Chasing the night

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overl4nd

overl4nd

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For me, overlanding was getting close to something I really love. the night skies. That's what drove me to invest in 4x4 vehicles to go far far away, away from the lights, in search of the stars

And as the light creeps everywhere, you have to go further and further away to find the true beauty of a dark sky studded with billion diamonds




 
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Andrew A.

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Really amazing photos guys!
I gotta ask, do you bracket the exposure and do HDR in post, or do you just take a single exposure?

I've tried toying with starscape photography a couple of times, and every time I end up with crazy star trails or just very under exposed images. More importantly though, I can't seem to get the stars and the landscape both adequately exposed like you guys do, without some crazy amounts of pushing and pulling in post.
 
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Andrew A.

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By the way, this is pretty much the extent of my attempts haha.
The moon was extremely bright this night, not sure if that affects the amount of stars visible in the sky. But if the moon wasn't out, I'm not sure how I would have gotten the foreground exposed at all...

 
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kiloxraysierra

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Andrew A. said:
Really amazing photos guys!
I gotta ask, do you bracket the exposure and do HDR in post, or do you just take a single exposure?

I've tried toying with starscape photography a couple of times, and every time I end up with crazy star trails or just very under exposed images. More importantly though, I can't seem to get the stars and the landscape both adequately exposed like you guys do, without some crazy amounts of pushing and pulling in post.
Click to expand...
I'm not sure what @overl4nd is doing to get those foregrounds (I'm curious though).

Mine aren't the brightest foregrounds, but generally they are one exposure, ISO around 6400, aperture as wide open as possible (depends on lens) and shutter speed at 500s/<focal length> (so using a 50mm lens, = 10s, but I can't recall which lenses I was using above). The one with the trees had a campfire below providing a bit of light on the tree trunks.

Your picture didn't display for me, but generally you don't want the moon in the shot if you're looking to get stars. It's just way too bright.

There is an app called Photo Pills that has a ridiculous amount of information on when the sun/moon/milky way are visible, where in the sky they'll be, etc. It is super useful to help you figure out when/where to shoot.
 
overl4nd

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I usually do F2.8, ISO 6400 ~20 seconds approx exposure.
As for foreground. To really get a foreground you need a faint moon. Or you need to use a flashlight, like my display picture
 
Flipper

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Is it possible to shoot night sky photos with a Nikon AW130. It has the time lapse function for moving star shots but Im looking for the pix like the above posts.
 
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Flipper said:
Is it possible to shoot night sky photos with a Nikon AW130. It has the time lapse function for moving star shots but Im looking for the pix like the above posts.
Click to expand...
Possible yes but likely some what difficult. Looking at the Nikon Spec sheet I see the following that will make this possible:
  • ISO 1600, 3200, and 6400 are available.
  • 16 MP sensor
  • Lens offers a setting equivalent to 24mm F2.8 on a 35mm full frame Camera
  • 3" screen w/ brightness adjustment (Not sure about magnification / live view?)
  • "Night Landscape" and "Fireworks Show" Scene Modes
I see the following that will make shooting night sky shots difficult:
  • NO Manual focus
  • NO Manual controls of aperture and shutter speed. (Likely loss of ISO control due to note of 3200 and 6400 only available in Auto mode)
  • Not sure if camera offers Raw shooting mode. My Dads Olympus TG5 which is in a similar class to the AW130 does but it was difficult to get enabled. Read manual and maybe ask an expert on the camera for help here.
  • Small sensor size (larger sensors tend to have better low light quality. Things have been getting better in the last few years for small sensor cameras but still tough.)
If you want to try it out get a tripod, fully charged battery and go out on a moonless night in a relatively dark sky location (https://www.lightpollutionmap.info/#zoom=7&lat=3315914&lon=-9000459&layers=B0FFFFTFFFF Sorry in Florida this is kinda hard to do. Maybe the blue area around Cedar Key or Okefenokee NWR). Frame up a nice subject in the foreground with the Polaris (North Star) behind the subject. Put the camera into "Night Landscape" mode, Raw or Tiff picture mode (instead of Jpg if possible) zoom the lens as wide as possible (you want the 24mm F2.8 equivalence) and take 10-20 (or More) photos.

From there we can talk about the steps needed to develop the photo(s) into a composite to get you a pic.

boort
 
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Flipper

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Boort said:
@Flipper

Possible yes but likely some what difficult. Looking at the Nikon Spec sheet I see the following that will make this possible:
  • ISO 1600, 3200, and 6400 are available.
  • 16 MP sensor
  • Lens offers a setting equivalent to 24mm F2.8 on a 35mm full frame Camera
  • 3" screen w/ brightness adjustment (Not sure about magnification / live view?)
  • "Night Landscape" and "Fireworks Show" Scene Modes
I see the following that will make shooting night sky shots difficult:
  • NO Manual focus
  • NO Manual controls of aperture and shutter speed. (Likely loss of ISO control due to note of 3200 and 6400 only available in Auto mode)
  • Not sure if camera offers Raw shooting mode. My Dads Olympus TG5 which is in a similar class to the AW130 does but it was difficult to get enabled. Read manual and maybe ask an expert on the camera for help here.
  • Small sensor size (larger sensors tend to have better low light quality. Things have been getting better in the last few years for small sensor cameras but still tough.)
If you want to try it out get a tripod, fully charged battery and go out on a moonless night in a relatively dark sky location (https://www.lightpollutionmap.info/#zoom=7&lat=3315914&lon=-9000459&layers=B0FFFFTFFFF Sorry in Florida this is kinda hard to do. Maybe the blue area around Cedar Key or Okefenokee NWR). Frame up a nice subject in the foreground with the Polaris (North Star) behind the subject. Put the camera into "Night Landscape" mode, Raw or Tiff picture mode (instead of Jpg if possible) zoom the lens as wide as possible (you want the 24mm F2.8 equivalence) and take 10-20 (or More) photos.

From there we can talk about the steps needed to develop the photo(s) into a composite to get you a pic.

boort
Click to expand...
Boort said:
@Flipper

Possible yes but likely some what difficult. Looking at the Nikon Spec sheet I see the following that will make this possible:
  • ISO 1600, 3200, and 6400 are available.
  • 16 MP sensor
  • Lens offers a setting equivalent to 24mm F2.8 on a 35mm full frame Camera
  • 3" screen w/ brightness adjustment (Not sure about magnification / live view?)
  • "Night Landscape" and "Fireworks Show" Scene Modes
I see the following that will make shooting night sky shots difficult:
  • NO Manual focus
  • NO Manual controls of aperture and shutter speed. (Likely loss of ISO control due to note of 3200 and 6400 only available in Auto mode)
  • Not sure if camera offers Raw shooting mode. My Dads Olympus TG5 which is in a similar class to the AW130 does but it was difficult to get enabled. Read manual and maybe ask an expert on the camera for help here.
  • Small sensor size (larger sensors tend to have better low light quality. Things have been getting better in the last few years for small sensor cameras but still tough.)
If you want to try it out get a tripod, fully charged battery and go out on a moonless night in a relatively dark sky location (https://www.lightpollutionmap.info/#zoom=7&lat=3315914&lon=-9000459&layers=B0FFFFTFFFF Sorry in Florida this is kinda hard to do. Maybe the blue area around Cedar Key or Okefenokee NWR). Frame up a nice subject in the foreground with the Polaris (North Star) behind the subject. Put the camera into "Night Landscape" mode, Raw or Tiff picture mode (instead of Jpg if possible) zoom the lens as wide as possible (you want the 24mm F2.8 equivalence) and take 10-20 (or More) photos.

From there we can talk about the steps needed to develop the photo(s) into a composite to get you a pic.

boort
Click to expand...
Thanks for the detailed info! I figured Fl. would be out of the question. Kissimmee Prarire SP might be an option,the park was designed for star gazing where you are not even allowed to have regular lighting at your campsite. We travel to the Rockies and Smokies thats where I will be shooting. Already have a tripod. I printed out the manual for this little critter. It filled a normal size 3 ring binder all 200 pages! Kind of deep for and amateur like myself. So far it has been a great compact camera. Takes great underwater shots where I can take hundreds of shots and then edit unlike my old Nikonos lV. Thanks again, I will keep you posted.
 
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Flipper said:
a


Thanks for the detailed info! I figured Fl. would be out of the question. Kissimmee Prarire SP might be an option,the park was designed for star gazing where you are not even allowed to have regular lighting at your campsite. We travel to the Rockies and Smokies thats where I will be shooting. Already have a tripod. I printed out the manual for this little critter. It filled a normal size 3 ring binder all 200 pages! Kind of deep for and amateur like myself. So far it has been a great compact camera. Takes great underwater shots where I can take hundreds of shots and then edit unlike my old Nikonos lV. Thanks again, I will keep you posted.
Click to expand...
Since you're an UW photog, regarding the RAW setting you might reach out the the folks at Backscatter.com. They were the ones who helped me find the settings for Dad's Olympus TG-5. YW, Drop me a message if you make it up to CO and maybe I'll be able to join you for a ride and some night shooting.

Boort
 
Flipper

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Boort said:
Since you're an UW photog, regarding the RAW setting you might reach out the the folks at Backscatter.com. They were the ones who helped me find the settings for Dad's Olympus TG-5. YW, Drop me a message if you make it up to CO and maybe I'll be able to join you for a ride and some night shooting.

Boort
Click to expand...
Backscatter really rings a bell, I think I delt with them a long time ago. This past Sept. we were out your way. Started at Co. Springs, Cheyenne SP..Mueller Sp then to Buena Vista/Salida to hit the Fourteeners, camped at Chalk Creek and Browns Canyon, we were the only ones there. Then South to Creede... Lake City at Lake San Christobol for base camp to do the Loop then North to Wyoming and South Dakota. Had a fastastic trip. Cant wait for the next trip. I will be sure to get in touch so we can hook up. Thanks again for all the info. If you ever get down this way the welcome mat will be waiting.
 
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overl4nd

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To be honest, and compact with a sensor less than 1" is not going to cut it. The only compacts for which I have seen results which could be saved with post processing are the Sony RX10 and RX100 series, both having bright lenses (1.8-2.8 aperture at wide end) and good ISO 2500 output

Most of the TGW and smaller Nikons have a 1/2.3" sensor, so if you push ISO 2500 or so you will get too much noise.

The reason you need 2500 ISO because you want your exposure times to be less than 500/(35mm equiv focal length) so as to not get the stars trailing. This means on 24mm you have about 20s max exposure, and to get milky way bright enough with F2.8 with 20s, you need atleast ISO 2500

And of course extremely dark skies, and little pollution (esp at high altitude) makes for brilliant pics. The below pic was taken at 17000 feet above MSL at a high altitude pass in the Himalayas
 
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Quicksilver

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I just started getting into astrophotography last year, and I love it. I have some OK-ish shots, but I really need a different lens. I've got my eye on a Rokinon 14mm f/2.8 lens that I hope to get before Milky Way season starts this year.
 
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Quicksilver said:
I just started getting into astrophotography last year, and I love it. I have some OK-ish shots, but I really need a different lens. I've got my eye on a Rokinon 14mm f/2.8 lens that I hope to get before Milky Way season starts this year.
Click to expand...
That is a great lens and the one that I started my journeys into night photography with. Make sure to buy it from a reputable source that will allow you to exchange it. Some examples are great for night photography and others can be really bad. I went through 3 of them before I got a good example. Watch the corners for "seagull" shaped stars, and uncorrectable chromatic aberration.

Here is an example from my "good" model:
Luna and Orion rising over Canyon Lands NP
Nikon D700 Rokinon 14mm @ f2.8 ISO 3200 30 Seconds
Rok14mmGood-DSC_6215.jpg

Boort
 
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