Previously we showed you some of the common errors of night photography and how to fix them, and specifically within that tutorial we talked about making star trails. Now that you’ve had some time to try and achieve the effect in-camera using a long exposure, we thought we would show you how you can fake it and make star trails with a lot less hassle.
Capturing the movement of the stars across the night sky would normally involve exposures of several minutes, but on a digital camera this can result in unwanted noise. The easiest way to overcome this problem is to take a sequence of shorter exposures (of around 30 seconds each) and combine them into a single image in Photoshop.
What is metadata? Don’t worry, you’re not alone. It confuses many photographers at first.
Metadata is simply a set of data that describes and gives information about other data. For photographers, that ‘other data’ is your images. Your digital camera will embed information in each photo it takes that identifies what camera created the file, the exposure information and more.
If you’re like the 90% of photographers who share their photos online, it can be a good idea to add more personal details such as descriptive keywords and copyright and contact information to clearly identify the image as yours.
Got a new camera for Christmas or just upgraded? Master it quickly with our easy guide to camera settings, exposure, aperture, shutter speed, focus modes, lens choice, flash modes, image editing, printing, camera accessories, camera care, and more…
Hit the ground running with our guide to setting up your new SLR, including choosing the right exposure mode, choosing the right metering mode, setting the aperture and shutter speed, and picking the the focus and drive modes
Stick to your camera’s auto settings and all your shots will look the same, and you might not always get the results you’re after. Here’s how to explore your camera’s settings in depth…
Reduce the time you spend trying to rescue under- and over-exposed photos in Photoshop by getting the shots right first time in-camera
Set the right combination of aperture and shutter speed and you’ll notice an immediate difference in your photography
You can control the way that movement is captured in your pictures by getting to grips with your camera’s full range of shutter speeds
Learn how to read your camera’s exposure meter and alter key
camera settings that enable you to get exposures just right
Focus and drive settings are often overlooked by photographers, but they are essential for coping with challenging situations
