What's the secret to getting these kind of shots?

MileCreations

MileCreations

What is the secret to getting a shot that looks like this?? https://vimeo.com/22439234 You don't even have to play the video, just look at the thumbnail.

I've tried many different ISO settings, aperture settings, shutter speed settings and RAW settings and I have NEVER been able to pull this level of colour from the night sky. Here is a photo I took and even when I make it brighter and stuff it doesn't make much difference, apart from the grain! http://www.flickr.com/photos/milecreations/8394771058/in/photostream
I have tried areas with much much less light and have had no better results, they just aren't online yet

Now I know that it isn't my part of the world that doesn't get this as I have seen examples from nearby (within 200-300km).

So is it the lens? Am I doing something wrong in my RAW editing? Can you only get shots like this some nights / some parts of the year?

:huh::huh::huh:
 
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I probably know less about cameras than about astronomy.I'm not an astronomist either, but I can tell you that you need to be on DESOLATED places to see lots of stars. Look at the horizon on your first picture on Flickr: all city lights! It's hard to estimate the light pollution if you don't see something else to compare it with. Even on your second picture, though it looks nice, I think you have to travel away from civilisation more. My (few) memories of amazing starskies were all in the mountains, were we stayed overnight in a little hut because it took a whole day to walk over there (and back).
 
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MileCreations said:
So HDR... But HDR involves mixing multiple images (of different exposure.....) how can you do that with something that is moving. Or is it a simulated HDR? In that case how do I go about doing that?
Click to expand...

You can get multiple exposure out of a single raw image. There are plenty of tutorials around the internet, but you're essentially taking the raw image, processing it with different exposures, and then combining those exposures to create your HDR image.

I was always confused by HDR images of things like fireworks until I realised this was possible.
 
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Levels / Curves adjustment, contrast adjustment, saturation bump, sharpness increased (don't have a noise reducer, but that would help with the grain)... from here, you can grab the colors separately and move them around to get exactly the look you want in your grading package.

Screen Shot 2013-05-04 at 12.15.02 PM.jpg

As for the battery life, you can get a grip for your camera that holds two batteries to double your camera's run time. Photive makes the one I have, I like it quite a bit. Got it through Amazon.
 
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knightly said:
Levels / Curves adjustment, contrast adjustment, saturation bump, sharpness increased (don't have a noise reducer, but that would help with the grain)... from here, you can grab the colors separately and move them around to get exactly the look you want in your grading package.

copy_homework_dog_meme.png

As for the battery life, you can get a grip for your camera that holds two batteries to double your camera's run time. Photive makes the one I have, I like it quite a bit. Got it through Amazon.
Click to expand...

Thank you very much Cole!
 
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No worries, the color's all there, you just need to get it presented at the levels you want. And the software I'm using in that screenie came with the camera, so I'd assume you have it as well.
 
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Right.... So tonight I discovered what I've really been doing wrong this whole time.... Ready drum roll......

FACING THE DAMN CAMERA AT THE WRONG PART OF THE THE MILKY WAY lol.

I've always faced it towards the southern cross part of it but tonight I discovered I ,ust face it towards the misty, less bright area in order to get that epic depth. IT MAKES SO MUCH SENSE.

I must admit this is probably the stupidest mistake I have ever made....

Anyway here is a quick result from tonight, and this is with a half moon behind me.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?...60768.100000197550437&type=1&relevant_count=1
 
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MileCreations said:
Right.... So tonight I discovered what I've really been doing wrong this whole time.... Ready drum roll......

FACING THE DAMN CAMERA AT THE WRONG PART OF THE THE MILKY WAY lol.

I've always faced it towards the southern cross part of it but tonight I discovered I ,ust face it towards the misty, less bright area in order to get that epic depth. IT MAKES SO MUCH SENSE.

I must admit this is probably the stupidest mistake I have ever made....

Anyway here is a quick result from tonight, and this is with a half moon behind me.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?...60768.100000197550437&type=1&relevant_count=1
Click to expand...

Looks good!

lol!
And nobody told you to look on a starmap to see whether you look at the right part of the sky :P
 
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Don't forget to check your sky conditions as that also effects the quality of your end product.
Also the moon can't be in the sky (except new moon), as moonlight kills sky colour and will over exposes everything.

In Canada/USA you'd use http://cleardarksky.com/

But not sure what's Austrialia options there may be (I can ask Atillia the next time I see him).

Also gonna plug my friend's astrophotography site - http://www.inspirationalcosmos.com/
It's pictures but some are out of this world!
Sometime this summer he and will try to do video time lapse.
 
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