DSLR startrails

Shooting startrails with a DSLR offers new challenges which we didn't have to face with film. In "the good old days" I'd simply setup my tripod outside the tent, start the exposure, set my alarm for a couple of hours later - and go to sleep.

No such luxury when shooting digital! Thanks to "noise", startrails need to be taken as a number of exposures, then "stacked" using software to create a single image.

At first I found this annoying, tried different techniques (starting with taking the minimum number of exposures for the maximum acceptable time noise-wise) and stopped taking so many startrails. But now I've perfected a technique and am enjoying them just as much as(or possibly even more than) before.

First, I set up, and take one 30 second shot. Then I preview - does the foreground get blown out over 20 seconds? Are there enough stars in the background in the correct places? Etc. Then, leaving my camera set to 30 seconds, I set my cable release to take a continuous burst and then leave it for at least an hour. It's just like the good old days! I can take a walk, cook up some dinner on a BBQ (a distance behind the tripod, obviously!) or even take a nap.

I particularly like the 30 second time as it tends to allow the foreground to be nicely exposed at night as well. In the image below the full moon was setting behind me - when shooting with film startrails were practically impossible at full moon. But set to 30 seconds, the rocks in the cliffs ahead were nicely exposed, without looking like a daylight shot:

This took about 160 30-second exposures, but was well worth the effort (IMO :) )

So, startrails are back on the list of things I take frequently. And no matter how much I'd like to take all the credit, the fact that the D90 performs admirably in low light conditions helps too :)

Shooting with a toddler apprentice

(originally posted in our family blog, this seemed an appropriate post for here too)

Today I had a toddler apprentice along for the ride as I sought to take photo's on Straddie. Here are some thoughts on the experience:

The 25 min ferry trips are very exciting. There are bubbles everywhere. Also, instead of relaxing and taking in the views I got to spend my time wiping french onion dip off everything and anything my little apprentice (AKA "MLA") came into contact with. Bad choice for morning tea!


MLA's love going on long walks and even insist on helping by carrying their own waterbottles. However, they do prefer to render this help whilst being carried and cuddled. While lovely, it doesn't do much to lighten the load.

On walks with MLA's you learn to appreciate the little things - climbing steps is important and exciting business. Offer help at your peril! But rely on the fact it will requested just as you're starting to run out of puff. Each step also holds many interesting specimens and MLA's appreciate genuine interest in each of them. Yes - each of them. Soon little pockets are overflowing with stones, flowers and leaves and suddenly your own are being invaded too. Stones turn into "blankies" for water bottles and little imaginative worlds spring up. If only they could be photographed!



MLA's get confused easily. You tell them excitedly that there are dolphins below and they shout "Durtle!" After having this occur repeatedly you may give in and admit the possibility of seeing a turtle at some stage. Upon spotting a "durtle" today I excitedly pointed it out to my MLA who responded with appropriate excitement "Ooooooh.... more, more! STONES!!!!! More stones!!!"



Once an interesting marine creature is spotted it's impossible to go anywhere near the edge of the cliff in order to capture it well. MLA's seem to take their stone gathering and exploring responsibilities very seriously and are keen to follow any dropped stones to their watery ends. On such excursions MLA's should always be dressed in overalls - the straps over the shoulders are perfect for hauling them away from precipices.


Another interesting challenge on a photographic trip with an MLA is choosing which lens to mount on your camera. Once selected there can be no change. MLA's are determine to find out exactly what sort of sound your cracking mirror will make as they throw small stones into your lens-less camera body. I suspect my particular MLA also has a high interest in gravity and would like to see how quickly one of my lenses could race down a cliff face into the Pacific. The only landscapes I could shoot on the trip were dodgy ones taken with my telephoto lens. At least the camera lives to see another day.


Bus trips with MLA's are awesome. They snuggle in and (if you're lucky) take a nap. Today I was lucky twice. Enough reward to even consider taking her again sometime :)

Mount Coonowrin

Ever since I set eyes on the Glasshouse Mountains I've wanted to use them in the foreground of startrail photographs. I recently decided to stop procrastinating and selected Mount Coonowrin as the most dramatic of the volcanic plugs for the job.

The first time I went out I mounted the tripod on the passenger seat of my car and then tried to sit completely still during the 30 second exposures I tried to stack. Every now and then a limb became too stiff and I'd give myself a couple of seconds to readjust my position before proceeding with the next 30 second exposure.


The resulting image was pleasing for the brighter stars, but in the paler ones the gaps were clearly visible, 2 or 3 seconds though they were. Even if this were not the case I wouldn't suggest this very uncomfortable method of shooting to anyone - or at least, not to anyone I'd call a friend...

So a week later I headed back out, determined to mount my tripod on dry land and simply sit on one of the (relatively) comfy car seats throughout the freezing ordeal. From my newfound vantage point I had the full moon at my back, lighting up the volcanic plug and bringing out detail in the rock face - perfect! With 110, 30 second exposures I was able to create an image I am really happy with. In the good old days of film this would have been impossible - over an hour with the full moon would have resulted in completely overexposed nothingness. Not that I'm saying film is dead - there's definitely something to be said for mounting a tripod outside a tent and going to sleep for a few hours before ending the exposure!

I actually thought all was lost when, 45 minutes into this some tourists pulled up next to me, car lights on bright, and declared they were lost but looking for somewhere to watch the sunrise! Thankfully their lights only illuminated some long grass in the foreground, which has now been cropped out.

Shooting startrails this way may be high maintenance, but I really enjoy the results. The skies remain dark, there's none of the reciprocity failure problems I used to battle with when using slides, and at 30 seconds each they can really be done with the moon in any phase. The only question remaining is what should I use in the foreground of my next one?