Star Trails

"Star Trails"

When I first started my journey into the art of photography, there was one type of photo that I knew I wanted to learn how to get. I had seen so many different images that others had captured, and I longed to be able to do it as they could. By taking continuous photographs while your camera remains focused on one single point, then stacking them into one image, each shot blends with the last, until you're able to see the movement of the stars through the night sky over any given amount of time. This art is known as star trails, and I believe it is truly one like no other. I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to travel to Tucson, Arizona and have a workshop with my favorite astrophotographer, Sean Parker.

What I thought would be a very difficult picture to attain, turned out to be very simple. The first thing you'll need is a clear sky with light to no air traffic. I say this about the air traffic purely because of the amount of time it takes to edit once you start to stack the photos. Some other pointers I was taught were to have a dark sky, no wind, and flat ground to place your tripod. This photo was taken with an intervalometer (a device used to count intervals of time on your camera) over the course of one hour.

Some of you may have probably already heard of Sean, and perhaps follow along with him on social media sites such as facebook and twitter. I had been following his work for a while, always stunned when he released another breathtaking image, and when I learned that he enjoyed to teach others, I couldn't pass up the chance to meet and shoot with him so I could finally better learn what I love to do. I highly recommend you check out his page and view some of his amazing images. I'd even suggest taking a workshop with him if you'd like to learn some pointers.


If you would like to purchase this photo, you can visit facebook.com/shaidphotography to contact me, or find me on etsy at etsy.com/shop/shaidphotography. I invite you to like my page, look through my photos and share your thoughts on them! Your shares, comments, likes and follows are so important to me!

Photo Details:
Canon EOS 70D
Lens: Rokinon Ultra Wide 14mm
Focal Length: 14mm
Aperture: f/2.8
ISO: 1600
Exposure: 20 seconds per exposure
182 exposures stacked in StarStax

Other places you can find me:
Instagram
ViewBug
Flickr
500px
Twitter
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The Half Moon

"The Half Moon"

Since as far back as I can remember, the Universe has captivated me. I can vividly remember learning in school that the Sun was a star. That night, I looked up at a sky full of stars and thought "the Sun is the same as those!" Ever since then, I was hooked. I have a need to capture as much of the Universe as I possibly can (and hopefully share the beauty and wonder with you), and understand how and why it works as it does. Astronomy has fueled my love of mathematics and the sciences. I take my camera outside, hoping for a memory of the night's sky to keep forever. Our own moon seems a good start to the journey. If you like this photo, it is available for sale at etsy.com/shop/shaidphotography. I also invite you to visit my facebook page at facebook.com/shaidphotography to view this and other photos I've taken. Your comments and ideas are always welcomed!