[Aidy]

Spent yesterday doing a little research into the world of star trails.

So 9.30pm set up the camera, couple of test exposures and was set.

My first attempt at a star trail, 274 images with a 15 sec exposure then a little bit of processing in Lightroom and then stacked to create this one image.

Bright star to the right is Venus and if you look carefully at the bottom in the middle you will see Orions belt just above the fence.
Biggest problem I have got is the light pollution in Blackpool.

[Growster...]

Excellent, Aidy!

Have you tried 'bracketing' recently? A chum mentioned it to me once, but I've never actually understood what to do!

[Yorkie]

Wow, that's wonderful!

[mrs bouquet]

Awesome  -  Mrs Bouquet

[Aidy]

Excellent, Aidy!

Have you tried 'bracketing' recently? A chum mentioned it to me once, but I've never actually understood what to do!

Yea. Pretty straight forward, lets say your using shutter priority, you have set you shutter speed to 1/250 so when you press the button the image is say f11@1/250, now what you can do is alter the exposure compensation in both directions using the AV (canon) A (nikon) button on a DSLR so you are altering the exposure slightly by adjusting the aperture setting to make the image a little brighter or slightly dimmer at the same shutter speed.
Hope that makes sense.

[Growster...]

Excellent, Aidy!

Have you tried 'bracketing' recently? A chum mentioned it to me once, but I've never actually understood what to do!

Yea. Pretty straight forward, lets say your using shutter priority, you have set you shutter speed to 1/250 so when you press the button the image is say f11@1/250, now what you can do is alter the exposure compensation in both directions using the AV (canon) A (nikon) button on a DSLR so you are altering the exposure slightly by adjusting the aperture setting to make the image a little brighter or slightly dimmer at the same shutter speed.
Hope that makes sense.

Hellfire, Aidy!

You sure know what you're doing here! Thank you so much for this, it'll take me ages to work it out, but thanks to you, I'm 1% there now...

Will you please do a waterfall on delay next? I nearly learned how to do this a few years ago, but gardening took over more than a bit...

;0)

[Aidy]

When we are back out in normality I will find you one and do it and post it.

Edit: I have this hanging on the wall of a local pond, sorry bit of reflections on it.

[Growster...]

Fabulous!

You are really David Bailey, and I claim my free Truprint Voucher!

I've always had a project in mind (since digital cameras came out), to photograph our village, but take out all the modern buildings, and show it like it was - say - 100 years ago.

Then I realised that trying to understand 'Layers' in Photoshop was slightly more daunting than the software to get a man to Venus, and sadly, will have to wait until I'm a bit older, and am doing less in the garden...

Keep 'em coming please!

[Aidy]

To be honest I am not a great fan of photoshop myself, 95% of the time I use Lightroom as the techniques are similar to the old darkroom.
There is times when I have to use it but not often.
Now this may suprise you, I still use and prefer film, my main camera is a Mamiya 645, this is a medium format camera, bigger than the old 35mm's.
Digital I use to play about with and snaps etc, I still have my old Canon film but as the lenses fit the digi EOS cameras I just bought the Digi EOS body.
I am currently or will when we return going to doing a lot more street photography.

[Growster...]

It is a huge programme to master, Aidy, I agree!

When small digital cameras came out several years ago, I was given a Nikon Coolpix 2200, which is pretty entry-level, but I still use it for a grab when the light is right, and it's a doddle to understand too! And they had a superb editing programme which seemed to do everything I needed!

My old business partner was a total addict on cameras, and used to buy a new one every year or so (he could afford it then), but he's also very generous, and used to give his 'old' ones to me! The first one was a big Nikon, 'Bridge' camera, and I sort of got used to it, until, bless his heart, he gave me yet one - a Panasonic Lumix, which he claimed had a fabulous lens! This is rather like pearls before swine still, but I swear every winter, that I will really master it! It is a super beast! So I gave the big Nikon to a local lad, as his mum told me that he was feeling a bit left out with all his chums having the first Ipads, and he's just motored on with it, which is so nice!

Come next winter, I'll have yet another go with the Lumix, and perhaps even be able to take a few pictures as well!

[Aidy]

The thing about photography in my head, the photo is what you see, dont care if I used the most expensive camera in the world or cheapest, if the image is what you wanted to capture then jobs a good one.

Someone I know who has gone through some techniques for street photography so you are capturing them without people knowing they are being snapped sold his dslr,s, he ended up buying a fuji and with the change bought a car!
He is also a very good wedding photographer and his style is more candid documentary of the day rather than poses, people love his photos and is booked solid.
Hope you enjoy using it and get to grips with it.

[Blackpool rocket]

Really excellent Aidy. Hat's off to anyone whizz with a camera, it's all smoke and mirrors to me! And a bit of witchcraft.