Lynn's Star Circle

Castor and Pollux

A slide film photo scanned in (the slide really is better, wish I had a decent scanner). This was taken at my sister Lynn's land in the Wet Mountains of Colorado and is her favorite. She recognizes every tree in the photo!

Please View Large On White

This is certainly an easier shot to pull of with film for me. But I have yet to try my new D70 out on some star trails and am curious how it will fare with noise levels. The yellow at the bottom of the photo is the light pollution from Colorado Springs, Pueblo and Fort Carson. The green is partially from reciprocity failure (some hate it, but I actually like the look it gives at times).

My sister still has a great night sky for star gazing!

Due to popular demand I am adding some helpful info on how to do this yourself. I used Fuji Provia 100F slide film for this photo and shot at either F5.6 or F8. I bracket exposures at 8, 15, 30 and 60 mins if I have enough time, sometimes I go for shorter and longer times as well, but that's a good starting place. I am not certain which exposure I used here (no EXIF data on my slide film, hah). I would fathom a guess my exposure was in the range of 30-60 mins though. Finally, for a one-stop for tutorials on how to do this from a master of star trails, click here.

This photo has notes. Move your mouse over the photo to see them.

To take full advantage of Flickr, you should use a JavaScript-enabled browser and
install the latest version of the Macromedia Flash Player.

Comments

< Prev 1 2 Next >

(119 comments)

ksbukhari says:

nice work!

(4 Aces )
Posted 41 months ago. ( permalink )

Che-burashka says:

This is great and very visually pleasent idea!

(4 Aces
Posted 41 months ago. ( permalink )

eye-see says:

very nice Long exp.
I love the colours.
(4 Aces)
Posted 41 months ago. ( permalink )

Cameran80 says:

excellent star trails shot! the light pollution adds a nice effect

for star trails i still think film is best and easiest

with the d70 you'll have to take and stack multiple exposures to get the same effect

hope you get to try it and post it!
Posted 41 months ago. ( permalink )

plamenp says:

I like the different coloration of the sky!
(4 Aces)
Posted 41 months ago. ( permalink )

yepyep says:

I guess this is the last comment from the (4 Aces) group because it is the last one on page 3. So I take this chance to let you know that this is a really great photo!
Posted 41 months ago. ( permalink )

spondle says:

nice photo been trying star trails with my D70
static.flickr.com/58/173149341_4e831ccdc3_b.j pg
Posted 41 months ago. ( permalink )

spondle says:

and i dont agree with cameraman above mine was a single exposure
Posted 41 months ago. ( permalink )

CORpicX [deleted] says:

wow, really cool shot!

From the 1-2-3 (no per day limitations)-group
Posted 41 months ago. ( permalink )

Fort Photo says:

@spondle: Thanks for the information and example! It is encouraging to see your results, what's the longest single exposure you've managed? (this one was over 30 mins)
Posted 41 months ago. ( permalink )

kktp_ says:

very nice photo !!! would love to try this too.

From the 1-2-3 (no per day limitations)-group
Posted 41 months ago. ( permalink )

LynchburgVirginia says:

It is fantastic and a shot like this I never accomplished and I am amazed at how well you perfected this image.
Posted 41 months ago. ( permalink )

thnkfst says:

incredible shot.

From the 1-2-3 (no per day limitations)-group
Posted 41 months ago. ( permalink )

inklake says:

W-O-W!! Another fave. I love starwheels and astronomy shots.
Posted 41 months ago. ( permalink )

movie_punk says:

awesome!
Posted 41 months ago. ( permalink )

Felipe Baenninger says:

SO FINE

Score 9/10 (from the Score Me! group)
Posted 41 months ago. ( permalink )

easefulguitar says:

Score 9__/10 (from the Score Me! group
Posted 41 months ago. ( permalink )

Farmz Photoz says:

OUTSTANDING!!!
Score 9/10 (from the Score Me! group)
Posted 41 months ago. ( permalink )

davidcrawford says:

Sweet. God I love positive films............

Score 9/10 (from the Score Me! group)
Posted 41 months ago. ( permalink )

huees says:

Score 9/10 (from the Score Me! group)
Posted 41 months ago. ( permalink )

ian of leam says:

Wow! Fantastic shot!
Posted 41 months ago. ( permalink )

worldwidewandering says:

Wow! I like this shot.
Posted 41 months ago. ( permalink )

Gregory Pleau says:

Fantastic. I've been trying to get a shot like this for years but never could quite pull one off. And you did it on slide film too!
Posted 41 months ago. ( permalink )

Photos by Elyssa says:

Wow! Beautiful =) This makes me want to fix my old Nikon film camera.
Posted 41 months ago. ( permalink )

cienne45 says:

Excellent composition!

1-2-3 Faves
Posted 41 months ago. ( permalink )

Ylwstonegirl98 says:

Absolutely beautiful! The composition, the colors, everything is beautiful.
Posted 41 months ago. ( permalink )

Lady Vervaine says:

extraordinary shot - very very cool. you really did pull it off!

123faves
Posted 41 months ago. ( permalink )

ram.rom82 says:

Please consider posting this to my groupAfter the Sun Has Set group.
Posted 41 months ago. ( permalink )

Life in AsiaNZ says:

Well done. I'm curious, how long was the exposure for?

The World Through My Eyes
Posted 41 months ago. ( permalink )

Fort Photo says:

@Chinapix, I'm not exactly sure but probably right around 30 minutes.

When I do star trails I typically shoot a variety of exposures and see what works best. I might bracket at 8, 15, 30 and 60 mins if I have enough time. Also you want to be aware where the North Star is in relation to your shot, as the stars in the photo will all seem to rotate around that point.
Posted 41 months ago. ( permalink )

Tod Polson says:

Very cool photo... I like the color

www.flickr.com/groups/the_world_through_my_ey es/pool/
Posted 41 months ago. ( permalink )

markstemp58 says:

great! what was the duration of the exposure?
Posted 40 months ago. ( permalink )

pondage says:

sweet work!
Posted 40 months ago. ( permalink )

Natascha2010 says:

Wow, this is fantastic! :)
Posted 40 months ago. ( permalink )

wumpiewoo says:

wow great work. do you remember any of the exposure details? iso speed? id love to try something like this on my d50 it would probably be awfully noisy though
Posted 40 months ago. ( permalink )

Fort Photo says:

@wumpiewoo, thanks for the compliment! I answered your question upstream in the comments.

"I'm not exactly sure but probably right around 30 minutes.

When I do star trails I typically shoot a variety of exposures and see what works best. I might bracket at 8, 15, 30 and 60 mins if I have enough time. Also you want to be aware where the North Star is in relation to your shot, as the stars in the photo will all seem to rotate around that point."

Also, don't miss spondle's example from the D70 above. You might be surprised how well your D50 does, this one he took was 10 mins (plus I think the D50 is a bit better than the D70 on noise?)! Also, you can stack images as well if noise gets to be too much.

Edit: Whoops forgot to give the fstop and film info: Provia 100F slidefilm and either F5.6 or F8.
Posted 40 months ago. ( permalink )

bluemist57 says:

Another Wonderful Shot... Beautiful colours............ I would just love to be able to take photos like this!!........:))) (since I am laid up with a broken ankle at the moment due to my photo taking exploits.!!....I now have time to read my "users manual" and learn more about my camera! LOL!)
Posted 40 months ago. ( permalink )

elvy says:

Gorgeous! This is soooo...cool! I love it. An instant fav. The composition, light... So great! I want to try this some time :)
Posted 40 months ago. ( permalink )

mikevanderheyden says:

very well done... Ihave a similar problem getting slides scanned though... the slide is somehow always better...
Posted 40 months ago. ( permalink )

straightfinder says:

Wonderful capture!! Great work!!
Posted 40 months ago. ( permalink )

dmswart says:

bravo
bravo!
Posted 39 months ago. ( permalink )

trisheroverton says:

Wow, this is cool! I got my first grandchild today! See her pics!!
Posted 39 months ago. ( permalink )

getedgy says:

WOW Your stuff is killer!!!
Posted 39 months ago. ( permalink )

lynne bernay-roman says:

gorgeous photo. fantastic colors
Posted 39 months ago. ( permalink )

casbahdude [deleted] says:

Cool as can be! Awesome!
Posted 38 months ago. ( permalink )

Walt K says:

A superb shot showing various star colors with the reddish stars being the coolest and the bluish ones being the hottest!
Posted 38 months ago. ( permalink )

jc_iverson (Imagery by Jordan) says:

This is breathtaking! Great work.

I really enjoy your photostream!
Posted 37 months ago. ( permalink )

Scott Ingram Photography says:

Really going to have to give this a shot sometime.

All my night shots come out looking like crap... :)

As for me personaly, I love the green tint, very surreal.
Posted 37 months ago. ( permalink )

Stéphane Miller says:

put this wonderful shot on Lens :)
Posted 37 months ago. ( permalink )

nevertorun says:

Oh, unbelievable.
Posted 37 months ago. ( permalink )

It was the light, it was the angle says:

love it... thanks for the info and the link!
Posted 37 months ago. ( permalink )

Forget Me Knott Photography says:

Very nice.
Posted 37 months ago. ( permalink )

Digital Sextant says:

Thanks for making this photo CC available. I've used a bit of it in my blog banner image. Thanks!
work.colum.edu/wordpress/briley/
Posted 37 months ago. ( permalink )

lovedecember says:

Man, that's amazing. I've always wanted to take a long exposure of the stars. Fave =]
Posted 37 months ago. ( permalink )

samuelmelim [deleted] says:

Impressive!
You've got excellent shots dude!
Posted 37 months ago. ( permalink )

Dave Schreier says:

Classic shot.
Posted 36 months ago. ( permalink )

Cursy says:

great sky and color
please consider adding this to the Trees! at night! pool

www.flickr.com/groups/trees_at_night/
Posted 36 months ago. ( permalink )

nicki_bennie says:

Such a beautiful shot!
Posted 36 months ago. ( permalink )

Karl Randay {pixelherder} says:

Wow, look at all those colours!
Posted 35 months ago. ( permalink )

1blessedmom (On Again :) says:

Another spectacular shot! I love the circular effect.
I have faved and tagged your picture with BRAVO and this serves as an invitation to The Best: BRAVO.
Posted 35 months ago. ( permalink )

jacq77 says:

WOW...that's just amazing....absolutely stellar...in the literal sense too LOL

Your KARMA Group

Outstanding Shot! Please add this to our pool!
(Join Outstanding Shot group and give awards!)
Please add "Outstanding Shots" tag to your photo
Posted 35 months ago. ( permalink )

j_jyarbrough says:

Wow! This is awesome!!!
Thank you very much for sharing!!!
I saw this in : True Colors Thread !
Your KARMA Group
Posted 35 months ago. ( permalink )

Tom Craggs says:

Loved this, maybe more with the new (old) velvia 50?

Outstanding Shot! This is my favourite of the pool!
(Join Outstanding Shot group and give awards!)
Please add "Outstanding Shots" tag to your photo
Posted 35 months ago. ( permalink )

Fort Photo says:

@Tom, perhaps so.... I've shot some star trails with Velvia and was very pleased with the results. I shot Provia here mainly because it's what was in the camera, heh. Lately I've taken to pushing my new to me D70 to see what I can pull off with astrophotography subjects, inc. star streaks. I do think that in many ways film is still easy for extraordinarily long night exposures and am sure I will do some again in the future.

Thanks for all of your very generous comments all, I'm glad you like this!
Posted 35 months ago. ( permalink )

***TR.iPod says:

Wonderful!
Outstanding Shot! This is my favourite of the pool!
(Join Outstanding Shot group and give awards!)
Please add "Outstanding Shots" tag to your photo
Posted 35 months ago. ( permalink )

Vortexmind says:

Well done my friend

This photo deserves it!

[?]
Posted 35 months ago. ( permalink )

Fort Photo says:

@Vortexmind, thank you I'm totally flattered and honored! This is one of my favorite star trail images I've taken so it's neat to see it be well-received.
Posted 35 months ago. ( permalink )

Tom Craggs says:

Look forward to seeing them when you do fort photo. I agree with you on the reciprocity failure - works really well here. I have never tried to do astrology shots on my digital SLR - I didn't know how well it would cope and didn't want to damage it, I guess battery is also a problem. The star trails I have tried I have all done on a Pentax K1000 so no battery problems, trouble is the weather in the UK right now is a) too foggy! and b) even if its clear the cold just foggs the lens straight away. I'll give it a go later in the year but don't expect anything as spectacular as this.

Love the composition by the way.
Posted 35 months ago. ( permalink )

missnoma says:

You do all the hard work and we have the enjoyment.
Thanks again and once again you are so helpful to others.
Posted 35 months ago. ( permalink )

°•¤ஐŞũŜћįŀĩĆïŌûŞஐ¤•°9ƒ6 says:

Niiiiiice
Posted 35 months ago. ( permalink )

Matthewbailey says:

great shot! thanks for the dan heller link!
Posted 34 months ago. ( permalink )

coyoteblues says:

An Awesome Shot Award
You are invited to add this image to An Awesome Shot!
Please tag the photo with "AnAwesomeShot"
Posted 34 months ago. ( permalink )

somnium ! says:

yyeahhh
Posted 34 months ago. ( permalink )

algo says:

Impressive and interesting.
Clever photography.

I saw this in the 100+ Faves group and Faved it.
Posted 33 months ago. ( permalink )

!.Keesssss.! says:

I invite you to add this great picture to the FaveMe! group.(please read the rules)
Posted 33 months ago. ( permalink )

Amelia PS says:

wonderfully magic
(and thanks for the tips)
Posted 33 months ago. ( permalink )

d3b...* says:

amazing
Posted 33 months ago. ( permalink )

Cyrus khamak says:

Fantastic long exposure, well done my friend.
This photo will make an excellent addition to Mega Shot!

Please consider joining us.
Posted 33 months ago. ( permalink )

Franco GDL-MRL says:

Really nice shot, If I measured it well your trails are about 8 degrees long, meaning and exposure of around 32 minutes (4 minutes per degree). Which lens did you use for this shot?
Posted 33 months ago. ( permalink )

Fort Photo says:

@lacasadeguadalajara, I believe it was my AFS 17-35 2.8 Nikon, but I am having a hard time remembering if I had yet purchased the lens. If not it would have been the much cheaper 24-120 (non-vr) Nikon.
Posted 33 months ago. ( permalink )

David Giral says:

Hi, I'm an admin for a group called Very Long Exposure (30 seconds or more), and we'd love to have your photo added to the group.
Posted 33 months ago. ( permalink )

alias65 says:

wonderful!
Posted 33 months ago. ( permalink )

Cyrus khamak says:

Posted 32 months ago. ( permalink )

Duane N. says:

fantastic shot
Posted 32 months ago. ( permalink )

(Andrew) says:

incredible!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted 32 months ago. ( permalink )

Yves. says:

ABsolutely stunning!!!!
Posted 32 months ago. ( permalink )

Caro's Lines says:

Thanks for making this image available with a cc license that allows remixes! If you would like to see what I have done with it please see: Guardian 6 (not my most inspired remix but its meaningful to me!)
Posted 31 months ago. ( permalink )

Rafael Soares says:

Very nice!! Well done!
Posted 31 months ago. ( permalink )

Josh Thompson says:

Great colors. The green and the light pollution work very well against each other.
Posted 31 months ago. ( permalink )

beth524 [deleted] says:

Please add your Beautiful Photo to:
Beauty is in the *Eye* of the Beholder!
Posted 31 months ago. ( permalink )

johannes asgeir says:

Hi, I'm an admin for a group called V5000, and we'd love to have your photo added to the group.
Posted 31 months ago. ( permalink )

Mikie21 says:

Great shot! The trees are so still, yet the background...isn't!
Posted 29 months ago. ( permalink )

Araleya says:

Beautiful star trail...
Amazing
Posted 29 months ago. ( permalink )

Luke Kermode [deleted] says:

good color nice silhouettes
Posted 28 months ago. ( permalink )

Juan Espino says:

Excelent!
Posted 27 months ago. ( permalink )

kim_eij says:

I like it!!!
Posted 27 months ago. ( permalink )

Henry M. Diaz says:

Hi, I'm an admin for a group called Its Not Easy Being GREEN, and we'd love to have your photo added to the group.
Posted 26 months ago. ( permalink )

bluefam says:

wonderful.
Posted 26 months ago. ( permalink )

His Frogness says:

wow, this is amazing !
Posted 24 months ago. ( permalink )

GroupFounder says:

Present your 100 F photo to a wider audience.
At the 8-language QualityGroup World100F.
展现您的100F相片给一较广泛的观众群.
在译成8种语言的QualityGroup World100F里。
Muestre su foto 100 F a un público más amplio.
En el GrupoCalidad World100F en 8 idiomas.
Apresente a sua fotografia 100 F a um público mais vasto.
No GrupoQualidade World100F em 8 línguas.
Présentez votre photo 100 F à un vaste public.
Dans le GroupeQualité World100F en 8 langues.
Zeigen Sie Ihr 100 F Photo einem breiteren Publikum.
In der 8-sprachigen QualityGroup World100F.
Mostra le tue foto 100 F a un pubblico più vasto.
Nel GruppoQualità World100F in 8 lingue.
귀하의100 F 사진들을 많은 관객에게 보여 주십시오.
8개국어의QualityGroup World100F.

www.flickr.com/groups/world100f/
Posted 24 months ago. ( permalink )

< Prev 1 2 Next >

(119 comments)

Would you like to comment?

[?]

	Fort Photo's photostream
		1,092 uploads

This photo also belongs to:

	100+ Faves (Set)
		135 items
	Part of: Best Of

	50+ Faves (Set)
		312 items
	Part of: Best Of

	20+ Faves & Up (Set)
		651 items
	Part of: Best Of

	Night Photography (Set)
		154 items
	Part of: Nature and Landscapes

	Landscapes (Set)
		144 items
	Part of: Nature and Landscapes

	Colorado Landscapes, Flora and Fauna (Set)
		428 items
	Part of: Travel and Locations

	What You Like: 5+ Faves & Up (Set)
		240 items

	Night Images (Pool)
		0

	Astrophotography (Pool)
		0

	Sky (Pool)
		0

	Long Exposure (Pool)
		0

	Magic Moments (Pool)
		0

	Night Photography (Pool)
		0

	Nightscapes - Night Landscapes - No Cityscapes Thanks (Pool)
		0

	Astronomy (Pool)
		0

	Star Trails (Pool)
		0

	The Best: BRAVO (INVITED images only) (Pool)
		0

	Light pollution (Pool)
		0

	Colorado Scenery (Pool)
		0

	unusual sky (Pool)
		0

	Interestingness - Top 500 (READ THE RULES!) (Pool)
		0

	After the Sun Has Set (Pool)
		0

	Leviathor's Labyrinth: Lobotomy Laboratory (Pool)
		0

	Views: 5000 (Pool)
		0

	Outstanding Shots - Invite Only (Pool)
		0

	Karma (Pool)
		0

	LENS (Pool)
		0

	100+ Faves 1-2-3 (Post one,Comment and Fave two) (Pool)
		0

	Trees! at night! (Pool)
		0

	Very Long Exposure (30 seconds or more) (Pool)
		0

	Mega Shot Post 1, fave 2 (Pool)
		0

	V5000 (Pool)
		0

	Its Not Easy Being GREEN (Pool)
		0

437 people call this photo a favorite

Additional Information

Taken on July 6, 2006
Viewed 20,972 times

Add to your map

Yay location removed

...

(Some formats are OK.)

Or, remove it from the map.

Go to the map

You	Sign in \| Create Your Free Account
Explore	Places \| Last 7 Days \| This Month \| Popular Tags \| The Commons \| Creative Commons \| Search
Help	Community Guidelines \| The Help Forum \| FAQ \| Sitemap \| Get Help