A first try
We went on a stargazing weekend to the Cederberg Observatory last weekend. The weather was kind, although cold, and we had clear skies the two nights we were there.
So I decided to try my hand at astrophotography.
I didn't think it would be easy - but what I didn't realise is that taking the photo is just the first part. The processing afterwards is as important.
So you can imagine my disappointment when I opened the pics on my computer and mostly saw black with a dot here and there. And as I am very much a beginner at taking and processing star photos, these are not the best you'll find on the web even after processing, but I gave it a shot and will hopefully just get better and better and better and better...
(All ISO400, f5.6, taken between 21h00 and 03h00 )
The belt and sword of Orion, just before they set.
Canon EOS 350D standard lens, 5 second exposure, processed in PhotoShop.
The Large Magellanic Cloud, a neighbouring galaxy (fuzzy blob).
Canon EOS 350D standard lens, 30 second exposure, processed in PhotoShop.
Scorpius
Canon EOS 350D standard lens, 40 second exposure, processed in PhotoShop.
The area around Crux. You can see the Southern Cross near the centre of the picture.
Canon EOS 350D standard lens, 30 second exposure, processed in PhotoShop.
Star trails around the South Celestial Pole (South in the sky).
Canon EOS 350D standard lens, 20 minute exposure, processed in PhotoShop.
Saturn. Hubbie took this as one of a range of images to be stacked and processed. This is just one of those frames to give you an idea, as he hasn't had time to work on it yet.
Canon EOS 350D, 10 inch dob, less than a second exposure, not processed.
So I decided to try my hand at astrophotography.
I didn't think it would be easy - but what I didn't realise is that taking the photo is just the first part. The processing afterwards is as important.
So you can imagine my disappointment when I opened the pics on my computer and mostly saw black with a dot here and there. And as I am very much a beginner at taking and processing star photos, these are not the best you'll find on the web even after processing, but I gave it a shot and will hopefully just get better and better and better and better...
(All ISO400, f5.6, taken between 21h00 and 03h00 )
The belt and sword of Orion, just before they set.
Canon EOS 350D standard lens, 5 second exposure, processed in PhotoShop.
The Large Magellanic Cloud, a neighbouring galaxy (fuzzy blob).
Canon EOS 350D standard lens, 30 second exposure, processed in PhotoShop.
Scorpius
Canon EOS 350D standard lens, 40 second exposure, processed in PhotoShop.
The area around Crux. You can see the Southern Cross near the centre of the picture.
Canon EOS 350D standard lens, 30 second exposure, processed in PhotoShop.
Star trails around the South Celestial Pole (South in the sky).
Canon EOS 350D standard lens, 20 minute exposure, processed in PhotoShop.
Saturn. Hubbie took this as one of a range of images to be stacked and processed. This is just one of those frames to give you an idea, as he hasn't had time to work on it yet.
Canon EOS 350D, 10 inch dob, less than a second exposure, not processed.
Great photos :)
ReplyDeleteI like the star trails. Can you say how you knew exposure timings? Did you have a tripod? How did you manage to point the camera at the SCP exactly? What other settings did you have to pay attention to? These pics are so good for a first time, it's given me inspiration, though I only have a ickle digital camera (nice Leica lens though). KK
ReplyDeleteThank you (doing happy dance).
ReplyDelete@Kechil - Okay, let me see if I can answer these...
ReplyDeleteHow you knew exposure timings?
I had no idea other than that I couldn't do it too long. I don't have tracking, so above 15 seconds with my standard lens you start seeing drift. But because it's digital, I took a few shots of each area. Usually 1s, 5s, 15s, and a longer one till I got bored. When I started the processing, I fiddled with them all and then only worked with the one with the most potential. For the star trails I went to have a glass of wine and then stopped the exposure :)
Did you have a tripod?
Yes, and I think it is very important. I also used my remote shutter to prevent bumping the camera when taking the picture.
How did you manage to point the camera at the SCP exactly?
I used the Southern Cross to get an idea of where to point the camera. Then I took a picture. It was aimed a bit high so I tried again. This is definitely a digital camera plus - you can get some feedback and try again. Although the shot I used here was not my most accurate one, but the nicest one. So I cropped about 1cm from the right and the bottom to get it centred.
What other settings did you have to pay attention to?
I set focus and zoom by hand (18mm - 55mm lens), but because I was just trying I actually left a lot of things alone. I had to use bulb function to be able to do the long exposures, and did it by holding the shutter and counting. Luckily my remote has a "hold-down" button so I could leave during the trails. From a digital point of view I made a big mistake by not using "raw". I was still in happy snappy "jpg" mode. And I nearly forgot to switch the flash off. I now also know that with digital you should take additional shots with the lens cap on to use during processing, but hey, you live and learn.
Other than that I just made sure that I was set up in a spot where no one walked in front of the camera. By the way, having dark adapted eyes make seeing what you are pointing at through the view finder a lot easier. Also knowing your camera controls so that you can find everything in the dark is a good idea. Will be studying my camera's controls, coz I don't know them nearly well enough.
Man, talked so much now I need a glass of water :)
Hope to see your shots soon!
(via Facebook)
ReplyDeleteGreat start Suki
(via Facebook)
ReplyDeleteVery cool!