Transcript How to Shoot the Night Sky - The Woodstock Camera Club

Questions
Woodstock Camera Club
Feb. 19, 2014
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Take a picture of stars
• What is the best setting to take a picture of
stars in the night sky?
Take a picture of stars
How to Shoot the Night Sky (Introduction to
Astrophotography
How to Shoot the Night Sky
(Introduction to Astrophotography)
• 1. What you need:
• You need a camera that has manual exposure
mode. Most SRL camera come with a feature
called Bulb which does exactly that.
• You will also need a remote control or a
shutter release cable in order to minimize
shaking the camera when taking the pictures.
• You will definitely need a tripod
How to Shoot the Night Sky
(Introduction to Astrophotography)
• 2. Selecting the spot to take your picture
• The darker the place, the better it is. Taking
stars pictures in your back yard is possible,
however for better results select a place away
from city lights. Those lights tend to pollute
the image and make the stars less visible.
How to Shoot the Night Sky
(Introduction to Astrophotography)
• 3. Camera settings
• First, try to use a lens with a large aperture. i.e.Sigma 28
mm lens at f/3.5
• Next, set your camera at a high ISO. 600 and 800 ISO and
can provide good results.
• To avoid the star trail you have to use the RULE of 600
which is very easy:
Divide 600 by the focal length of the lens you are using. In
my case I divided 600/28 = 21.42 ( I can leave the shutter
open for 21 seconds and avoid capturing the star trail)
• Finally, put your lens in manual focusing and turn it to
infinity focus (that would be the symbol at the end of the
numbers on your lens)
How to Shoot the Night Sky
(Introduction to Astrophotography)
• 4. Taking the pictures
• Set the camera in your tripod and take at least 5
consecutive images at the stars using the correct
exposure time (using the RULE of 600) Do not
move the camera to a different spot or change
the settings unless you are done with that series
of pictures.
• Tip: Every time I am done with a set of pictures, I
place my hand in front of the lens and take
another picture. That way I know that the picture
where everything is black is where the series end.
How to Shoot the Night Sky
(Introduction to Astrophotography)
• 5. Editing the images
• Don’t be disappointed if you don’t see any color in your images.
This is normal. You will need to bring the colors up in PS or any
other editing software.
• The first step is to stack the images. That is to superimpose one
image on top of the others (not all the images, but pictures
belonging to the same series). You can do this with a free software
called Deep Sky Stacker. Just use the default settings on the
software.
The final image will be a large TIF file that you will use to bring up
the colors in Photoshop.
• Next open your TIF file in Photoshop and edit the curves and levels.
You can follow this easy tutorial on this video:
• I also edited the blue, red and green colors in the level in order to
make the nebula more visible.
• That’s it.
How to Shoot the Night Sky
(Introduction to Astrophotography)
• 5. Editing the images
• Don’t be disappointed if you don’t see any color in your images.
This is normal. You will need to bring the colors up in PS or any
other editing software.
• The first step is to stack the images. That is to superimpose one
image on top of the others (not all the images, but pictures
belonging to the same series). You can do this with a free software
called Deep Sky Stacker. Just use the default settings on the
software.
The final image will be a large TIF file that you will use to bring up
the colors in Photoshop.
• Next open your TIF file in Photoshop and edit the curves and levels.
I also edited the blue, red and green colors in the level in order to
make the nebula more visible.
• That’s it.
How to Shoot the Night Sky
(Introduction to Astrophotography)
• 6. Master post-production.
• The truth is that no matter how high the ISO or how wide your
fancy lens can go, it’s pretty difficult to get a totally clean night shot.
So it is suggested creating a “dark frame” and subtracting the noise
from your photo.
• “Let’s say you want to shoot a long, 15 minute exposure to make a
star trails image, and there is a half moon,” says Grant. “You might
be at f/2.8, ISO 400. After you make your 15-minute exposure, put
the lens cap on, cover your viewfinder with your hat, and then
make another 15-minute exposure, or ‘dark frame.’ Then take this
image into Photoshop or Lightroom as a layer above your star trails
image and change the blending mode of the dark frame to
‘difference.’” This post-production technique removes the noise and
gives a cleaner final image.
Backgrounds
• How do you get your backgrounds to be either
tact sharp or sufficiently blurred?
Backgrounds
• How to Shoot for Depth of Field
• In order to accurately shoot for depth of field (DOF), no
matter which end of the depth of field 'scale' you want
to shoot, requires some knowledge of it. It is the in
focus' part of the shot. Shutterbug.net states it well,
"Depth of field refers to the area in front of and beyond
the point focused upon in which things appear
acceptably sharp in a photograph."
Some uses of DOF are:
• Landscape - Large DOF
• Portrait - Medium DOF
• Macro - Small DOF
Things that Affect the DOF
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Of course, photographers want to know what things affect the DOF. They can use
this information to manipulate the DOF to create the effects that they want.
Actually, there are several factors that affect the DOF.
Aperture: Aperture has a very large impact on DOF. The smaller the aperture,
the greater the DOF.
Focal Length: Increasing the focal length reduces the DOF. Conversely, decreasing
the focal length increases the DOF. Thus, long lenses typically have small DOFs
and wide angle lenses have large DOFs. This is one of the reasons that landscape
photographers often use wide angle lenses. A wide angle lens combined with a
small aperture produces a very large DOF.
Distance: The greater the distance from the subject, the greater the DOF.
Lens Sharpness: Lens sharpness has an impact on DOF. Sharp lenses create
smaller circles at the sensor plane than do lenses that are less sharp.
Consequently, the DOF increases.
Sensor/Film Size: The size of the sensor or film also has an affect on the DOF. For
instance, most DSLRs have sub-full-frame sensors. Small sensors have greater
depth of field and small cameras have short focal lengths, both of which increase
the depth of field.
• Make it work for you. You will always have some type of
DOF in your shots so make it work for you, not against you.
• Use the modes that your camera came with. That is
the quickest and easiest way to get the right depth of
field.
• Learn what controls your depth of field and
how.
• A smaller aperture (F/22) will increase the DOF and a larger aperture {F2)
will decrease the DOF.
• I use a saying to help me: One big opening. Meaning the closer you get to
one, the bigger the opening or aperture.
• Shorter focal length (50mm) will increase the
depth of field and longer focal length
(200mm) will decrease it.
• Greater focusing distances (shooting further away from
you) increase depth of field , while shorter focusing
distances (shooting closely, like in macro) decrease it.
Learn to use your DOF creatively.
• Learn your lens ‘Circle of confusion’ (CoC).
• The circle of confusion is defined as the largest blur spot that
is indistinguishable from the point source that is being
rendered.
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XlQaiCPTFS4
• http://www.cameratechnica.com/2011/02/07/109/
• http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/depth-offield.htm
• http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/diffractionphotography.htm
Get sparkles on the snow
• Why can't I get the sparkles on the snow in my
pictures? What settings do I need for this?
Get sparkles on the snow
• Try setting the F stop at 3.2 (the lowest it
would go) and then back up about 10 feet
from the sparkles and zoom all the way in.
Get sparkles on the snow
• With a point and shoot (or any camera) try
using the macro setting and then zoom in and
focused on your subject, and see if the
sparkles all around the subject show up!
Or you can
use
Photoshop
.
Macro picture
• What is the best way to take a Macro picture?
• I have trouble either getting too close and
getting the picture blurred or not close
enough and lose the effect I'm trying to
capture.
Macro picture
Macro picture
Best camera settings for macro photography
• Use a tripod
• The depth of field is very tight in extreme close-up
shooting, so it’s best to use a narrow aperture.
• It’s often better to focus manually on exactly the point in
the frame that you want to be in sharpest focus.
• If you have live view on your camera turn it on and
magnify as much as you can. Now use manual focus to
adjust until you have focus where you need it.
Macro picture
Best camera settings for macro photography
• Mirror bounce can also be a big problem in macro
shooting, so use mirror lock-up.
http://www.digitalcameraworld.com/2012/09/26/how-to-stop-mirror-bounce-on-canon-and-nikon-dslrs/
• Use a remote trigger.
• Try using a flashgun to give more effective illumination,
which will increase fine detail and contrast. A ringflash is
better still, as this gives a nice, even lighting effect for
close-ups, without any unwanted shadows.
1 Shooting mode
Use Aperture Priority or Manual shooting mode with a narrow aperture of around f/16.
Very narrow apertures of around f/32 are likely to degrade sharpness, due to diffraction.
2 Manual focus
Switch to manual focus, then focus on the most critical point in the frame. If
your camera has a magnified Live View option, use this for maximum
focusing precision.
3 Exposure Delay
Most Nikon DSLRs have an Exposure Delay mode, which delays the shutter
from opening for a second or more after the mirror flips up, giving the
camera a chance to settle.
4 Mirror up
Most Canon DSLRs have Mirror Lock-up on the shooting menu or as a custom
function. Use this in conjunction with a two-second self-timer delay, or with a
remote controller.
Brand New Model
• Why do camera manufacturers, about every
18 months, open up the Aperture and provide
a brand new model that has all the features
that should have been in the last two
models..?
Brand New Model
• The photographers skill is what counts, not
the equipment they use.
• The equipment often does make the job
easier.
Chase Jarvis, Lego Camera - DigitalRev TV
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wX76k-chflo&list=PL7ECB90D96DF59DE5&feature=c4-overview-vl
When should you erase a flash card?
How important is a portfolio? Answer
What is the exposure compensation and what use is it?
What mode should your camera be in when you go out on a general shoot?
Is it better to underexposed or overexpose? Answer
Which might be the best option one 64 GB card or four16 GB cards?
What can you shoot in bad weather? Answer
How can I get richer colors?
What trick can you use to prevent a person from blinking when you take their
photograph?
How can you shoot in lower light without raising your ISO? For example in a
church. On a regular basis as this might require a purchase. Answer
The End
Portfolio of your best work is important so
when you compile your best photos you’ll get
our real sense of where you are on the journey
and only then can you decide what you need
to learn or do next.
Post or print the best 24.
Return
• Right after the rain if it is cloudy and dark a
perfect time to shoot foliage forests. Plus
the water droplets on the leaves and
flowers.
• Rivers and waterfalls if it’s storming as there
is a good chance right after the rain stops
and the sun peeks through for a very
dramatic shot.
• A couple of minutes before the storm lets
loose you can get some amazing skies and
sometimes colorful lightning.
• Protect your gear!
Return
• It is better to slightly overexpose because there will be an
increase in noise when
lightening an under-exposed
photo.
• Be aware of the danger of
blowing out the photograph
Return
• You can try an inexpensive 50mm
f/1.8 lens (for about $120) or
better yet a 50mm f/1.4 (for about
$440).
• These lenses allow you to hand
hold in low light without boosting
you ISO. They are lightweight and
surprisingly crisp.
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