Nightscapes - Star Trails
Moonrise Star Trails at Dinosaur Park
The eroding formations of Dinosaur Provincial Park, Alberta, lit by the rising gibbous Moon, off camera at right, on April 21/22, 2019. This is looking north, with the stars of the northern sky pivoting around Polaris. This is a stack of 8 exposures, mean combined to smooth noise, for the ground, and 250 exposures for the sky, blended with Lighten mode to create the stails. However, I used the Advanced Stacker Plus actions in Photoshop to do the stacking, creating the tapering effect in the process. All exposures with the 15mm Laowa lens at f/2.8 and Sony a7III at ISO 3200, each for 30 seconds. Luminar Flex effects Soft Glow added to the sky and Autumn Colors added to the ground.
A blend of images to show the stars of the southern sky moving from east to west (left to right) over the peaks of the Continental Divide at Herbert Lake near Lake Louise, in Banff, Alberta. The main peak at left is Mount Temple. A single static image shows the Milky Way and stars at the end of the motion sequence. The star trails and Milky Way reflect in the calm waters of the small Lake Herbert this night on July 17, 2018. This is a stack of 100 images for the star trails, stacked with the Long Streak function of Advanced Stacker Plus actions, plus a single exposure taken a minute or so after the last star trail image. The star trail stack is dropped back a lot in brightness, plus they are blurred slightly, so as to not overwhelm the fixed sky image. The sky images are blended with a stack of 8 images for the ground, mean combined to smooth noise in the ground. All are 30 seconds at f/2.8 with the 24mm Sigma lens and Nikon D750 at ISO 3200. All were taken as part of a time-lapse sequence. Clouds moving in added the odd dark patches in the Milky Way that look like out of place dark nebulas. The reflected star trails are really there in the water and have not be copied, pasted and inverted from the sky image. They look irregular because of rippling in the water.
A blend of images to show the stars of the southern sky moving from east to west (left to right) over the Rocky Mountains at Bow Lake, in Banff, Alberta. The main peak at centre is Bow Peak. Crowfoot Glacier is at far left; Bow Glacier is at right below the Milky Way. A single static image shows the Milky Way and stars at the end of the motion sequence. The star trails and Milky Way reflect in the calm waters of Bow Lake this night on July 16, 2018, though they appear large and out of focus. This is a stack of 300 images for the star trails, stacked with the Ultrastreak function of Advanced Stacker Plus actions, plus a single exposure taken a minute or so after the last star trail image. The star trail stack is dropped back a lot in brightness, plus they are blurred slightly, so as to not overwhelm the fixed sky image. The sky images are blended with a stack of 8 images for the ground, mean combined to smooth noise in the ground. All are 30 seconds at f/2 with the 15mm Laowa lens and Sony a7III at ISO 3200. All were taken as part of a time-lapse sequence. Bands of airglow add the green streaks to the sky.
Star Trails over Storm Mountain
The stars trailing as they move east to west (left to right), ending with the Milky Way and Galactic Centre (right) over Storm Mountain and the Vermilion Pass area of the Continental Divide in Banff National Park, Alberta. Mars is the bright trail at left. Saturn is amid the Milky Way at right. This was July 15, 2018. The lights at left are from the Castle Mountain interchange at Highways 1 and 93. This is a stack of 8 exposures, mean combined to smooth noise, for the ground, plus 200 exposures for the star trails, and one exposure, untracked, for the fixed sky taken about a minute after the last star trail image. All 30 seconds at f/2.8 with the 24mm Sigma lens, and Nikon D750 at ISO 6400. The frames were taken as part of a time-lapse sequence. Dynamic Contrast filter from ON1 applied to the ground, and Soft and Airy filter from Luminar applied to the sky for a soft Orton effect.
Liberty Schoolhouse with Star Trails
The 1910 Liberty Schoolhouse, a classic pioneer one-room school, on the Alberta prairie under the stars on a spring night, with circumpolar star trails circling Polaris, and an aurora dancing to the north. Moonlight from the 8-day-old waxing Moon provides the illumination. This is a stack of 155 exposures for the sky for the star trails, and a mean-combined stack of 8 exposures for the ground to smooth noise, with a vintage effect using Luminar applied to the ground for the rustic tone. Star trail stacking with Advanced Stacker Plus Actions in Photoshop with Ultrastreaks effect. With the Laowa 15mm lens and Sony a7III camera. All 20 seconds at f/2.8 and at ISO 800, and taken as part of a 360-frame time-lapse.
Star Trails over the Red Deer River
Circumpolar star trails and aurora over the Red Deer River, Alberta from the Orkney Viewpoint north of Drumheller on May 5, 2018. This is a stack of 650 images for the sky and river reflections using Advanced Stacker Plus actions in Ultrastreak mode. The ground comes from a stack of the final 8 images in the set, averaged to smooth noise. All exposures were 10 seconds at f/2 with the 14mm Sigma Art lens and Nikon D750 at ISO 3200. The frames were taken for a time-lapse movie of the aurora, which proved fairly quiet this night, so in stacking the sky, the aurora did not blur too much. Most of the curtain activity seen here was in the last dozen or so frames.
Orion Rising Star Trails at Dinosaur Park
Orion rising in star trails and in the moonlight, at Dinosaur Provincial Park, Alberta, on November 27, 2017. Light is from the 8-day waxing Moon off camera to the right. This is a stack of 100 exposures for the star trails, followed by a gap of a miniute, then a final single exposure to add the point-like stars at the ends of the trails. Another gaussian blur layer adds the star glows. The 100 star trail frames were extracted from the end of a 1200-frame time-lapse sequence. All exposures were 10 seconds at f/2 with a 24mm Sigma Art lens and Nikon D750 at ISO 800. Stacking was with the Advanced Stacker Plus actions from Star Circle Academy, v14e.
A composite stack of 12 images taken June 11/12, 2017 of the waning gibbous Moon tracking low across the southern sky on a June nght, from moonrise at left at 11:30 pm to when it began to leave the frame at right at 4 a.m. and when the sky was brightening with dawn. Images are at 25-minute intervals. The sky is blue here from the moonlight. This demonstrates how the summer Moon at and around Full phase tracks low across the south just as the Sun does during winter. The frames here were taken from an 1172-frame time-lapse, from home in southern Alberta, with the Nikon D750 and 24mm lens. While the sky comes from a stack of 12 images, the ground is from a stack of just two, to minimize the loss of shadows from the moving Moon. Exposures were 10 to 13 seconds, vastly overexposing the Moon but the sequence was intended first and foremost for a time-lapse where each frame has to be well-exposed to show the sky and ground, and not just the disk of the Moon in a dark underexposed scene.
Orion Setting in Star Trails at Loch Ard Gorge
Orion (right) and Sirius (upper right) setting into the west over Loch Ard Gorge on the Great Ocean Road, Victoria, Australia, with illumination from the rising Moon a day past full behind the camera to the east. This is the location of the wreck of the Loch Ard immigrant ship, where only two survived by swimming ashore at this gorge and climbing the cliffs to find a ranch house nearby. This is a stack of 100 exposures for the sky and water, each 15 seconds, with the ground coming from one frame in the sequence to prevent the moving shadows from the rising Moon from blurring detail. All with the 14mm Rokinon lens at f/2.5 and Canon 6D at ISO 800. Stacked with Advanced Stacker Action Elastic Stars effect.
Star trails over Moraine Lake from Aug 31, 2016. This is a stack of about 300 exposures for the sky and 8 for the ground to smooth noise. Each exposure was 15 seconds at f/2 with the Sigma 20mm lens. Master dark frame applied in processing. Stacking with Advanced Stacker Plus actions in Photoshop.
Circumpolar Stars over Tibuc Cottage
Southern circumpolar stars over the Tibuc Gardens Cottage, with the foreground illuminated by moonlight. The Milky Way forms the brighter band running across the sky above the Pole. The sky is a stack of 388 exposures, each 30 seconds with the 15mm lens at f/2.8 and Canon 6D at ISO 3200. Stacked with Advanced Stacker Plus Actions using Ultrastreaks mode. The foreground comes from the first frame in the sequence when the waxing Moon was still up.
Orion, at right, rising in star trails behind the old plough, at home, on a bright moonlit night in November, with light from a waxing gibbous Moon. Procyon is just rising above the horizon at left. Clouds from incoming winter weather bringing snow are intruding at right. Exposures started about 7:30 pm with Orion just starting to rise, and ended at about 10 pm with Orion at upper right in the frame. This is a stack of 350 images for the stars, each 20 seconds at f/5.6 with the 35mm lens Canon L-series lens and Canon 6D at ISO 1600. A final single exposure added the more point-like stars at the ends of the trails. The ground comes from a stack of 8 frames in the sequence, mean combined, to reduce noise. All stacking with the Advanced Stacker Plus actions, with the Long Streaks effect, from StarCircleAcademy.com.
Big Dipper Star Trails over ForgetMeNot Pond
The Big Dipper trailing across the northern sky over ForgetMeNot Pond in Kananaskis Country, in southern Alberta, on a moonlit autumn night in September 2015. This is a stack of two exposures: 30 seconds at f/4 and ISO 1250 for the short point-like stars followed by an 8-minute exposure at f/5.6 at ISO 160, both with the 24mm lens and Nikon D750. LENR used on both images.
Circumpolar star trails circling above an old rustic and abandoned house near Bow Island, Alberta, with illumination from the nearly Full Moon. Cassiopeia is near centre. Polaris is at top left. This is a stack of 140 frames from a time-lapse sequence with additional frames added for the first and last stars, and the ground coming from a mean combine stack of 8 frames to reduce noise. Each frame is 10 seconds at f/4 with the 16-35mm lens and ISO 1600 with the Canon 6D. Stacked with Advanced Stacker Actions, using the Ultrastreaks effect, from within Photoshop.
Solstice Star Trails at Dinosaur Park
Summer solstice twilight and circumpolar star trails over the badlands of Dinosaur Provincial Park, Alberta. Some bright noctilucent clouds are visible low on the northern horizon. I shot this June 15, 2015 as part of a shoot for a “star trail” video tutorial, as an example image. This is a stack of the first 200 frames of 275 shot for a time-lapse, each 15 seconds at f/2.8 with the Rokinon 14mm lens and Canon 6D at ISO 1600. I stacked them in Advanced Stacker Actions with the ultrastreak mode. The foreground comes from a mean blend of the first 8 frames, to smooth noise, and to provide a brighter foreground from early in the sequence when the sky and ground were brighter.
Space Station in the Summer Dawn
A pass of the International Space Station in the brightening twilight of dawn, on the morning of June 1, 2015, with the gibbous Moon setting to the southwest at right. The view is looking south, with the ISS travelling from right (west) to left (southeast) over several minutes. This was the last pass of a 4-pass night, May 31/June 1, starting at 3:55 am MDT this morning. This is a composite stack of 144 exposures, each 2 seconds at f/2.8 with the 15mm full-frame fish-eye and ISO 3200 with the Canon 6D. The gaps are from the 1-second interval between exposures. The length of the trails and gaps reflects the changing apparent speed of the ISS as it approaches, passes closest, then flies away. I stacked the exposures with the Advanced Stacker Actions from StarCIrcleAcademy.com, using the Lighten mode. The ground comes from a Mean blend of just 8 of the exposures to prevent shadows from blurring but to smooth noise.
Space Station Overhead Pass #1
An overhead pass of the International Space Station in a bright moonlit sky on the night of May 31/ June 1, 2015, with the gibbous Moon in to the south, below. The view is looking south, with the ISS travelling from right (west) to left (east) over several minutes. This was the second pass of a 4-pass night, May 31/June 1, starting at 12:44 am MDT this morning. This is a composite stack of 91 exposures, each 4 seconds at f/3.5 with the 8mm fish-eye lens and ISO 6400 with the Canon 6D. The gaps are from the 1-second interval between exposures. The length of the trails and gaps reflects the changing apparent speed of the ISS as it approaches, passes closest, then flies away. The stars are trailing around Polaris at top. An aircraft supplies the other dashed trail across the top and intersecting with the ISS trail. I stacked the exposures with the Advanced Stacker Actions from StarCIrcleAcademy.com, using the Lighten mode. The ground comes from a Mean blend of just 8 of the exposures to prevent shadows from blurring but to smooth noise.
Star Trails over Pioneer Homestead at Dusk
Circumpolar star trails at dawn over the historic Butala homestead at the Old Man on His Back Prairie and Heritage Conservation Area in southwest Saskatchewan, taken May 2015. This is a stack of 70 frames from a larger time-lapse sequence, from the start of the sequence in the dusk twilight, with some aurora active and adding green and magenta to the sky. Cassiopeia is at left over the house. Each exposure is 40 seconds with the 14mm lens at f/2.8 and Canon 60Da at ISO 1600. Stacked with Advanced Stacker Actions, Comet effect. The foreground comes from a stack of 8 of the first exposures, mean combined, to smooth noise.
Star Trails over Pioneer Homestead at Dawn
Circumpolar star trails at dawn over the historic Butala homestead at the Old Man on His Back Prairie and Heritage Conservation Area in southwest Saskatchewan, taken May 2015. This is a stack of 70 frames from a larger time-lapse sequence, from the end of the sequence in the dawn twilight. Each exposure is 40 seconds with the 14mm lens at f/2.8 and Canon 60Da at ISO 1600. Stacked with Advanced Stacker Actions. The foreground comes from a stack of 8 of the final exposures, mean combined, to smooth noise.
Star Trails Behind Double Arch
Circumpolar star trails spinning behind Double Arch at Arches National Park, Utah, as the waning gibbous Moon lights the arches toward the end of the sequence. The Big Dipper is streakng into frame at top right from behind the butte at right, while Jupiter is the bright object at top left streaking down into the scene. During the shoot, other photographers were lighting the Arches but this did not affect my shoot, as my foreground came from near the end of the shoot after they had all left and I had natural illumination to light the Arches. This is a stack of 160 frames taken over 2.5 hours from 9:30 to midnight, starting in moonless darkness, then brightening as the Moon rose in the last hour of the shooting, lighting the sky and arches. The nearest arch casts its shadow onto the distant arch, with its shadow shape matching the other arch. The frames were stacked with Star Circle Academy’s “Advanced Stacker Actions” for Photoshop using the Long Streaks effect. The foreground comes from a stack of 8 frames for noise reduction, taken toward the end of the shooting with the moonlight illumination. An additional frame taken a couple of minutes after the last star trail frame adds the short unstreaked stars at the head of the trails. Each exposure was 45 seconds at f/2.8 and ISO 3200 with the Canon 6D and 14mm Rokinon lens. Dark frames taken at the end of the night (8 stacked in Mean combine for a master dark) were also subtracted from each of the foreground and star trail stacks, which reduced noise speckling.
The famous and photogenic Double Arch at Arches National Park in Utah, shot in moonlight with illumination from a rising waning gibbous Moon on April 6, 2015. This is a stack of 4 x 40 second exposures at f/4 and ISO 1600 with the Canon 24mm lens and Canon 6D, to provide short star trails from stars in the northern sky.
The Dippers over South Window Arch
The Big and Little Dippers circling Polaris over South Window Arch in Arches National Park, Utah, with the rising waning Moon lighting the landscape and sky. This is a stack of 4 x 40-second exposures with the Rokinon 14mm lens at f/2.8 and Canon 6D at ISO 3200. taken April 6, 2015.
The Dippers Over North Window Arch
The Big Dipper and the Little Dipper turning around Polaris (at left) over the North Window Arch at Arches National Park, Utah, with a sky brightening with moonlight. A wash from an LED flashlight provided some foreground illumination. This is a stack of 4 x 45-second exposures with the Rokinon 14mm lens at f/2.8 and Canon 6D at ISO 3200.
Orion Star Trails Through Turret Arch
Orion and the stars of the winter sky trailing as they set behind and through Turret Arch, in Arches National Park, Utah. I shot this April 6, 2015 after twilight but before the waning Moon rose, so the sky was dark. Illumination is from stars and the sky – no artificial light provided, and the Moon was not up. This is a stack of 4 x 8-minute exposures at ISO 250 for the ground and long star trails, plus an initial short 30-second exposure at ISO 4000 for the star points at the start of the trail, all with the Rokinon 14mm lens at f/2.8 and Canon 6D.