Youve gone all startrek on it?

Quote from: zpyderYouve gone all startrek on it?

yea, but why are they so pointy?
think I set the exposure to long?
If I dont use the star filter, my lights come out as blobs

Camera Maker: Canon
Camera Model: Canon EOS 400D DIGITAL
Lens: EF70-210mm f/3.5-4.5 USM
Image Date: 2010-10-11
Focal Length: 95mm
Aperture: f/4.0
Exposure Time: 30.000 s
ISO equiv: 100
Exposure Bias: none
Metering Mode: Partial
Exposure: program (Auto)
White Balance: Auto
Flash Fired: No
Color Space: Adobe RGB (1998)
Photographer: unknown

blobs like these

Ok, that location is at least a mile away from where my camera was when I took it, but I still get blobs

Wouldnt it be the aperture which would control the size of the "stars" more than the exposure?

Quote from: zpyderWouldnt it be the aperture which would control the size of the "stars" more than the exposure?

i dont know.. thats why im asking what have I done wrong :oD

Well as you can tell I dont know myself, but my guess would be that it would be similar to background blur/bokeh, in that the smaller the f number the more those stars would become visible? Try doing the same shot with same settings but one at the lowest and one at the highest f numbers and see if it makes a diff?

what youve done wrong depends somewhat on what youre trying to do.

the streaks across the frame could be lens flare (in which case you probably want a lens hood), or camera motion if you started to move the camera just before the shutter closed.

If I was taking that shot Id ditch the star filter and go for a long exposure with a medium to tight aperture, say around f/16.

The best way to get star points on light sources IMO is to forget about star filters and just stop the aperture down, youll get one point per aperture blade on your lens (most lenses have 6 or 8 blades), and the effect will be stronger the smaller your aperture is. If you want big stars, go f/22, if you want little or no stars, open her up to f/4. I usually like to go somewhere in the middle.

of course youll need a tripod, but from the look if it that scene is going to be too dark to hand hold anyway.


Also the best kept secret of "night" photography is that in general its best NOT to try it at night. Twilight ends up looking like night on camera, while still giving you enough light to see things rather than just getting pitch black. In full dark the dynamic range is too wide between natural lighting and artificial lights.

Quote from: Eggtasticoblobs like these
(Image removed from quote.)
Ok, that location is at least a mile away from where my camera was when I took it, but I still get blobs

Quite a few things can cause that sort of effect, a moving camera during long exposure is one but the most likely is atmospheric disturbance.