Suggestions please on a star trail pic

cromwell · April 9, 2011

I took these test shots last weekend, while trying to figure out how I was going to shoot the entire sequence. They are 2 minute exposures and my plan was to shoot 60 of them, the first containing a spin of fire like here, and another containing the windmill being painted with a flashlight. Then of course, combining all 60 in Photoshop to make a 2 hour star trail pic. After studying the test shots for a few minutes and seeing what I thought was a lack of stars up north, due to some new lights on the horizon, and what I thought just wasn't a good enough composition to warrant all the work that lie ahead, I packed it all up and left. After seeing it on my pc, there seems to be plenty of stars, so that's not a problem. I cropped one pic quite a bit to salvage a pic that I might just keep. The other one is what the final star trail would be composed of. I circled the North Star to give you an idea how the trails would occupy the sky. I really think there's a way to make this better than what I have. I'll probably go back and shoot in a month or two, but I want to make it better than this. I like the spin better when it's closer to the windmill, especially since it lights it up, but since the final won't be cropped in I need to stand farther away with the fire to balance out the image, like I did in the one with the circled star. This is kind of where I feel stuck. I also think maybe a shorter spin would look nicer and not contain such a hot area in the frame. Maybe instead of lighting the windmill with a flashlight use some other kind of fire source? I would absolutely love any suggestions anyone might have. Thanks.

cromwell · April 10, 2011

Since I'm not getting any suggestions, could I please get some opinions on whether or not you think the final image would ever be good enough to warrant all the work involved in getting the picture? I'm not just after praise. I really want honest opinions....too much worked involved to not have them. I'm beginning to think my initial thoughts of the fire circle being too dominating and the whole picture not being good enough were spot on and it's probably just not worth it.

Richard · April 11, 2011

IMO, the second one is quite good as is, though it could be improved a bit if less of the fire stuff (what is that, anyway?) was blown out so we could see more of the arcs. I love the reflection and the subtle light of the windmill and the sky at the horizon. I'm afraid that I don't know whether your original plan is worth executing or not; I think I would need to see the results to be sure. It could be very cool indeed, but there might turn out to be too many elements competing for attention. Sometimes less is more. Perhaps you could figure out a way to fake some star trails in PS as a proof of concept, then decide whether it's worth it.

Dogdots · April 11, 2011

I'm with Richard .. what is that 'thing' your photographing by the windmill?

Like what your trying to come up with, but I agree with Richard that the star trials, beautiful water near a windmill and then that fire thing might all compete with each other. Although if you can calm down the fire thing it might work some. I'd go more for 1 shooting start effect vs many star trails in the photo. That way the fire and shooting star will blend into an effect of a shooting star landing on earth. Kinda see where I'm going with on this?

If you shot just the star trails with the water/windmill combo that would look beautiful. I'd think some of the effect would reflect onto the water too.

cromwell · April 11, 2011

You two are awesome. This is exactly what I was after. Thank you. The fire is steel wool on the end of a cable. It lights instantly with a touch from a 9 volt battery. It's just a few sparks going and will go out if there's no wind hitting it, but takes off madly as soon as the wind from swinging it hits it. Anyway, since there's no evidence of lighting it that shows up in the picture and there's really not a flame until it is spinning, it's the perfect thing to use.

What gave me the idea for the whole thing was a shot I saw on Flickr. http://www.flickr.com/photos/ishbel76/4247519531/in/set-72157622775287088 After looking at her spin, I think maybe I need to slow it down some, especially in the beginning when it's really sparkling. I think she saturated the heck out of it, so that's why it's so orange. I also would need to choke up on the cable so the circle is smaller. I would just have to experiment more to get it right. I only did 4 test spins and had never done them before. I felt like they were going to spin forever with a small flame left, so on one above, I slammed it down in the water while spinning to put it out. On another I put my burning scalp out while keeping the spin going....good thing i don't use hair spray. A hat went on after that shot. Probably should have worn eye gear too. I'm attaching a shot I took with a shorter exposure time that cut me off during the spin, which looks better, but doesn't light up the windmill much. Speaking of a shooting star, while spinning that thing forever, I thought about just swinging it away. Maybe if I swung it for a short period and then flung it high and out of the frame it would look like some alien life force had come from space and landed, or maybe more like it captured me and took me to their home.:) :s85 Probably catch the pasture on fire doing something like that though.

Her shot has less competing because there's no reflection and the large rock isn't lit and a rock occupies less visual thought than a windmill. I also like the fire spin at an angle to the stars with the rock under the center of the star pattern. It makes much better balance. Bad thing for me, is I can't do that. There's tall cattails just to the left of the frame, so if I moved over they would be in the way of the windmill and the reflection.

After looking at the second one again, I think ya'll are right. It would probably be a better shot with no fire spin at all, especially since there will be a star pattern reflected in the water. It seems like there was 10 times the amount of stars reflected when looking west, but of course I'd just have a straight line pattern looking that way. If I go back and shoot it, I think I'll still do the fire spin for my first and last shot. I'll be shooting 60 2 minute exposures to stack in Photoshop for the star trails. If I like the fire spin I'll pick the best of the two and use it. If I don't like it, then I won't use either and will still have 58 shots for my star trails with no gaps.

Thanks again for helping me out and sorry for the novel I just wrote. I'm definitely still up for any other ideas if anyone has them.

Suggestions please on a star trail pic

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