How can you photograph stars in sharp detail like this landscape image?
Asked 12/28/2011
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I’m trying to understand how a landscape photo can show stars so clearly and vibrantly while keeping the foreground sharp. What camera settings and techniques are typically used for this kind of shot—shutter speed, aperture, ISO, focus, lens choice, and any special equipment? Is it mainly a long exposure, or are things like tracking mounts, stacking, or post-processing also involved? Can this be done with a prosumer DSLR such as a Canon 7D?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
14y ago
2 Answers
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A very long exposure doesn't help with shots like this due to the rotation of the Earth. Depending on your field of view you can get star trails (where instead of individual points of light you get lines where the stars have moved relative to the camera) with exposures of only 10 seconds. With a wide angle lens you can get away with longer exposures, e.g. 30 seconds.
A tracking mount can eliminate star trails for pure astro shots, but this shot has a sharp foreground element which means short exposure (unless multiple exposures/tracking mounts and photoshop were involved, benefit of the doubt let's say they weren't). Fortunately modern DSLRs are far better in low light than film cameras ever were, and to make up the short exposure you can amplify the signal (by raising the ISO setting). Even a really noisy image can look good when resized for the web so don't be afraid to set the ISO as high as you need for a proper exposure.
In summary this sort of image can be shot using a 7D with the following conditions:
- Cloudless skies
- No light pollution (a long way from any human settlement)
- Fast lens, ideally f/1.4
- Single exposure 10-30 seconds
- Crank up the ISO!
- Noise reduction + massive downsize for the web.
For an example of what is possible with a single exposure and no special equipment see the following image by Jeffrey Sullivan:
30 seconds at f/2.8 and ISO 6400
Originally by user1375. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user1375
14y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Yes—shots like this are possible with a prosumer DSLR, but they usually rely on more than just “a long exposure.” For a single exposure, photographers typically use a dark-sky location, a wide fast lens, manual focus set carefully at infinity, and a relatively short exposure so stars stay as points rather than trails. Depending on focal length, that may be around 10–30 seconds, with wider lenses allowing longer times.
A very long exposure alone won’t usually help because Earth’s rotation turns stars into trails. If a tracking mount is used, it can keep stars sharp, but then the foreground usually won’t stay sharp unless multiple exposures are blended later.
Common approaches mentioned include using premium fast lenses, shooting wide open or slightly stopped down, keeping focus manual, and enhancing or stacking multiple aligned exposures in post. Good sky conditions matter a lot—dark locations with little artificial light pollution make the biggest difference.
So: yes, a Canon 7D can do this, especially with a good wide, fast lens and careful technique, but the final look may also depend on post-processing and possibly stacked or blended exposures.
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