Nigel Rumsey Awe thanks! These star trail images seem to be the most mysterious to people but they’re really easy and fun. Highly suggest finding a good, dark spot... and letting the camera go for a bit. You’ll be surprised by what you get. Definitely go for slower speed film and longer exposure times though
Awesome images. Out of curiosity, when you're shooting on a dark, moonless night, do you typically start your exposures when there's a tiny little bit of light left in the sky after sunset (but still very dim) or do you begin when it's completely pitch black? With images like the Ektar 100 frame, I like the separation of the silhouetted tree with the deep blue sky. With images like that, Ive always wondered if the entire exposure was undertaken in complete darkness.
Great question! I always start them at least a few hours after the sun has set so that the night sky will be darkest. This, combined with using a wide aperture, allows for the most stars against the sky
@@DavesFilmLab Thanks for the reply! Some years ago I shot some star trails with different kinds of subjects in the foreground and I used a fairly small aperture to get more depth of field (silly me.) I started the exposures sometime after sunset just when the light was beginning to fade with the tiniest bit of ambient light. The exposures were made on slide film and with one of them, the sky turned out completely black and merged with the house I was photographing (no separation.) Another frame was quite overexposed. I did get more or less an ideal exposure on a third frame (kind of.) I admit that this approach is very tricky and unpredictable. I will definitely try your way next time with a large aperture and starting the exposure much later which should make things much easier.
@@DavesFilmLab I was looking at that Ektar 100 frame again with the tree and distant hill and I notice there is a bit of light hitting the right side of the tree. Additionally, I can see some of the green colour of the leaves and a purple tint on the hill on the left. So I'm guessing there was probably some moonlight on that particular night?
Just revisiting this video and the awesome images. Very inspirational. It shouldn't be too long before I can shoot star trails again. I haven't done this in years. I have some Ektar 100 120 film in the fridge which expires in December. I'll be loading it into my Yashica D TLR with Yashinon lenses. I hope it will be clear skies around the next new moon. I have a super dark location planned.
Most of all… have fun! Keep that lens wide open and run the exposure for as long as you can. Minimum of an hour and since it’s color negative, don’t be scared to used a little light to paint your foreground. Excited for you! Feel free to direct message me on Instagram with your results.
I'll definitely have fun! I know you strongly recommend shooting wide open. However, I am tempted to stop down a little bit - perhaps half a stop. My foreground subject is going to be a tree lined hill about 30 feet away or thereabouts and I would like both the hills and trails to be in focus. And I'm not sure if I would have enough depth of field wide open at f3.5. So I am considering maybe closing down to f4 just in case. Also, there's something I'm curious about. On a really dark night, do your eyes adjust enough to provide a decent view of your camera equipment? Just wondering if I'll be able to see well enough to locate my cable release to end the exposure. @@DavesFilmLab
Appreciate that! I’ll try to come out with some new content soon. This year really beat the crap out of me so I’ve been lagging on videos. Hopefully soon
@@DavesFilmLab can i ask on my medium format I currently only have a 90mm, should I still shoot wide open at f2.8 or drop to f4? Also is it possible to get a sharp ish foreground subject and star trails? Sorry for all the questions as I'm new to film 🙈🙈
@@saml9100 Happy to help! I’m always shooting wide open and air on the side of having “foreground” be further forward in my scene. The more you stop down, the less trails you get. Happy shooting!
typically my foreground is somewhat out of focus. This changes as the focal length changes, but I always focus at infinity and shoot wide open to ensure the stars are sharp and there’s as many of them as possible
hihi i saw your blog recently with regards to shooting stars. May i know whats the iso that youre using to tske the shotd or thats fine as well? just follow whats on the film? im just a beginner and i read about pushing the iso on film but itll make it grainer/noisier or so ive heard? also thank you so much. it was a wonderful read!
I tend to shoot all slow speed films for the smoothest grain, but there’s really not a rule in that regard. It’s all experimentation and there’s no one size fits all answer. It’s heavily based on how much light pollution is in your area. My advice is to always shoot wide open and go for at least 45 minutes
@@DavesFilmLab thank you so much!! for replying to me! im starting out on film and i got a nikon f2. its so much fun to play with and Im learning alot through your blogs and tutorials! 🥰🥰🥰
Hey Dave, what’s your settings on long exposure? I would like to learn how to take Star trails on my 35mm F3. Any help would be highly appreciated. Thanks.
@@DavesFilmLab interesting, I never thought you could use wide open apertures on film, but I guess you don’t have to worry about hot pixels. That’s my main concern. Thank you.
@@DavesFilmLab well I have a Nikon D750, for single shots of start rails I usually use like F5.6/8 and 100 ISO and leave the shutter open for like 40 to 45 minutes. And sometimes I get a quite a bit of light in. And I was wondering if I leave a wide open aperture on film it will overexposure it.
@@isa6194 Interesting. I’ve done quite a few with a Sony and a canon digital camera and done 2+ hours at f1.8-f2.8 range. That said, I go to extremely dark places to do these so your ambient light level will dramatically dictate how long of an exposure you can get away with. Films reciprocity failure is really what gives it that ability to do longer exposures than digital
Typically, I would recommend slow speed film. Using your lens wide open with slow speed film, you’ll have the best luck with aiming for at least 45 minute exposures
mgs108tlou Focus at infinity. It would help to know what camera it is but with my 4x5, I’ve got to focus using a loupe. I’ll find a star and just move my focus back and forth until it’s looking good
I don’t really meter, I just shoot for as long as I feel comfortable... given the amount of ambient light available, which is usually very little. With that said, occasionally I’ll add light with a small light source if the foreground needs it.
Always inspiring. Literally, after every film I'm thinking, 'I should try that!'
Nigel Rumsey Awe thanks! These star trail images seem to be the most mysterious to people but they’re really easy and fun. Highly suggest finding a good, dark spot... and letting the camera go for a bit. You’ll be surprised by what you get. Definitely go for slower speed film and longer exposure times though
Great shots dude very inspiring!
Thank you! Means a lot 🙏
Incredible cool video. Good b rolls and music choice. I just wanted to see some pics but stayed for all the vid :D
Awesome images. Out of curiosity, when you're shooting on a dark, moonless night, do you typically start your exposures when there's a tiny little bit of light left in the sky after sunset (but still very dim) or do you begin when it's completely pitch black? With images like the Ektar 100 frame, I like the separation of the silhouetted tree with the deep blue sky. With images like that, Ive always wondered if the entire exposure was undertaken in complete darkness.
Great question! I always start them at least a few hours after the sun has set so that the night sky will be darkest. This, combined with using a wide aperture, allows for the most stars against the sky
@@DavesFilmLab Thanks for the reply! Some years ago I shot some star trails with different kinds of subjects in the foreground and I used a fairly small aperture to get more depth of field (silly me.) I started the exposures sometime after sunset just when the light was beginning to fade with the tiniest bit of ambient light. The exposures were made on slide film and with one of them, the sky turned out completely black and merged with the house I was photographing (no separation.) Another frame was quite overexposed. I did get more or less an ideal exposure on a third frame (kind of.) I admit that this approach is very tricky and unpredictable. I will definitely try your way next time with a large aperture and starting the exposure much later which should make things much easier.
@@DavesFilmLab I was looking at that Ektar 100 frame again with the tree and distant hill and I notice there is a bit of light hitting the right side of the tree. Additionally, I can see some of the green colour of the leaves and a purple tint on the hill on the left. So I'm guessing there was probably some moonlight on that particular night?
Just revisiting this video and the awesome images. Very inspirational. It shouldn't be too long before I can shoot star trails again. I haven't done this in years. I have some Ektar 100 120 film in the fridge which expires in December. I'll be loading it into my Yashica D TLR with Yashinon lenses. I hope it will be clear skies around the next new moon. I have a super dark location planned.
Most of all… have fun! Keep that lens wide open and run the exposure for as long as you can. Minimum of an hour and since it’s color negative, don’t be scared to used a little light to paint your foreground. Excited for you! Feel free to direct message me on Instagram with your results.
I'll definitely have fun! I know you strongly recommend shooting wide open. However, I am tempted to stop down a little bit - perhaps half a stop. My foreground subject is going to be a tree lined hill about 30 feet away or thereabouts and I would like both the hills and trails to be in focus. And I'm not sure if I would have enough depth of field wide open at f3.5. So I am considering maybe closing down to f4 just in case.
Also, there's something I'm curious about. On a really dark night, do your eyes adjust enough to provide a decent view of your camera equipment? Just wondering if I'll be able to see well enough to locate my cable release to end the exposure. @@DavesFilmLab
@@anzaeria My eyes definitely adjust. I’ll also use my cell phone flashlight a little bit if safety is a concern
Hey man,
Considering content, I would love to see some more content from the darkroom! How you approach different negs etc
Appreciate that! I’ll try to come out with some new content soon. This year really beat the crap out of me so I’ve been lagging on videos. Hopefully soon
Happy everytime 😊 you are truely inspiring.
Awe thank you! Gives my life purpose to share the love & inspire others ✨
Awesome shots mate! Will deffo have to try it soon
Thanks! It’s a ton of fun and a cool surprise too
@@DavesFilmLab can i ask on my medium format I currently only have a 90mm, should I still shoot wide open at f2.8 or drop to f4? Also is it possible to get a sharp ish foreground subject and star trails? Sorry for all the questions as I'm new to film 🙈🙈
@@saml9100 Happy to help! I’m always shooting wide open and air on the side of having “foreground” be further forward in my scene. The more you stop down, the less trails you get. Happy shooting!
Awesome stuff Dave! Pretty sure I recognize a few of those shots 🙂
Joel Parrish Thanks! Oh I bet! That Laguna shot and the Ektachrome are still some of my favorites
Quality over quantity is the key!
hey Dave! how to make your foreground focused? did you focus to the foreground instead of the stars?
typically my foreground is somewhat out of focus. This changes as the focal length changes, but I always focus at infinity and shoot wide open to ensure the stars are sharp and there’s as many of them as possible
hihi i saw your blog recently with regards to shooting stars. May i know whats the iso that youre using to tske the shotd or thats fine as well? just follow whats on the film? im just a beginner and i read about pushing the iso on film but itll make it grainer/noisier or so ive heard?
also thank you so much. it was a wonderful read!
I tend to shoot all slow speed films for the smoothest grain, but there’s really not a rule in that regard. It’s all experimentation and there’s no one size fits all answer. It’s heavily based on how much light pollution is in your area. My advice is to always shoot wide open and go for at least 45 minutes
@@DavesFilmLab thank you so much!! for replying to me! im starting out on film and i got a nikon f2. its so much fun to play with and Im learning alot through your blogs and tutorials! 🥰🥰🥰
Hey Dave, what’s your settings on long exposure? I would like to learn how to take Star trails on my 35mm F3. Any help would be highly appreciated. Thanks.
Just shoot wide open and go for longest exposure you can. Tend to shoot wide open and anywhere from 45 minutes up to 3 hours
@@DavesFilmLab interesting, I never thought you could use wide open apertures on film, but I guess you don’t have to worry about hot pixels. That’s my main concern. Thank you.
@@isa6194 Even on digital, wide open will give you the most stars. Stopping down just equals less stars in your star trail images.
@@DavesFilmLab well I have a Nikon D750, for single shots of start rails I usually use like F5.6/8 and 100 ISO and leave the shutter open for like 40 to 45 minutes. And sometimes I get a quite a bit of light in. And I was wondering if I leave a wide open aperture on film it will overexposure it.
@@isa6194 Interesting. I’ve done quite a few with a Sony and a canon digital camera and done 2+ hours at f1.8-f2.8 range. That said, I go to extremely dark places to do these so your ambient light level will dramatically dictate how long of an exposure you can get away with. Films reciprocity failure is really what gives it that ability to do longer exposures than digital
Nice photos.
Many thanks!
what film speed do you recommend?
Typically, I would recommend slow speed film. Using your lens wide open with slow speed film, you’ll have the best luck with aiming for at least 45 minute exposures
Can you give any tips on how to focus the image? Mine are always off
mgs108tlou Focus at infinity. It would help to know what camera it is but with my 4x5, I’ve got to focus using a loupe. I’ll find a star and just move my focus back and forth until it’s looking good
How did you meter for these? Like 119mn is pretty accurate!
I don’t really meter, I just shoot for as long as I feel comfortable... given the amount of ambient light available, which is usually very little. With that said, occasionally I’ll add light with a small light source if the foreground needs it.
on the film processing, what is your process to get them to digital?
thanks
I digitize them with a DSLR but there are flatbed scanners & drum scanners