Stars in the Country

"My Tree" - full moon, short 2.5min star trails.

View all photos taken: Sunday, 10th May 2009, This photo: 10:11pm

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Comments

  • Garry' said:
    You found one Dave...that's great. Please advise location...ssssssssss
    --
    Seen on your photo stream. (?)
  • Xenedis said:
    This is nice. All ambient light?
  • accesser said:
    Oh nice, Looks great in the big size star trails are cool when you have some foreground interest like the tree
  • David de Groot said:
    Yeah, I've shot this one before, but during the day.
    It's about 10 mins drive from my place, up on Hills Rd.
    No surprises what I was doing up there this evening ;-)
  • David de Groot said:
    Yep :) Full moon (well near-as-dammit).
    Yep :) Star trails are somewhat ordinary with no foreground interest.
  • Xenedis said:
    I wanted to take advantage of the full moon this weekend for some evening long exposure photography, but I didn't get around to it. I did shoot at dawn, though. A few weeks without shooting and I start getting a bit itchy.
    Looks like I'll have to wait a month, and it probably won't be on a weekend.
  • David de Groot said:
    Well half moon isn't bad either, just need to double (+ a bit more) your exposure. I almost didn't go out tonight due to having sniffles (darn kidlets - disease carriers that they are), but since I wanted this location for part of my current project, I figured I had to go anyway.
  • Xenedis said:
    This location will work well for that project.
    Speaking of projects, I'm eventually going to need a new one.
  • David de Groot said:
    That's true (on both counts).
    However, you've still got a bit to go on the current one. (hmmm, so have I for that matter).
  • maasha said:
    I never figured how to make bulb exposures without holding on to the shutter release ... I should try that Internet thing to see if there was an answer for that one.
  • Pixter007 said:
    Nice shot! Great foreground detail.
    I'm an admin for a group called. Wide Field Astrophotography and we'd love to have you submit this image.
  • Margot- said:
    I'm using 2 glossy and 1 matte wide flat-panel monitor screens, and your picture looks so good on my glossy screen that I feel I can just walk through my monitor into that place.
  • [ Kane ] said:
    I know this tree ;) cool, clear shot Dave.
  • David de Groot said:
    Well with a remote of course. A standard remote has a locking button, or you can go all techno and get a timer remote like me, then just program the remote with how long you want the shutter open for.
    Thanks :) shall do.
    hehehe Thanks Margot :)
    Indeed! It's not quite as well known as the Wello Pt trees, but that's fine by me. :)
  • Jennifer Renee said:
    good clean shot
    I like the color... nice and cool... it really makes me feel the coolness of the night air
    well done
  • Panorama Paul said:
    Stunning!!! I really love the work that you've been posting recently David... don't get me wrong... I like your portraits too... but these low light landscapes are just phenomenal!!
    *applause*
  • maasha said:
    OK, I got my remote cable out and behold! It has a locking button! Ahahahahah. I was sure that there would be a timer builtin in the camera - or a custom function to start the exposure with one press of the button and stop the exposure with another press of the button.
  • David de Groot said:
    And it was indeed cool (cold really)!
    Thanks Paul :) I hope to be able to get out and do more of them, despite the cold. Not enough hours in the day (or night) though.
    hehehe
  • suburbanvoodoo said:
    Great job Dave...love the sky and the stars (mine never come out right) :-)
  • David de Groot said:
    I shot a middle aperture (5.6) for 2.5 mins at iso 200 for this, but for the timelapse shots I'd been shooting for the 2 hours before this, it was iso 500, 30 secs, f/4.5 (you get less star movement per shot at 30 secs). Star trails are also a function of focal length, the tighter the FoV, the more noticeable the trails over any given time period.
  • The Central Scrutiniser said:
    this is so freaking good! great work dave.
  • David de Groot said:
    Thanks Greg - imagine what an 8x10 velvia of this scene would look like eh ? ;-)
  • The Central Scrutiniser said:
    my thoughts exactly
  • bachamp said:
    I really like the road in this shot, good contrast.
  • David de Groot said:
    Yeah I repositioned to get the road in :)
  • accesser said:
    I did some scouting today before work and found some great spots up the top of the mountain with a big old dead tree and sky view with the glasshouse mountains in the distance, Will give this a go this week will do some reading first
  • David de Groot said:
    Yeah plenty of awesome places on Mt Mee. I plan to head up that way for some more shooting soonish too.
  • accesser said:
    I was planning a trip to the Forrest soon ish let me know if you plan the same thing, Might be some water in the falls unlike last time I went a long time ago
  • David de Groot said:
    We were up at the Gantry on Sunday. Didn't walk to the falls due to the eldest child recovering from a cold/flu and not wanting to stress that.
    Like most falls in the mountains, you really need to be there a day or two after heavy rain, otherwise there's little to see.
  • Jack High said:
    I love the composition with the tree and track leading the eye away.
  • David de Groot said:
    Thanks Jack :) Dead trees and country tracks... can't really go wrong ;-)