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SkipRat
February 24th, 2010, 17:28
Hello im planning on making a star trail iv got a nikon d3000 with a remote and two lens a nikkor 18-55mm vr and a tamron 70-300mm. So my question is witch lens i should use and should i use a tripod or a clamp and do you use the north star as a centerpoint? I hope someone can help cheers
RAF-N
February 24th, 2010, 18:32
http://www.amateursnapper.com/photography/long-exposure-star-trail-photography
SkipRat
February 24th, 2010, 18:38
cheers for that dude theres some good advice on there...
Alan-one
February 24th, 2010, 22:08
Somewhere I have an article on this, where someone was using an alternative method of taking 100 30 second exposures, and then combining them. This allowed very long trails with minimum light polution.

I tried this once, using an adjustable spanner to keep a bulb squeezed for 90 minutes. Airplanes going across the frame, the lenses fogging up from the cold and light polution - even in the middle of the Peak District - mean that the results were, how shall I put it, shit.
RAF-N
February 24th, 2010, 22:27
the lenses fogging up from the cold

cura heat heat pads round the lense solves that problem
SkipRat
February 25th, 2010, 13:36
Cheers for the help guys I hope this weekend is clear I live in derbyshire so there little light polution. I should get some good results...
Englishman
February 25th, 2010, 16:27
Derelict - Great images. Really inspired me to have a go.

For info, Thetford Forest is a designated 'dark' spot. The campsite in the forest there is used by many of the astronomy groups in the summer because of the lack of light pollution.
RAF-N
February 25th, 2010, 18:53
Brilliant pics im, running a 350d and auto WB i just dont like the colours. always have to dick about

Have you tryed Daylight?
Ali_Explores
February 25th, 2010, 23:28
what sort of WB you using mate?

shoot raw and you dont have to worry about it.
Alan-one
February 25th, 2010, 23:31
Cheers for the help guys I hope this weekend is clear I live in derbyshire so there little light polution. I should get some good results...

With exposures of this duration, unless you go out into the bleakest, remotest highlands, light polution is always going to sneak into shots like this.
Next time I do this, I'm considering going to somewhere like Aberystwith and pointing out toward the sea.
There's a pic floating around the internet of someone doing these in the dessert, and the glow from Las Vegas is visible on the horizon from something like 300 miles away!