Star Trails Photography

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Star Trails and Astro Photography

One of the superpowers a camera instills is the ability to bend time—to capture microseconds or show hours in a single frame. Combine this power with near-total darkness, and a photographer can show the very motion of the heavens. With the advent of digital photography, star trail photography has become accessible to anyone with a modern DSLR or mirrorless camera.

Join us for a workshop that will instruct you on the ins and outs of making star trails using simple equipment — a camera with manual mode, a lens, a tripod, and a simple shutter release. During the course, students will learn how to frame and focus a star trail image (finding foregrounds, focusing), determine the appropriate settings in various situations, manage to make a single image over hours, and post-process star trails to a finished image.

This is a hands-on workshop involving walking/hiking at night. After the classroom session, the class will drive to a dark location about 90 minutes away to make star trails.

• Night Sky Orientation - what you will see
• What are Star Trails?
• How star trails are made - Single exposure vs Stacking
• Finding + Focusing a Scene
• Exposure Settings for Star Trails
• Assembling stacked star trails

• Camera with Manual Mode and 30s exposure available.
• Fast wide or ultra-wide lens - f/4 or f/2.8
• Wired simple remote or computerized intervolometer. No IR remotes or other "selfie" style remotes.
• A Sturdy tripod
• Sturdy hiking shoes and proper clothes, including warm layers (it gets cold waiting). 
• Snacks and water

If you are unsure about your equipment, please ask the instructor (email below), and remember that your local camera store rents equipment.

This is geared towards all skill levels. The concepts covered are "advanced," but they will be presented in a way that any photographer can follow along with. After the class, students will be able to make star trails. More advanced students will learn advanced tricks and tips for making and post-processing star trails.

This is a hands-on, excursion-based class. The first 90 minutes of class are spent in the classroom reviewing the night sky orientation and learning the various steps to make a star trail. After the classroom portion, the class will drive to our hands-on location at a private location. Students will then make star trails on their own with the help of the instructor. 

* Students are responsible for their transportation.