Startrail photography 10mm5/3/2023 Set the camera to manual exposure mode and choose a shutter speed of 30 secs (do this by selecting the T setting then using the rear control dial to choose the shutter speed). Set the lowest interval possible (one second) and set NUMBER OF TIMES to 100 frames (a good starting value). To set this up, go to SHOOTING SETTING > INTERVAL TIMER SHOOTING in the camera’s menu. Using the camera’s interval timer, we’ll make a series of shorter exposures and merge these together in post-production to give us the finished star trail. But ugly noise can creep into pictures made in this way, so we’re going to use a different method. This setting keeps the shutter open for as long as the shutter release button, or its remote-control equivalent, is held down. It’s absolutely possible to create star trails in a single long exposure: the longest shutter speed an X Series camera can handle is 60 minutes in bulb mode (marked by B on the shutter speed dial). Last, a wired remote control is useful for photographing without wobbling the camera, but it’s not essential as we can also use a self-timer or the FUJIFILM Camera Remote app. Even better is an accessory battery grip that lets you photograph with more than one battery at a time without having to stop to physically change over. We’ll be working with very long shutter speeds, which can consume a lot of battery power, so make sure you take plenty of spares with you. The 18mm end of the FUJINON XF18-55mmF2.8-4 R LM OIS is ideal. You’ll also need a wide-angle lens that can ideally deliver a fairly wide aperture. ![]() A good sturdy tripod is essential – something that won’t move as you’re making images. When it comes to photographic equipment, there are rather specific requirements. You’ll need to photograph for a few hours in order to get long enough trails to fill the night sky, so make sure you take plenty of warm clothing, food, and water with you. Moonlight is useful to light up the surrounding landscape, though you’ll want to make sure you don’t have the moon itself in the frame, since this is much too bright for the long exposures we’ll be using. You’ll need dark skies away from light pollution (Blue Marble’s night map can help you here), and very little cloud coverage. The conditions have to be just right for a star trail photograph to work. This type of astrophotography is quite technical, but not as difficult as you might first think once you’ve had time to digest and practice the techniques involved. ![]() ![]() The principle is the same as we would use for traffic trails, only on a much longer timescale to reflect the relatively slower movement of the stars, caused by the rotation of the Earth. Framing this on camera can be a very satisfying technical challenge.Ĭreating star trails requires a long shutter speed to turn stars into streaks of light as they move across the night sky. There are few things as spectacular in photography as a star trail – the cosmos smeared across the night sky as the Earth rotates on its axis. ![]() Our tips on technique and gear are what you need to do it well Framing the cosmos in the night sky is a challenge few photographers can ignore.
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