TIPS ON HOW TO TAKE STAR-TRAIL PHOTOS:
• Location, Location, Location
Select the darkest location possible, away from city
lights is preferred. Include natural objects, such as
trees, in the foreground for scale and to help showcase
the rotation of the sky against the Earth.
• Keep ‘Em Charged
Make sure you have fully-charged or new batteries in
your camera. Holding the shutter open for long periods
quickly drains batteries. If your camera has a battery
pack or DC car-power adapter be sure to use them.
• Three Legs Are Better Than Two
Make good use of a sturdy tripod, and be sure to
secure it in place or weight it down if possible. You are
already trying to capture something in motion, any
movement of the tripod will blur your star trails.
• Know Your ISO
With a digital-camera ISO of 400-800, or medium-
speed film, the ISO will be high enough to record even
fairly dim stars, without causing too much noise or grain.
• Always Have An Angle
For best results, use a fairly wide-angle lens, the 35mm
equivalent of 20-50mm focal length works well.
• Reduce Glare
Set a medium aperture of f/5.6 to f/11. While it won’t
much alter the brightness of the stars (no aperture
setting will), but smaller apertures will reduce the
brightness of the overall glare and glow from any other
nearby light sources.
• Focus
Set manual foc