Or, as I prefer to think of it, 3 opportunities! This tree is a maple tree that I like to call "The Ghost Maple", since (to me at least) the silhouette of the tree resembles a rather "ghostly" looking figure. Each year after the leaves fall I like to make images of the "Ghost Maple". When the leaves are on the trees the profile of the tree just doesn't stick out the way it does after the leaves have fallen. This year, I wanted to get some shots of the stars behind the tree. These three images represent 3 separate nights of shooting the tree. My original desire was to get a star trail image of the tree. On the first night, when I got to the tree the clear skies that were prevalent over Lake Superior were nowhere to be seen deep in the woods, and I had to deal with a very overcast sky. So, I took the opportunity to try and get a little creative with the lighting. I waited until the moon was up (of course, I couldn't SEE the moon because of the clouds, but there were some thinner areas of cloud where on occasion the moonlight would sort of come through) and I made some exposures with the tree illuminated from the brake lights on my car.
On the second night, the sky looked a little more promising for some stars. However, again when I got up to the tree the clouds had moved in a bit, although they were much thinner than the previous night. Star trails weren't going to work on this night, either... too many thin clouds... so instead I shot a high ISO "short exposure" image of the stars and the hazy clouds as the moon was rising in the distance.
Third night... I got what I wanted. Crystal-clear skies, not a cloud in sight. So, I lined up my composition, dialed in my focus, and locked the shutter down for a one-hour exposure. I had great fun each night I was up there, and I guess the whole point of this is that even though you may not get what you are hoping for, don't get too discouraged because you may end up with some neat images that you weren't expecting!
First image: 30 second exposure, aperture f4, ISO 1600.
Second image: 30 second exposure, aperture f4, ISO 6400
Third image: 1 hour exposure, aperture f4, ISO 100.
All three images were made with a Canon 5D Mark II and Canon EF 17-40mm lens.
3 comments:
Hi Travis
love your work and I noticed that you stated on the last shot that it was and hour exposure. I'm just starting out doing star trails and was wondering what sort of noise levels you got in this shot? I also use a canon 5d mkII and have been using the stacking method with 30 sec exposures.
Love the second image, with the stars "sharp".
Thanks, Annette! For a one-hour exposure at ISO 100, the noise level is pretty minimal. You can see some noise when viewing the image at 100% on your computer screen, but I've had prints made up to 20x30 inches and the noise doesn't show in the prints. It also seems like the colder the temperature, the less the noise. Star trail images that I've done in the winter have had less noise than ones I've done in the summer.
-Travis
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