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Showing posts with label photography tutorial. Show all posts
Showing posts with label photography tutorial. Show all posts

Monday, May 2, 2022

Private Night Photography Workshops by Royce Bair

A single exposure with Low-Level-Lighting at an arch in southern Utah


Private Night Photography Lessons in the Field. For years I've done up to 10 group workshops a year. These 5-day group workshops typically cost about $1,995 (or about $400 a day). In 2019, I went into semi-retirement, doing only one group workshop a year (my group workshops often fill up in 48 hours or less). For the rest of the year, I only do private workshops. Private instruction allows greater flexibility for teaching and offers many additional opportunities for my clients! We can sometimes do as much photography in two or three nights than you can do in a group situation during four or five nights. Of course, we can also do as much daytime photography as you want (depending on how much sleep you require).

One of the biggest advantage of a private workshop is that my time is shared only with you and the friend(s) you choose to attend with you (I cannot tell you how many times I have seen one "bad apple" in a group workshop try to monopolize my time at the expense of others in the group).

Private instruction is only a little more expensive than a group workshop, but it can actually be equal to or less expensive, when you invite a friend or two to share the costs. A maximum of three photographers are allowed in a private group (you and up to two of your friends). Let me illustrate...

Day rate: I charge $1,200 for the first day of instruction and $950 for each additional day (some photographers book just one day). "Weather" days are $500. Here's a typical fee cost EXAMPLE for two or three photographers:

  First Day/night ................... $1,200.00
  Second Day/night (a Weather day)...    500.00
  Third Day/night ...................    950.00
                                      ---------
    Total fee cost .................. $2,650.00
    Cost per photographer (when 2)... $1,325.00
    (Cost per photographer, when 3).. $  883.33       

Definitions: A "Day/night" of photography includes up to 8 hours of my time in guiding and teaching. At least two (2) of those hours will be doing starry night photography. The daytime instruction can be in the field or in the classroom (i.e. image post processing). A tag-along spouse or friend, without a camera, is not considered a "photographer".

Weather Days: In virtually every group workshop I've ever conducted, there are nights where we have so much cloud cover that few stars can be seen or photographed. Although we always try to make good use of the night with "Blue Hour" photography and demonstrating light painting techniques, this is probably not what you signed up for. When this happens in my private workshops, we just call it a night and rest up for better nights. If I cannot give you at least 30 minutes of starry night photography, I will charge you a flat $500 fee to cover my expenses for that day. Note: This "weather day" discount does not apply to the first day. The "weather day" discount is also NOT something I offer in my group workshops.

Travel Expenses: You will cover your own travel expenses for transportation, lodging and meals.

Locations for private workshop lessons can be any place in the world! Any workshop location within 350 miles of my residence includes my travel expenses in the first day rate fee. Examples of workshops that are within this 350-mile radius: Arches National Park, Grand Teton N.P., Yellowstone N.P., Zion N.P., Bryce Canyon N.P., Capitol Reef N.P., Canyonlands N.P. and Grand Staircase-Escalante N.M.

You will also cover my travel expenses for any workshop that is greater than 350 miles from my residence in Salt Lake City, Utah. I will cover my own lodging and meals. For distances greater than 350 miles, you will be charged the following travel expenses, in addition to my day rates:

   351-800 miles (car travel one way): $0.95 per mile*
   Over 800 miles: Actual airfare charges + actual
         car rental fees (we can share this vehicle).
   
*Example: One of my favorite places in eastern California are the Alabama Hills, near Lone Pine. From this area, you can also visit Mono Lake and the ancient Bristlecone Pines. Google says it's 582 miles from Salt Lake City to Lone Pine —that's 232 miles over my free base distance of 350 miles. At 95 cents per mile, that would be a travel expense of $220. As for your own travel expenses, you would want to fly into Las Vegas and rent a car for driving to Lone Pine (232 miles).

Reserving your date: I charge a $300 deposit to reserve a date. You can reserve up to a six days at a time. There is a deposit fee of $300 for each day you wish to reserve. This one deposit covers all the photographers in your group. I am happy to help you with your travel arrangements and hotel recommendations.

CALL: 801-558-2701 to make your reservations, or EMAIL me at royce.bair[AT]gmail[DOT]com (to prevent spam email, I ask you to substitute the "[AT]" with the "@" symbol and the "[DOT]" with the "." character).

Final payment: I request the balance of my fees (and any travel expenses) 90 days prior to the starting day of your private workshop.

Cancellations and Refunds: You can cancel and receive a full refund (less credit card fees), up to 90 days prior to the event. If you cancel between 60 and 89 days prior to the event, I will refund all but $100.00 of the fees you have paid. If you cancel between 30 and 59 days prior to the event, I will refund 50% of your fees, unless we can find a replacement attendee to take your place. If you cancel less than 30 days prior to the event, none of your fees will refunded, unless we can find a replacement attendee to take your place. The workshop participant acknowledges that if Royce Bair cancels this event, all fees paid will be refunded. Other than this refund, no guarantee or warranty is given or implied.

Eliminating days from your scheduled event: If, after completing at least two of your reserved workshop days, it is decided that you no longer need one or more of your additional reserved days, you will be refunded up to $450.00 for each of those unused days (less credit card processing fees). Travel expenses cannot be refunded.

Extending your workshop: If we are less than two weeks away from your workshop, and you wish to extend the length of the workshop (and I can make arrangements to do so), you will pay my first day rate ($1,200/day) for each additional day. You may also be required to pay my lodging expenses for any extra days (as last-minute lodging costs are often at a higher rate).

Recommendations: Read what others have said about my workshops.












Friday, January 3, 2014

How to Photograph Milky Way NightScapes

"Milky Way Rainbow" - a panorama of 5 vertical images - Grand Teton NP ~ © Royce Bair (click to enlarge)
This night photography blog contains a wide variety of nocturnal photography styles and features the work of many other photographers. However, just for today, I'm going to focus on Milky Way photography, and a style I've developed, called "NightScapes".

"NightScape" Definition: Starry night skies as points of light, with an interesting landscape feature that is light painted just enough to enhance recognition. Not all my my NightScapes have light painting, but many do; and that light painting often comes from moonlight or starlight via a second exposure.

Points of Light: Although I love star trails, the stars in my NightScapes are photographed the way you see them: as points of light, not trails via long exposures. My technique requires short exposures of 30 seconds or less. It also requires higher image sensor speeds (usually 3200 ISO and above), and fast lenses (f/2.8 or faster). The best results come from high-end DSLR cameras, but good images can also be made on a low budget.

NightScape "Recipe": A step-by-step recipe for taking NightScapes is freely given here on my blog. Phil Hart has also written an ebook about "Shooting Stars" that is very helpful for beginners. My recipe and the ebook will help you get started. David Kingham's new NIGHTSCAPE ebook will increase your starry night skills even further. Studying and following this blog will help you take NightScapes to a higher level, and improve the quality of your images. For even better results, I recommend taking one of my workshops.

Photographing the Milky Way: In every workshop I've ever taught, my students enjoy shooting the stars, but their real satisfaction comes from photographing the Milky Way. For many of my attendees, it is the not only the first time they have done this, but it is often the first time they have seen the Milky Way with their naked eyes —especially in such a dramatic and unpolluted state.

Royce Bair has been a magazine photographer, international lecturer, and workshop instructor for over two decades. He has photograph for magazines i.e. The Smithsonian and National Geographic (both hard copy and online). Some of his workshop attendees have returned multiple times and their testimonials speak for themselves.

  Thor's Hammer, Bryce Canyon NP - Double Arch, Arches NP - Delicate Arch, Arches NP
© Royce Bair (click to enlarge)

Milky Way over Teton Range & Jackson Lake ~ © Royce Bair (click to enlarge)
Milky Way over The Watchman - Zion N.P. ~ © Royce Bair (click to enlarge)
Milky Way over Grand Canyon - Nankoweep area ~ © Royce Bair (click to enlarge)
Milky Way over Teton Range from Cascade Canyon Overlook ~ © Royce Bair (click to enlarge)
 Milky Way views over Teton Range, Jenny Lake and String Lake ~ © Royce Bair (click to enlarge)








Tuesday, December 3, 2013

Night Photography Instruction: workshops, events, and books

The following is a list of night photographers who offer workshops, events, instruction, books, and tutoring on night photography. Please contact the editor (Royce Bair - at my email address) if you have information for this list:

Mike Pach
    Website • Email • Telephone: 719-260-6637
    Paint Mines Night Photography Workshops near Calhan, Colorado
    
Paint Mines Interpretive Park

Robert Arn
    WebsiteContact
    eBook: Photography At Night: An Introduction To Astrophotography on a Budget
    PDF Downloads: Free Tutorials and Presentations

From "Inexpensive Astrophotography for the Beginner" ~ a free tutorial by © Robert Arn

Royce Bair (Editor of this blog)
    WebsiteEmail • Telephone: 801-558-2701
    Workshops & free events: NightScape Photography meetup schedule

Royce's "NightScapes" Video demo ~ © Royce Bair

Alister Benn
    Website (on Google+)
    eBook: "Seeing the Unseen" - How to Photograph Landscapes at Night

"Solid Air" (used on his eBook cover, "Seeing the Unseen") ~ © Alister Benn

Mike Berenson
    WebsiteEmail • Telephone: 888-460-8880
    Night Photography Workshops: Colorado, Utah, & Arizona
    Night Photography Blog: "How To" Articles & Tutorials, Product Reviews & more

Lake Irene's Milky Way Mirror

Brad Goldpaint
    WebsiteContact
    Workshops: 2013 schedule for on location workshops
    Private Workshops and small groups
    Online Workshops via Google+ video chat

"Allure of Worlds" ~ © Brad Goldpaint

Phil Hart
    eBook REVIEW: "Shooting Stars" - How to Photograph the Stars & the moon



David Kingham
    WebsiteContact • Telephone: 970-372-0752
    Workshops: 2013 schedule for on location workshops

"Cupid Mountain Milky Way" ~ © David Kingham

Dave Morrow
    Website
    Online Tutorial: Star Photography Basics (Free)
    Video Tutorials: Star Photography Post Processing
    Lightroom Presets: Under the Stars Lightroom 4 Presets

"Shoot Me to the Stars" ~ Mt. Rainier from Sunrise Point ~ © Dave Morrow

- - -







Wednesday, May 29, 2013

NightScape Photo Recipe

Milky Way over String Lake, Grand Teton NP. Canon 5DM2 • 15mm f/2.8 Fisheye • 30" @ f/2.8 • ISO 6400 ~ © Royce Bair

I am constantly asked to supply a simplified, step-by-step list of "ingredients" necessary to create my style of astro-landscapes (NightScapes), so here goes:

Your best photos of the Milky Way are taken without the moon present, and between 2 hours after sunset and 2 hours before sunrise.
1. Set your camera on a tripod.
2. If you have a remote release, use it. Otherwise, you can use your self-timer to set off the shutter (set it for the 2 seconds delay instead of the normal 10 seconds).
3. Turn your lens to manual focus, or shut auto focus off (otherwise the camera goes crazy trying to focus in the dark).
4. Set your focus manually to infinity. Check the accuracy by auto focusing on an infinity subject in the daytime, marking the position on the lens barrel, and returning the lens to manual focus (you can tape the position down as a precaution). You can also use your camera's "live view" function to manually focus at night on the brightest stars (enlarge the image on the LCD monitor for accuracy). Note: your camera has a one to two seconds video feedback delay (depending on the brand and model), so fine-tune the focus slowly.
5. Set your camera mode to manual (usually "M" on most cameras).
6. Select the highest ISO you have (but no higher than 6400).
7. If you have a prime wide-angle lens with a fast aperture, use it. Otherwise, zoom to the widest angle of view.
8. Set your shutter speed to 30 seconds. This is the longest exposure most cameras will give you without going to "B" for "bulb" ("B" does require a remote release).
9. Set your lens aperture ("F" stop) to the widest aperture (smallest number), which is usually f/3.5 (f/2.8 is better, but f/4 is acceptable). Here are good starting point combinations:
          f/2.8 - 30" - ISO 6400
          f/2.0 - 30" - ISO 3200
          f/1.4 - 30" - ISO 1600
          f/3.5 - 30" - ISO 6400 (-0.5 EV)*
          f/4.0 - 30" - ISO 6400 (-1.0 EV)*
          f/3.5 - 30" - ISO 3200 (-1.5 EV)*
          f/3.5 - 30" - ISO 1600 (-2.5 EV)*
*These underexposures are not optimum, but are usable by compensating in post production.
10. Set your White Balance (WB) to Tungsten or Incandescent (on most cameras this is the symbol of a light bulb, also called "indoor"). If you prefer a numeric Kelvin setting, use 3500K, 3200K or 3000K (the lower numbers will give your sky a cooler or bluer color). My favorite numeric Kelvin setting is 4000K. I believe this produces a more natural sky that is still cool, but not quite as blue. This also works well when mixed with 3200K light painted foregrounds. Some people prefer an Auto or Average (AWB) white balance setting if they have a lot of post processing experience. Auto or Average will give you a dark gray colored sky (you can change this to a more colorful sky in post production using Photoshop, Adobe Elements, or Lightroom).
11. Frame the Milky Way or several interesting star constellations, (try to silhouette an interesting foreground subject) and take your shot. Light painting the foreground can add even more interest to the composition.
12. Composing in the dark can be difficult. If you have an ISO higher than 6400, use it to shorten your exposure times so you can review your composition on the LCD monitor much quicker. Be sure to return to the lower ISOs (6400 or lower) for your final exposures.
13. Fine tuning your exposure: The more light pollution (from artificial lights or the moon), the more you can reduce your exposure by lowering the ISO (one stop or more).
14. Fine tuning your image: You'll notice that 30-second exposures will have some star trailing (blurring) when the images are enlarged, unless you are using an ultra-wide angle lens (i.e. 114º or wider). You can eliminate this slight blurring by reducing your exposure time to 15 seconds (and compensate with wider apertures or higher ISOs). This technique is a simplified version of the "600" or "450" rule.
For hands-on instruction, visit my workshop page on Meetup.com.

Featured Post: Shooting Stars eBook Review — How to Photograph the Stars and the Moon

Thursday, May 16, 2013

Improving Your Outdoor Night Flash Photography

Using off-camera or bounce flash can improve your outdoor night photos ~ © Royce Bair (click for  specs)
Portable Flashes vs. Built-in Camera Flashes: Although built-in camera flashes are convenient, they are not only limited in power, but more importantly in movement. Unlike a separate flash unit, their output cannot be redirected or aimed somewhere else, or moved away from the camera! Being able to make adjustments to your portable, camera-mounted flash can greatly improve the quality of your outdoor night photographs.

Canon Speedlite 430EX II
What I use: For under $300, I have the Canon Speedlite 430EX II. It's fully compatible with Canon's E-TTL automated flash exposure system, as well as offering adjustable manual power output down to 1/64 power. The flash head can be moved up and to the right 90º, and to the left 180º. On the Nikon side, I recommend the Nikon SB-700 AF Speedlight, or their more versatile, Nikon SB-910 AF Speedlight.

Getting the light source away from the camera: The unnatural part about most flash photography is that the light source is typically coming from the same direction as the camera's lens! Moving the light source away from your camera will improve almost any photo.

Bounce or extension: The moveable flash head allows me to bounce the flash off of ceilings and walls when I'm indoor, or off rocks, cliffs, and trees when I'm outdoors (see last the paragraph for an explanation). If the right object for bouncing is not available, I often hold the flash at arm's length (or have someone else hold it) using Canon's OC-E3 Off Camera Shoe Cord. That two or three feet extension can make a huge difference in the look of your flash photos.

For greater distances, I use another Canon flash (i.e. the more versatile Canon Speedlite 600EX-RT) to trigger the one doing the main lighting (you can set lighting ratios with the Canon Speedlites), or I can use the PocketWizard Plus X Transceiver to trigger a more distant flash. The key is get the light source away from the camera and at an angle that lights the subject in a more natural and pleasant way.

Dining under a red granite cliff
Compare the difference: This was the scene at an early evening meal, under a red granite cliff in the Grand Canyon. After dinner we had a campfire, and I made this on-camera flash exposure (below) with the Canon Speedlite 430EX). I programmed the shutter speed and f-stop so they would mix and balance correctly with the light output of the fire. The problem with this system is that the direction of light is unnatural, as it is always coming from the camera, and the fall-off is very fast (especially when using a wide angle lens—causing the foregrounds to always be over lighted and washed out).

Straight-on flash with Speedlite 430EX
The difference between this photo and the one at the top is the direction and quality of the light. The light in the top photo is no longer coming from the same direction as the camera. In the top photo, the adjustable flash head has been rotated and turned so that its light is bouncing off the granite cliff behind me (the bounced light is coming from above and from my left, helping to match the direction of fire's light). Normally, I would also cover the flash head with a warming gel to match the warm color of the fire, but in this case the red color of the granite has already done that for me! Bouncing off a dark granite wall greatly reduces the flash's output to the scene, so most of my shots had to have an ISO boost to 1600 or 3200. Although this is abnormally high ISO for flash photography, the excellent noise control of the Canon 5D Mark III is well-equipped to handle it!

The gels I use are made by Rosco, and the Rosco Strobist 55-Piece Filter Kit is an easy way to change the color of the light or match the ambient light, such as in the campfire situation. When I bounce my strobe off of an overhanging tree that has green leaves, I can put a complimentary shade of magenta over the flash to bring the white balance back to normal.

These 1.5"x3.25" sheets work perfectly to cover most portable flash heads, but for my larger lights (or where I need to cover several lights with the same color), I use the larger 20"x24" Rosco sheets.

Delicate Arch - lighted with two filtered lights, one w/o ~ © Royce Bair (click for more info)

Saturday, January 12, 2013

Best Time to Photograph the Starry Night Sky

The Starry Night Photo Window: 2 hours after sunset & 2 hours before sunrise (click for larger view)
The best starry night skies are found two hours after sunset and two hours before sunrise. Photograph anytime before or after this window, and there is enough twilight to compete with starlight.

Fudging even 15 to 30 minutes outside this window can greatly lower the quality of your star photography. That's because daylight is 40 million times brighter than starlight, and even a little left over in the twilight sky can be overpowering to all but the brightest stars! Although this twilight may be imperceptible to the eye, it will lower the contrast of your night sky and dim the weaker stars, as in the example below. In this photo, the sun set on the right side, 1.5 hours ago, and a crescent moon is just now setting on the left side —but it is the leftover twilight from the sun that is competing the most with the stars:

Moonset over Teton Range & Jackson Lake — 1.5 hours after sunset ~ © Royce Bair


Only the brightest stars are able to compete with this twilight sky and the setting moon. Very little of the Milky Way, on the left side, is distinguishable. Although this is a beautiful photo, these are not optimum conditions for the most brilliant starry sky photos.

Milky Way over Teton Range & Jackson Lake — 2 hours after sunset / no moon ~ © Royce Bair
Sunrise and Sunset Times: There are many website and applications available to find these times for any given location, but one of the most convenient and reliable is one from the U.S. Naval Observatory website. With this site, you can enter a location and obtain a table of sunrise and sunset times for the whole year of your choosing.

Other competition for darkness: Moonlight should also be avoided, since it is at least 135 times brighter than starlight. Even a thin, crescent moon is five times brighter than starlight! Man-made light pollution should also be avoided where possible. (Both of these competitors will be discussed in greater detail through other posts.)

Royce Bair is the editor of this blog and the photographer of the above images. Here is my gallery of NightScape images. My schedule of workshops, tutorials, and other events is available here.

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Friday, September 21, 2012

My Unpaid Night Photography Assistant: The Intervalometer

Stars over the Teton Range, from the Cascade Canyon Overlook, Grand Teton, N.P. ~ © Royce Bair
 An intervalometer is a remote, electronic cable or shutter release with a programmable timer. It is "remote" because the length of the cord prevents you from disturbing or jarring the the camera when you push its shutter release button; and it is "remote" because you, or an assistant, do not have to be there to press that release button if it is properly programmed.

How I did it: In the above photo of the Milky Way over the Teton Range, I programmed my Canon intervalometer to give me a 3-minute head start (called a "delay"), so that I had time to walk 800 feet to the right (about 500 feet past the view of the camera). It then remotely opened the shutter for a 30-second exposure, during which time I paint the foreground with a 2-million candlepower spotlight. The remote waited 30 seconds for me regroup myself (called an "interval"), and then it opened the shutter again for another 30-second exposure. I had programmed it to do this five times so that I had a chance to get the light painting just right in at least one of those shots! That's because I had to light the trees and bushes on the left side much longer than the trees on the right side (closest to me) in order to give all the foliage an even exposure. During all of this, I kept an eye on my iPhone stopwatch display, which had been started at the same time as the intervalometer.
I used a Canon EOS 5D Mark II, with a 15mm f/2.8 Fisheye lens @ f/2.8, with a 30-second exposure, ISO 6400. The photo was taken at midnight. The orange glow to the left of the Milky Way is light pollution from the town of Jackson, WY, about 20 miles away. The orange glow in the notch of the Teton Range is from the Idaho Falls metro area, about 75 miles away.)
 Time Lapse and Star Trails: Intervalometers can also be used to do time lapse photography where you program the length of each exposure, the interval or time between each exposure, and the number of exposures you want to make. Software, i.e. QuickTime, will chain these exposures together into a video. Similarly, these remotes can be used to produce star trails, where the exposures are "stacked" together, thus reducing the need for one long exposure, where noise build-up would degrade the final image.

My Intervalometer is the Canon Timer Remote Controller TC-80N3 (about $129 - $210, depending on where you buy it). I've had it for over a year now, it is solidly built, and has proven itself to be dependable and accurate. I also have a 2nd intervalometer that I use as a back up, or to operate a second camera. It's called the Digital Timer Remote For Canon EOS by Neewer (about $14). This is my second purchase of this product. After about four months, I dropped it and broke the plastic battery door on the back. This remote seems to work well, but is not built as solidly as the Canon product. Still, at this price it's a great timer remote for the occasional user, or if you're only going to use it as a remote shutter release (which requires no programming --you just push the button). It also uses two standard AAA batteries that go dead after about six months, because it has no on/off switch, and just stays on all the time (of course, neither does the Canon, but its flat CR 2032 battery last about twice as long).

If you're a Nikon DSLR user, you may want to get the Nikon MC-36 Multifunction Remote Cord (about $155 to $180, depending on where you buy it). It is compatible with the D2 series, D1 series, D100, D200, D300, D700, D3, F6, F5, F100, and the MC-26 Adapter Cord. This Nikon support page shows a variety of remote connections that can be used to trigger your camera. The Neewer brand Digital Timer Remote for Nikon is available for under $10 --a good option for the occasional user, or someone just wanting to use it as a remote shutter trigger (no programming required, and even works if the batteries are dead).

Royce Bair is the editor of this blog and the photographer of the above image. Here is my gallery of NightScape images. My schedule of workshops, tutorials, and other events is available here.

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Two Worlds in One Night Photo - The Close Encounters of Masahiro Miyasaka

"Frosted Leaf Galaxy" by Masahiro Miyasaka
Masahiro Miyasaka, of Suwa-city Nagano, Japan, has shown us how to take close-ups of our natural world and focus on the night sky, all in one unique photo! This amazing photograph was featured in NASA's "Astronomy Picture of the Day" (APOD) for November 17, 2010.

The incredible depth-of-focus in this photo was accomplished by focusing on the stars (at infinity) with an exposure of f/2.8 for 48 seconds (ISO 4000), THEN stopping down the aperture to f/22 and shifting the focus to the leaf--with the shutter is still open! While in this macro focus position, he lighted the leaf with an LED for a predetermined amount of time, and then closed the shutter. Masahiro used a Sigma 15mm F2.8 EX DG Fisheye lens (Nikon mount, with a conversion to Canon) on his Canon EOS 5D Mark II camera body. A more complete description is found on this Flickr page. A similar technique was used in this photo:

"Galactic lily" by Masahiro Miyasaka
A more complete description is found on this Flickr page. For more of Masahiro's nightscape photos, visit his Flickr photostream.

Advertisement: Hot Weekly Photography Deals - Amazing discounts (updated twice a week).

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Two Nightscape Lenses for the Price of One

The Watchman and the Milky Way, Zion National Park ~ © Royce Bair
The Canon EF 15mm f/2.8 Fisheye lens is one of my favorite night photography lenses because it allows me to include more than twice the sky as my 24mm lens (180º vs. 84º), and because it's really two lenses in one. Let me explain...

Although the heavy barrel distortion from this lens creates a special effect that is liked by many people, I can remove that distortion with software if I choose. The software-corrected image gives me a view somewhat similar to the Canon EF 14mm f/2.8L II USM Ultra-Wide Angle lens, which has a fairly undistorted 114º angle of view (but costs about three times as much as the Canon fisheye).

Here's an example of what I mean. Above, is a shot of The Watchman and the Milky Way, taken from the foothills west of Springdale, Utah at 2:00 in the morning (light pollution from the city is lighting The Watchman). This is the fisheye view without any distortion correction.

In the next image, I left the barrel distortion alone on the left side, but did a partial correction on the right side using Photoshop's "Edit > Transform > Warp" function:

Same image as above, with partial distortion correction on right side ~ © Royce Bair
Although a more complete distortion correction could have been accomplished with software, i.e. DxO Optics Pro, I've found this is not always as aesthetically pleasing as being more selective via Photoshop. I should point out that this lens has fairly acceptable coma at its wide-open aperture of F/2.8; it is about 65% corrected at F/3.5, and it is about 75% corrected at F/4.0.

Both of these photos were taken with the 15mm mounted to the Canon EOS 5D Mark III camera body, which produces amazingly low-noise at the high ISO of 6400 (exposure was 30 seconds @ f/3.5).

My favorite Prime Lens for Starry Night Skies: is the Samyang/Rokinon/Bower 24mm f/1.4 because it can be shot wide open, and it produces very little coma aberration (it also costs about one-third of the Canon and Nikon lenses with equivalent specs)!

Royce Bair is the editor of this blog and the photographer of the above images. Here is my gallery of NightScape images. My schedule of workshops, tutorials, and other events is available here.

Monday, September 10, 2012

Overcoming Coma in Starry Night Photography


A night photographer must learn how to control lens aberrations, like coma, in order to produce great photos of a star-filled sky that includes landscape features. (Click on above image for more information and a larger view.)

Those who are familiar with my recent style of NightScape work know that I'm photographing the stars as points of light, rather than as star trials. To do this, I must keep my exposures under 30 seconds, and often as short as eight seconds, depending on the focal length of the lens. In order to get the proper sky exposure, I must use high ISO's (typically above 6400), and large lens apertures, such as f/2.8 or wider.

The problem with shooting a lens wide open is that stars can really show off the faults or aberrations of a lens, especially coma. Comatic aberration causes point sources, such as stars, to appear distorted --appearing to have a tail (coma) like a comet. These coma "tails" are most apparent near the edges of a photo. The good news is that 50% of the distortion goes away when a well-designed lens is stopped down by one stop, and about 80% goes away by two stops. Unfortunately, with my night photography, I can't afford the light loss that comes with stopping down from f/2.8 to f/4.0 or f/5.6!

This is the reason I purchased the Canon EF 24mm f/1.4 L USM II Wide Angle Lens. This lens was used to photographed the above photo of the Milky Way over the Watchman, in Zion National Park. As you can (below) from my own tests on point sources of light, this lens is fairly well-corrected by f/2.8 (click on the image for a larger view):


You'll notice that by closing down two more stops, to f/5.6, does not produce as significant of an improvement! If I get in a pinch, and need more light, I can get acceptable results at f/2.0. But the real beauty of this lens is the bright image it gives you in the viewfinder. You can imagine that composing in near pitch black is made so much easier with this brilliant, f/1.4 lens!

I get similar results with my Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM Standard Lens. By stopping down to f/2.8, I've been able to make print enlargements up to 24x36 inches (and 30x40) with very pleasing results. Stopping down to f/2.0 reduces my print quality to about 18x24 inches (or 16x20). Shooting wide open (f/1.4) means I cannot enlarge my prints much beyond 8x10 or 11x14 inches (unless I don't want my name associated with them)!

Royce Bair is the editor of this blog and the photographer of the above images. Here is my gallery of NightScape images. My schedule of workshops, tutorials, and other events is available here

UPDATE - Inexpensive prime lenses with almost NO coma: Check out part II about the Samyang / Rokinon lenses. These lenses can be used wide open (at f/1.4), and have very little coma!

Saturday, September 8, 2012

Nightscapes on a Budget

NightScapes by my definition are "starry night skies that include a landscape feature."

"Milky Way over Jackson Lake and Teton Range" in Grand Teton N.P. ~ © Royce Bair
Many photographers look at my NightScapes, like this photo of the Milky Way over Jackson Lake and the Teton Range, and say, "These are awesome photos, but I don't have the equipment to produce this kind of work." That's somewhat true, because starry night skies are about 130 times darker than even a sky lit with a quarter moon!

For the very best nightscape work, expensive, full-frame sensor DSLR cameras such as the Nikon D3, D4, or the Canon 5D Mark III (like I have) are helpful in producing low-noise images of star-filled skies (as points of light) with nighttime landscapes. However, good nightscapes can still be taken with almost any DSLR or point-and-shoot camera that is capable of an ISO setting of 1600 and above. Here are some examples (click on the image to see the full gallery):


The purpose of this gallery is to show that one doesn't have to have the latest and greatest equipment in order to get good Nightscapes. These photographers have spent 1/2 to 1/5 the money and have much to show for their smaller investment. Camera, lens, and exposure information are provided with each image. ENJOY! Now, go out and start taking your own nightscapes --they've proved it can be on done on a budget!

Friday, September 7, 2012

Purpose and Scope of this Night Photography Blog

This blog was created for three reasons:
  1. To show the wonders and beauty of the night sky.
  2. To share as many varieties of night photography as possible.
  3. To share techniques and equipment for nocturnal photography.
Many of my posts will be how-to tutorials on the art of night photography, and I plan to provide many links and references.

To accomplish this goal, I will share not only my images and knowledge of nocturnal photography, but I will bring to this blog the vision and skills of scores of other photographers.

My definition of night photography is fairly broad. They are dusk to twilight photos that require a long exposure, or that require high ISO's for short exposures. They are photos of the the stars, planets, and/or the moon lit sky, with a land feature (i.e. "nightscapes"). They include light-painted objects and cityscapes at night.

I hope you will join me and share this blog with your friends. You can see additional night images on my Flickr group with the same name as this blog: Into the Night Photography.

"Milky Way Dawn over Grand Teton Range" ~ © Royce Bair MMXII
This photo was taken about two hours and 45 minutes before sunrise, from the Elk Ranch Flats Turnout, in Grand Teton National Park. I had several things happening in my favor this night: prismatic colors due to recent wildfire smoke and a considerable amount of airglow in the sky above the smoke. The photo was taken with a Canon 5D Mark III • EF 24mm f1.4L II lens • 15 seconds @ f2.8 • ISO 8,000. This image is part of my NightScape series. You can also watch a video tour of my NightScapes, set to music.

Royce Bair is the editor of this blog and the photographer of the above image. Here is my gallery of NightScape images. My schedule of workshops, tutorials, and other events is available here

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