Photo/Photographer thread.

[Slowbee]

Hehehe .... boring by comparison ....

 

I enjoy star-trails.  Being in the Northern Cape, and having the lodge lights switched OFF creates such an idylic setting !!  Absolutely zero light pollution....

 

 

Client wanted an ultra-high res photo of a vineyard, to be able to print it 10 meters long, for a mural.  Only way to get that much info into a photo is to take multiple shots in raw, and then stitch it in Photoshop.  Send the photoshop file directly to the graphics guys ....

 

 

Does make for LITTLE sleep though .... spending 95% of the night playing with the stars, and then being on top of the koppie before sunrise for the actual shoot.  And before you realise it, shooting and editing and it is midday .....

 

 

 

with any luck I may be back there by the end of the month ... this time closer to full moon.  Less stars, but so much more detail in the foreground .....  May just get some real keeper shots for the client !!

 

PS - I go there as a mechanical engineer, the pics is just an absolute BONUS !!

Dont you need an appie? I mean you are my new best friend ?

 

When do you get to take star pics?

 

Maybe we should do a hubbers get together somewhere close but with very few lights. Just camp for one night so we can take pics? I know there are a few hubbers who enjoy the night sky and keen amateur astronomers and budding astrophyzssizstsicttssts .....

 

What about the observatory in cedaberg ?

http://www.cederbergobs.org.za/

[ChrisF]

Wow, Oom se night photography is amazing! Oom kan maar neem! Blikkies en boontjiesop! Dis baie goeie werk Oom.

 

EDIT: As ek mag vra, watter body en lens het Oom gebruik?

 

Andrew I took two cameras for this shoot.

 

5D3 and a 7D2

 

I used the following lenses:

Fisheye

16-35 wide angle

24-70

 

For the next shoot I will also use the 70-200, at 200mm.  I want to zoom in on the vineyards, with the Southerncross just above the horizon.  (their company name is linked to this...)

[ChrisF]

Dont you need an appie? I mean you are my new best friend ?

 

When do you get to take star pics?

 

Maybe we should do a hubbers get together somewhere close but with very few lights. Just camp for one night so we can take pics? I know there are a few hubbers who enjoy the night sky and keen amateur astronomers and budding astrophyzssizstsicttssts .....

 

What about the observatory in cedaberg ?

http://www.cederbergobs.org.za/

 

Getting the opportunity for proper star pics truly is a challenge !!  Much more so than the maths behind getting the pic ....

 

 

We are busy with a project on a farm next to the Orange River, about 100km West of Augrabies.

 

I started taking pics of the project, then got asked if I would take some specific shots for them ... this led to the most amazing opportunity !!!!!

 

 

I was fortunate to meet Basie van Zyl, he passed away a few years back.  BRILLIANT photographer !!  I bought his book on star photography.  I want to contact his estate to find out where one could buy this now (any help with this will be GREATLY appreciated).  Basie was a proponent of the "single long exposure".  these pics were taken in honour of a great friend and mentor, using his method.

 

 

I have also attended a course by Peter Haarhoff at the Taalmonument outside Paarl on star trails - http://www.capephotoco.co.za/  He uses the multiple exposure method, and then stacking the photos.  Many benefits to this method .... I will probably be using this on my next visit to the farm.

Edited October 24, 2017 by ChrisF

[Slowbee]

Do you use a door mount for the long exposures Chris, or just the right lens and some maths?

 

I try and do the purist route and do single exposures, but that is personal preference. Have not yet really played around with stacking.

 

I have to try get up to the Paarl Monument for a stargazing evening.

 

Maybe we can do a late afternoon hub ride and then the star gazing?

 

http://online.computicket.com/web/event/sterrekykpiekniek/1191686927/0/83021572

 

https://showme.co.za/paarl/events-entertainment/upcoming-events-at-the-taalmonument/

 

Actually I think we should do a hub thing here. Showcase some trails, followed by a family picnic?

[Slowbee]

Started a thread here:

 

https://community.bikehub.co.za/topic/170629-wc-hub-ride-and-picinic/

 

What say you western cape guys?

 

Chris?

[ChrisF]

Some basics of star photography -

 

Gear :

- the one genre where almost any camera can be used. 

- A nice wide lens does help.

- LONG exposure.  Most cameras allows up to 30 seconds setting.  For longer exposures a cable release is required, preferably an intervalometer.  The Canon and Nikon units are 3 to 4k !  for R450 you get units does the same, from ORMS (just make sure to buy one that fits YOUR camera body)

- TRIPOD .... you really need a tripod for this !!  And a stable one HELPS.  During my one 40 minute exposure the wind came up .... 

- torch/head lamp .... you will need to focus the camera in the dead of night ..... a decent light source is needed for this 

 

 

Length of exposure ?  Star-SPOT vs Star-TRAIL ?

- We all start out at 30 seconds, because this is what the camera allows.  For a South or North shot this is sort of okay ... For an East or West shot you already get a short trail at 30 seconds.  You might have to dial it back to 20 seconds to get a proper "star-spot" photo.

 

 

 

How to focus at night ?  Or more to the point, how to focus such that you a SHARP photo from the foreground right into the furthest stars ??

"Hyper-focal distance"  This is a little sub-study .... basically for each camera body vs focal distance there is a magical distance called hyper focal distance.  If you FOCUS at this point, then your image is SHARP from the foreground into infinity.

 

For the 5D3 at 16mm this distance was about 3m, with the 7D2 at 24mm this distance was 11m.  So you pace it out, light up some object, then do the following:

- camera on live view

- lens on manual focus

- zoom in, move focal point to the lit object

- zoom in again, now turn the focus ring to get SHARP focus.

- if possible zoom in a third time and FOCUS.

- switch off live view and DONT touch your lens again !!!!!

 

 

Now you push your camera to its limits ....

- F2,8 or as low as you can go

- T = 30 seconds (jip we always start here)

- ISO 3200 ... for the first test shot.

 

Start the shot (use the 2second timer if you dont have a remote cable)

 

 

Look at the picture, and STUDY the histogram.  Because it is DARK, the picture on the screen always looks a LOT brighter than it actually is.  the histogram should be about 25 to 30% from the far left.

 

You wont fiddle with the "F" setting.

 

So you can only play with time and ISO .... BUT, we all KNOW that high ISO = lots of digital noise ......

 

 

For the TEST SHOTS, stay at 30 seconds, and change the ISO until you get the perfect histogram.  From here you offset the time against the ISO ... half the ISO = double the time, again and again and again .....

 

Using an EV table makes this process just a bit easier.  JIP, when I set up for these shots I have two laminated tables.  One for the hyper focal distance, and another for the EV values.

 

 

That is the mechanics behind it.

 

Now for the ART .. to find the right rock or tree to anchor the image ....

 

 

 

 

And when you get the basics you can start PLAYING ..... run with a way underexposed photo, stars are fine, but foreground is DARK .... until you add a torch to light up the foreground, like this -

 

 

 

 

 

[Slowbee]

I have run out of likes.

 

EDIT:

 

For the hyperfocal you can "cheat".

 

Set the focus during the day. Mark the lens with a touch of tipex, or masking tape to line up the two lines. Then you dont need to worry at night about it.

 

Oh and dont forget to switch the image stabilising off! Got the T-shirt.

[ChrisF]

I have run out of likes.

 

EDIT:

 

For the hyperfocal you can "cheat".

 

Set the focus during the day. Mark the lens with a touch of tipex, or masking tape to line up the two lines. Then you dont need to worry at night about it.

 

Oh and dont forget to switch the image stabilising off! Got the T-shirt.

 

The real masters, like Basie van Zyl, spend DAYS setting up the shot.  Marking the camera spot, testing the "anchor point", etc etc ....  All this while knowing the moon cycles, and planning this into their shots.  USING the moon light to light up that anchor point WORKS, until your setup backfires and the moon is on the far side of your anchor point ....

 

 

as for focus.  during a previous visit to the farm I did the camera setup before sunset ... carried on with the braai, and then took these pics (without using the hyper focal distance chart) -

 

 

 

same principles apply when playing like this (is mos n fiets forum) -

[Veebee]

Previous weekend I was in the Northern Cape, next to the Orange river, with MINIMAL internet access.

 

Taking photos for a client.  A series that had to be merged in RAW.  I had to get down the koppie, upload and merge the photos right there to make SURE we had a keeper !  If not I had to get back up the koppie and shoot again .... I did some basic work in Lightroom 5, then did the merge in Photoshop (old version).  The merged file was 890 Meg !!  This is being printed to a length of 10m ......  Well the total shoot was just over 30 GIG for the weekend !!

 

 

For these shoots your software MUST work on the laptop !

 

I enjoy Lightroom.  But as a hobyist I cant justify a monthly subscription, and editing cloud based simply is NOT an option !!

 

 

Cant show the project photos here, but here are some of the play pics of the weekend -

 

SCMM-20 (Large).jpg

 

SCMM-24 (Large).jpg

 

SCMM-25 (Large).jpg

 

SCMM-50 (Large).jpg

 

SCMM-48 (Large).jpg

 

SCMM-58 (Large).jpg

 

excellent work there Chris. well done

[Slowbee]

I was fortunate to meet Basie van Zyl, he passed away a few years back.  BRILLIANT photographer !!  I bought his book on star photography.  I want to contact his estate to find out where one could buy this now (any help with this will be GREATLY appreciated).  Basie was a proponent of the "single long

https://www.e-junkie.com/marketplace/product/472834

 

is this the book you are referring to ?

[ChrisF]

https://www.e-junkie.com/marketplace/product/472834

 

is this the book you are referring to ?

 

JIP !!!!!!!!

 

BEST book for any photographer wanting to better understand this game !

[shaun85]

Hey fellow togs I'm selling my Nikon D600 camera if anyone is looking. Excellent condition with 79K shutter count. Price: R11500. Have pics if anyone is keen?

[Darrynbp]

[Tankman]

[Flowta]

There's still hope for a Desktop-based Lightroom

 

This just popped up in my inbox via the DPreview newsletter.

 

https://www.dpreview.com/news/9793353649/adobe-launches-all-new-cloud-based-lightroom-cc-rebrands-old-application-lightroom-classic

[Slowbee]

So you are in for $120 dollar a year, for the next say 20 years of photography, without inflation.

 

But wait there is more - you also need cloud storage as most photographers will have more than 1TB of pics.

 

So throw in another $240.

 

But wait ! There is more! You need internet connection to keep it current. A long trip without connection, say a 5 week camping trip and you are buggered.

 

Nope, time for alternatives.