates even more shake. I didn't do that for either of these shots but it's good practice if you wanna minimize any bluring.
Finally, and in my opinion most importantly, learn and play with your camera. The lense I shot these with is an absolutely phenomenal lense. It's great at MANY things, but not ALL things, learn what your equipment does well and capitalize on it. I got this lense specifically for low light shots. I also have had some great results with a cheap nikon lense that is on the bottom end of the price scale...just have to shoot within it's capabilities. I hope this helps and wasn't too much rambling. I'm no pro, but if I can help with anything let me know. I have some "paying it forward" to do considering all the incredibly knowledgeable people who've helped me out with this stuff! Hit me up with it any time and if I don't have the answer I can probably find the person that does! Good luck and lets see what you got!
