Startrails Over Lake Tahoe
2 hours of star trails over beautiful Lake Tahoe
2 hours of star trails over beautiful Lake Tahoe
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Jun, 2013Views
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Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was on the south side of Lake Tahoe, CA. I found a nice vista point that allowed me to see the north star, the lake, and the surrounding Lake Tahoe area.Time
I spent many nights that weekend staying up to the wee hours of the night. I believe this particular shot was taken around 11pm or so. Other shots (Milky Way shots that are also in my portfolio) were taken well after midnight.Lighting
As with most star trail imagery out there, lighting was ambient, and over the course of the 2 hours that his photo was taken the city lights lit up the surrounding lake side. To capture the stars, instead of doing a single 2 hours exposure, I took 2 minute exposures over the course of 2 hours. I then stacked all the images using Star Circle Academy software within Photoshop.Equipment
This was shot with a Nikon D800 and a 14-24 f2.8 wide angle lens, and a Manfroto carbon fiber tripod with ball head for stability.Inspiration
I have always loved shooting star trails, and finding interesting locations is always one of my priorities. Being in Tahoe I had plenty of opportunities to shot in gorgeous locations. In fact, I can't wait to head back there again, preferably during a new moon for optimal sky viewing.Editing
I used Star Circle Academy software within Photoshop to merge all of the images into a single star trail. I then did some minor post processing in Color Efex Pro to add additional detail and enhance the colors a bit.In my camera bag
My bag is heavy and full. I usually cary everything because you never know what you're going to need or when you're going to need it. I have my trusty Nikon D800, remote trigger, 14-24, 24-70, 70-200, and 105mm macro lenses, along with my tripod, and accessories... when you go hiking with my bag, you definitely get a workout... LOLFeedback
It is absolutely necessary to have a sturdy tripod... any camera shake will make the image blurry and not appealing to the eye. You don't need super fast glass, but having fast glass really helps. Last, and this is an absolute must IMHO, you need a good remote shutter release. I particularly like ones that you can program, they are called intervalometer... Velbon Shutterboss is a great product from BH Photo, but there are others out there, some I'm sure are cheaper. Best advice I can give though, go out, experiment, and absolutely have fun!!!
