Tuesday Tips #223 Oh What a Night

So you’ve got your tripod all set up and you’ve got your manual focus nailed but why do all your test shots have streaks of light behind your stars?

To leave those pesky star trails behind, follow the Rule of 600! By following the Rule of 600 you will be able to figure out how long you can expose the image before the stars start to move across the sky, creating those trails. To follow the rule, divide the number 600 for a full frame camera (or 400 for a crop sensor) by the focal length of your lens. The resulting number will be the maximum number of seconds the shutter can be open for.

“For the travelers the stars are guides. For others they are nothing but tiny lights.”
– The Little Prince