NOCTURNAL aka NIGHT Photography

Sw1tchFX · Feb 6, 2012

Nikon_Josh said:
Sw1tchFX said:

Once you figure out how your camera gathers light, Night photography is pretty easy. I recommend everyone give it a shot!

Click to expand...

Taken on film or digital??

Oh as much as I like film, it can't do this! This is where digital REALLY shines IMO.

And of course photoshop was involved.. for example....

Straight RAW:

After LR adjustments:

Bottom line though, you MUST start off with good source material first.

One more from the archives!!

rexbobcat · Feb 6, 2012

Compaq · Feb 7, 2012

Sw1tchFX said:
Straight RAW:

After LR adjustments:

Bottom line though, you MUST start off with good source material first.

That post was both inspirational and demotivating

I see you (probably) used your D700 and the 24mm/1.4 for this. You have very good noise handling as well as a fast wide angle lens. Now, your honest opinion on the following question, please: could I take a shot like this with my Tokina 11-16mm/2.8 on a Canon 40D? I won't go much higher than ISO-1200 on that body.

Have you done any stacking or advanced noise reduction in the Milkyway shot or the one with the capped mountain with reflections and insanely many stars? Or does the D700 just handle the noise very well, and you shot at f/1.4 or something? The detail in the Milkyway is awesome.

Overread · Feb 7, 2012

*thread moved and merged to existing night time photography theme*

Sw1tchFX · Feb 7, 2012

Compaq said:
Sw1tchFX said:

Straight RAW:

After LR adjustments:

Bottom line though, you MUST start off with good source material first.

Click to expand...

That post was both inspirational and demotivating I see you (probably) used your D700 and the 24mm/1.4 for this. You have very good noise handling as well as a fast wide angle lens. Now, your honest opinion on the following question, please: could I take a shot like this with my Tokina 11-16mm/2.8 on a Canon 40D? I won't go much higher than ISO-1200 on that body.

Have you done any stacking or advanced noise reduction in the Milkyway shot or the one with the capped mountain with reflections and insanely many stars? Or does the D700 just handle the noise very well, and you shot at f/1.4 or something? The detail in the Milkyway is awesome.

lol thank you, and i'm sorry

I doubt you could get away with that on a 40D and have similar quality. I shot that at 1600, 30 seconds, f/2, and 24mm. For a 40D to get the same perspective and stability in the stars, you'd have to shoot at 16mm, f/2.8 and 3200. The other two pictures that had stars in them were shot at 6400 and f/1.4..you'd have to be at 25,600, 16mm, and f/2.8 since there's no real fast wide's for APS-C, and the 16-35 isn't really super.

I don't do stacking, I don't like how it looks. The D700 handles noise superbly, especially since it came out so long ago.

Compaq · Feb 7, 2012

Awesome, thanks for the insight. I've exchanged the Tokina 12-24/4 to the 11-16mm/2.8, so I'll be getting some more detail than I used to. Your amount is incredible, but I suppose decent pictures can be taken with less detail in the sky

Anyway, more often than not when we look at pictures, we think "I like that, that's a good image!". However, every now and then, we encounter photos that make us go "Wow, that is what I want to accomplish one day!". Huge difference, and I was truly inspired by your shots - as I sometimes am with great wide field astrophotography shots..!

Sw1tchFX · Feb 7, 2012

Thanks, and I appreciate the accolades, but i've got a long way to go still till I reach a level where i'd be happy

You can still make great images with the 11-16.. just because I spend $80,000 on a car, does that make me a better driver?

bentcountershaft · Feb 25, 2012

Sw1tchFX said:

Just a note to say I'm nominating this one for pic of the month.

mikeschmeee · Mar 9, 2012

mikeschmeee · Mar 11, 2012

LaFoto · Mar 11, 2012

Mike, these are brilliant!

Mine cannot compete with these, mine were taken "in passing", handheld, as I had nothing on me but the old Rebel and its kit lens... so no small apertures, low ISOs, long exposures. No chance for that...

057_SF_Fisherman'sWharf von Corinna-Fotos auf Flickr