Shooting stars

[llopezcuervo]

Hello everybody,

I need help understanding how to shoot stars trails (where you see the motion).

I've seen several shots in Flickr and they just look amazing, so I decided to try it myself.

I bought for the occasion a timer remote control. I waited till night (23:30 +/-) and then pointed my Canon 500D+EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 at the sky.

Tried with both the fastest AV and the slowest and with a TV of between 15-30 minutes (which I understood is the time you +/- need in order to have star trails) but the images are all the time over-exposed (totally white...). I also tried with the lens at both 18 mm and 55mm.

To me it seems logic since the more time you leave the shutter open the more light comes in, but at the same time when I check the EXIF files of those pictures in Flickr it shows that they left the shutter open for the same amount of time and the picture is well lighted.

What am I missing? Is it maybe too soon to take pictures of the stars (sun is out but there is probably still light in the atmosphere)? Do I need a faster lens or a zoom lens?

Any help will be highly appreciated.

[TheDarkReaver]

Logic would also dictate that if the pictures are overexposed then reduce the shutter speed...

[llopezcuervo]

But if I reduce shutter speed the trail will not be displayed anymore.

Example: Car trails and Star trails on Flickr - Photo Sharing! -this picture was taken during 30 minutes...

[TheDarkReaver]

What aperture did you use?

Where there street lights nearby? You said the sun was out?

[llopezcuervo]

I tried with several: the fastest possible with my lens (3.5) and the slowest (32mm) and also some in the middle. Same result (maybe a bit less over-exposed with the slowest, but still all white).

[tuxcomputers]

That photo was 30 seconds exposures blended together shot over 30 minutes, I think that is your problem.

There is even a program that puts them together for you, "StarTrails" if my memory serves me correctly.... and it does.

[robwill]

Llopezcuervo...These pics are 30 second each taken over a period of 30 minutes then blended together,according to the post.

[tuxcomputers]

ha ha ha.. robwill.... my post must have been seconds before yours.

[robwill]

Thanks Tuxcomputers....you beat me to the punch by a nano second.....and you had more info

[robwill]

Yes >>>>>>