Undriven space shots - please post your pics

[Skywatcher]

Ok as Terry asked thought I'd post this - have a pop and see what you can get - trial and error will mean you simply wont get what you want 1st time.

What you will need.

1. a camera - a DSLR is best but a good digital camera with lots of manual options might work.

2. A tripod

3. A clear night ( this is the rarest of commodities)


Some good subjects to try

1. constellations
2. the moon
3. planets against a horizon
4. star trails

Ok first thing to do is pick your subject - you will need a good zoom lens for any decent clarity on the moon - all th eothers will be fine with the lens that came with your camera.

Assuming you are going to take some star shots first thing to do is to go out and find your subject in the night sky. Pick a constellation or try and find polaris etc.

Set up your camera on your tripod and point it at that rough area of sky and use as wide a field as possible 18 mm works well.

set the focus to manual and try and focus on a bright star - this is hard and requires a lot of fiddling about - infiny on most lenses is all the way to the end and then back a tweak.

take a few 5 second test shots at a fairly high iso 800 - 1600 to see if your focus was right.

Then try a few 10 - 15 second shots

Open them up in photoshop and have a play with levels/brightness etc to see what you can get out.

This one from greece shows you can get planets and even some bright nebulas on just a static tripod

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb84/sidleydoc/starrynightrawbmp-1.jpg

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb84/sidleydoc/scorpioandjupiterfinishedmoons.jpg

The other fun thing to do is point the camera at the northern star set the iso to 200-400 and open the shutter for a few minutes - you will then see the effects of the spinning earth

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb84/sidleydoc/Polarisnewspike_edited-small.jpg

Planets can be a good thing to capture if you know where to look - this is the very elusive Mercury and was handheld

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb84/sidleydoc/Mercury.jpg

Just have fun fiddling with the iso settings and the exposure time

please please please post some pics I'd love to see them

[Dawn]

This means I'll have to read the manual that came with my camera now. I only ever use auto focus.

I want to try and get Orion. I'll wait for a clear night and sit in the front garden and have a jigger with the camera.

[Claire]

Lord I wish I could do this. Poppy has a DSLR but I wouldn't know how to work it for love nor money. I have a Sony T2 (http://www.sony.co.uk/product/dsc-t-series/dsct2g.ceh) Chris. Is this too basic to work with?

[Skywatcher]

not sure claire - the main problem would be focussing - most point and click cameras have an autofocus and they really struggle in the dark

[Claire]

not sure claire - the main problem would be focussing - most point and click cameras have an autofocus and they really struggle in the dark
Okay Dokey! I will do some research into how Poppy's camera works and if it's not too complicated I'll see what I can achieve!

[Dawn]

Is there a prize?

[Skywatcher]

:dozey:

you will have taken a nice photo

[Dawn]

Just clarifying, that's all. :shrug: :D

[ukwdwnut]

chris

i noticed there are two really bright objects in the sky tonight, how do i set the lenghth of time for the shot that you say in the OP?

[Britchick]

i think i will be a summer astrologer! :lol: i don't want frozen marrow

[Skywatcher]

Mick - set the camera to manual - there will be a way to change the length of exposure on the 350d its a little wheel just behind the shutter trigger

Iso is set through options on the screen

[ukwdwnut]

ok thx chris got it :)

[BevW]

Rats..now I gotta go find my big tripod :lol:

[lozzy]

Me and my son took a few tonight of the two brighton lights in the sky which my son said are planets, but they are a bit like hexagon shapes, not sure how to edit them to get the best finish.

[Skywatcher]

stick them omn here and i'll have a fiddle if you like :D

[Dawn]

Can you text me if we get a clear sky please? :D

[Skywatcher]

:unsure: but it might be cloudy where you are.

[Dawn]

Then I'll come to your house then. :D

[lozzy]

stick them omn here and i'll have a fiddle if you like :D

I have taken them in RAW so I will have to convert to post.

[lozzy]

Here are a couple I shot of the moon a few weeks back..

http://wdisneysecrets.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=13&pictureid=209

http://wdisneysecrets.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=13&pictureid=208

[Skywatcher]

:unsure: was it a new moon ;)

[Skywatcher]

Then I'll come to your house then. :D

well that would be just lovely :D

[ukwdwnut]

i think next summer you should have a meet at yours chris, on this subject :wink: :lol:

[lozzy]

:unsure: was it a new moon ;)

Not sure if it was a full moon, it was taken on the 12/10/2008 if that helps.

[Skywatcher]

i am happy for anyone to come and have a look, i love sharing this with people

[Skywatcher]

Not sure if it was a full moon, it was taken on the 12/10/2008 if that helps.

sorry I was being silly - can't see any pics :unsure:

[lozzy]

sorry I was being silly - can't see any pics :unsure:

Why can't you see the pic's????

[Skywatcher]

can't oopen the email at work but the post on the last page has no pics in it as far as I can see

[Dawn]

I can see them.

[lozzy]

can't oopen the email at work but the post on the last page has no pics in it as far as I can see

Will you be able to forward the e-mail to your home e-mail?

[ukwdwnut]

Here are a couple I shot of the moon a few weeks back..

http://wdisneysecrets.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=13&pictureid=209

http://wdisneysecrets.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=13&pictureid=208

great photos laura :)

[lozzy]

Why thank you....:wave:

[Skywatcher]

:unsure:

not sure why I cant see them

[ukwdwnut]

Why thank you....:wave:

YW...what settings did you use laura?

[Britchick]

YW...what settings did you use laura?

what he said! great photos!

[lozzy]

YW...what settings did you use laura?

Manual settings
ISO 200
Exposure time 1/200 sec
Focal lenght 300mm
Aperture value f/5.60
No flash

[Britchick]

did you use a tripod?

[ukwdwnut]

Manual settings
ISO 200
Exposure time 1/200 sec
Focal lenght 300mm
Aperture value f/5.60
No flash

ok thanks laura :)

[lozzy]

did you use a tripod?

Yes I did use a tripod.

[Skywatcher]

can see them today for some reason - excellent - will have a fiddle when I get home

[lozzy]

can see them today for some reason - excellent - will have a fiddle when I get home

Oh good, who weird was that. computers do the funnies things sometimes.

[Dawn]

- will have a fiddle when I get home

And at this point the thread goes down the tube... :evil:

[lozzy]

And at this point the thread goes down the tube... :evil:

:bounce:LOL:bounce:

[Skywatcher]

And at this point the thread goes down the tube... :evil:

:dozey:

[MystikPiglit]

can see them today for some reason - excellent - will have a fiddle when I get home

:point:


And at this point the thread goes down the tube... :evil:

:whistle:

[Britchick]

have you fiddled yet?

[Skywatcher]

No sorry - yesterday was bonkers - moon shots are great and Lozzy sent me lovely shot of the Pliedes which is an open star cluster in Taurus

[lozzy]

No sorry - yesterday was bonkers - moon shots are great and Lozzy sent me lovely shot of the Pliedes which is an open star cluster in Taurus

Is that what that was, we really didn't know what is was. it was in the sky about 4.45 really bright with another small light next to it, but when it got dark we couldn't find them,

[lozzy]

I have just looked up what Pliedes is and OMG it is lovely, I so which I could get shots like that. Makes mine look like a blob. Really need to look in to getting a telescope, My son would be well impressed if he could see images like that.

[Skywatcher]

You cant see the nebulosity around the stars through a telescope but you can see them glittering like a jewel box - your pic was great and easily recognisable just a smidge out of focus

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb84/sidleydoc/m45NewFeb_edited-1.jpg

This is my only effort so far - not had time to spend on this object but it is on the list if we ever get any more clear nights

[lozzy]

You cant see the nebulosity around the stars through a telescope but you can see them glittering like a jewel box - your pic was great and easily recognisable just a smidge out of focus

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb84/sidleydoc/m45NewFeb_edited-1.jpg

This is my only effort so far - not had time to spend on this object but it is on the list if we ever get any more clear nights

Thank you, I found it really hard to get the focus right. Next time we have a clear sky I'll give it ago.

[ukwdwnut]

where is your shot laura, have you posted it as ive not seen it?

[lozzy]

where is your shot laura, have you posted it as ive not seen it?

No I haven't posted it as it isn't very good, just looks like a round blob, nothing like skywatcher has taken.

[Skywatcher]

don't be harsh Lozzy - you caught the pattern of it very nicely indeed!! no star trailing at all which is not easy to do

[lozzy]

Ok here we really,
http://wdisneysecrets.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=13&pictureid=211

This is a close up.
http://wdisneysecrets.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=13&pictureid=213

This is one that was taken later
http://wdisneysecrets.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=13&pictureid=210

[ukwdwnut]

good pix laura, i cant get that good, i need to get more practice lol