Star Trails in Zion N.P. for C&C

LittleMike · May 15, 2011

This is a single 27.5 minute exposure taken at night of one of the most famous trees in Zion N.P.. I call it the Survivor tree because that is the feeling it implies to me. An old, gnarled pine snag alone on top of a small sandstone hoodoo that just refuses to say die. It is probably the single most photographed tree in the park, which is why I decided to capture it in a new and unique way. I chose to let the moon (and stars) be the only light source for the image, and positioned Polaris (a.k.a. the North Star) under the tree in an attempt to make it seem like the stars were rotating around it. I realize that the needles are blurred, but that just kind of comes with the territory when you're taking an exposure of a plant that's nearly a half hour long. I just hope it doesn't detract from the overall image too much.

I also decided to experiment and try a slightly higher ISO than what is generally called for (320 instead of 100). I figured that a slightly higher ISO would make it easier for the sensor to pick up the light from the stars, in order to make them a little brighter. I took several shots at varying ISO settings, and believe this came out the best. There was hardly any more noise with it set at 320 vs 100, and was easy to correct in RAW.

Canon 5D mkII w/24-105L
f/10
27min 31 sec exposure
ISO 320

LittleMike · May 15, 2011

Well I guess let's see if adding another photo from the night before will generate any interest...

The night this one was taken was obviously overcast. I had about a 10 minute window where the moon peeked out from behind the clouds to capture it. Several people seem to think that when I do night shots I should use a shorter shutter speed so you can more easily tell it was taken at night. So here's a try at that.

tirediron · May 15, 2011

Very nice images! Well shot.

molested_cow · May 15, 2011

Well, at the kind of exposure you are getting for both shots, one wouldn't be able to tell if they are night shots if it wasn't for the stars.

I've always wondered, I've done several long exposures at night at F8 with ISO200 and 400 negatives, up to 35min and I can never get the "day-light" look that you have.

TheBiles · May 15, 2011

I don't think the stars are bright enough in the first shot. It looks just like a normal daylight shot with a few streaks in the sky.

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burdock87 · May 15, 2011

How do you do long-exposure shots? I'm guessing I would need a better camera for that? Great shots, by the way!

TheBiles · May 16, 2011

burdock87 said:
How do you do long-exposure shots? I'm guessing I would need a better camera for that? Great shots, by the way!

Bulb exposure mode. You can also do a series of shorter exposures and stack them with a specialized software.

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g-fi · May 16, 2011

I would have never guessed that either were night shots if you didn't say so. I think you lose the impact of the star trails if they're not on a night sky (one that clearly LOOKS like a night sky). How ARE you getting this daytime effect at night? A very large aperture?

LittleMike · May 16, 2011

You can get the day at night effect by the moon phase. These were taken with a moon that was just past the 3/4 stage, so there was plenty of ambient light. I didn't even have to use a flashlight to walk around or to set up.