Thank you so much for the updated summary. Have been binge watching your Chanel to catch up and can see the evolution of your techniques over time. This clarified many things for me, an ‘ah ha, I get it’ moment if you like as there is so much to absorb in the beginning. As always, love the manner in which you deliver your videos and keep things simple. They are the most helpful out there both in terms of technique and inspiration. Love your enthusiasm. Thanks so much.
Hi Richard, another great and informative video. Thank you. In a little over 1 week I will be staying on a farm in south central NSW for a week, which is dark enough to hopefully get some good and clear sky images (God willing). I am going to put all of your techniques into practice and if there is enough time, I am also considering attempting a series of different time lapses. Starting with a standard fixed point Dusk to Dawn time lapse that will roll into a star trail during the night and shrink back to a normal sky as dawn approaches. I will be using my Sony A99ii (FF 42MP sensor) with a 16-35 / f2.8 zoom lens set at 16mm and a TimeLapse + View controller. What settings in the +View controller, would you recommend? Another time lapse using my new Star Adventurer 2i that will produce a tracked time lapse sky. The third time lapse type I am considering is blending a slider time lapse of the foreground and the tracked time lapse sky. (I am thinking of "green screening or actually removing" the foreground time lapse sky and then putting the tracked time lapse sky "behind" the foreground time lapse.) Have you done any of this type of motion blending? What programs would you suggest I use? Adobe Premier Po, After Effects, something else? (I use windows, not mac.) What problems do you foresee? This will be the first time I will try to blend 2 videos. Basically, I will be trying to gather as as much "raw images" as possible and then "go wild" with creative ideas. I have always faced challenges head-on and enjoy the learning curve to achieve a satisfactory result. (Hopefully this will produce some exciting images and time lapses.) Apologies for the bit of a ramble, but I am keen for your valued input, so I minimize wasting my time. Much obliged, David
That sounds like a great adventure David. Regarding the Timelapse + View. I only ever use that when I'm doing a day to night timelapse . .otherwise I'll use a cheap standard intervalometer or even the in-built intervalometer. Blending a moving video is a job for Adobe After Effects but it won't be easy. That's quite an ambitious idea as any trees or objects that protrude into the sky will need to be blended one frame at a time. Considering that you are shooting at about 25 frames per second you can see what I mean.
When I watch these videos, I wish everyone in the world would pay more attention to light pollution. The photos taken in places with bortle below level 3 are great. Even though I don't use star tracking, the night sky is still very beautiful.
Rewatching this video Richard and looking at the progression, especially the difference between with Astro mod & non-Astro modified sensors. I think the 6th method combining both types as twin mounted setup could really be useful, as to blend both types into one, getting the best of both possibilities.
CONGRATULATIONS Richard !!! ... I have being a follower of your videos, your tips and advice ... And let me tell you that the way you explain is EXCELLENT !!! ... PLEASE keep being so clear, didactic and explanatory as you have done until this days !!! ... I would like to see a video in which you explain in detail how to BLEND a Night Sky with a SUNRISE image ... Kind of what you did in this video ... BUT ... Considering all COLOR issues !!! ... Greetings from Xalapa, Veracruz. México !!! ... Keep Healthy ... Be safe !!! ... Best wishes !!! ... Rafael
Thanks so much for your lovely comments Rafael. This image is not incorporating a sunrise . .it's a moonrise. You couldn't get milky way and sunrise in the same shot realistically.
Hey Richard, great vid! Can you post a video on how to edit different types of images like a timelapse vid, and *especially* stacking multiple images of the sky(without a star tracker) and editing.
Thanks a lot for watching Arhan. I have already posted multiple videos on those topics. See here: ruclips.net/video/3uXHTmwcaFM/видео.html or here: ruclips.net/p/PLAYKmqkUeSM96MzmcTwVxT7Ccps5zhWOJ
Stacking multiple tracked images - great idea. I've just purchased a SkyTracker so I'll add that to the set of things to try. Need to get familiar now with Sequator for Windows!
Great explanation as to how you go about nightscape images Richard. For someone who has not progressed onto using LR or PS yet (beginner/amateur) can you stack in Sequator even if you only take ONE sky image and multiple foreground images or do you have to take multiple sky images also. I am planning my first Milky Way shot with a local landmark next year and trying to decide whether I would be better off doing single shot images or multiple. The landmark (a windmill) would be instantly recognisable even if i didn’t do any light painting and it was silhouetted but I would like to light paint it if possible but without using LR or PS for any post processing, could I just use Sequator and “freeze ground” option 🤔 Regards Garry
Thanks so much for watching. The reason Sequator exists is to stack multiple images. But it is usually used to stack the same image composition .. EG: 10 images of the sky or landscape with the intention of aligning each image .. in the case of stars, or for noise reduction in the case of foreground. I guess in theory you could freeze the ground and use multiple images .. but in my experience you need to do some post processing on RAW files to get the best out of them. This is where Lightroom or Photoshop . .or even another RAW photo editor comes into it's own.
Great! You have addressed several issues I have been having about tracking and stacking, and different possible combinations for setting for images with both sky and foreground exposure and sharpness. Now understand better what I am messing up. Thanks so very much!
Blown away stunning work I’ll stick with my single shots at the moment but for how much longer 🤔🤔🤔 loving the channel Richard thanks for your efforts 📷❤️
G'day Richard Just found your incredible Chanel. I'm hooked Just after the first video. I got a question about stacking your shots on a Skye tracker. Am I right in assuming that you would have to do a lot of cropping because the image is constantly moving? Havagoodweekend mate Greg
Thanks so much for watching Greg, I really appreciate it. When I'm tracking the shot I tend to get the composition where I want it so don't usually crop much at all. Remember the tracker and camera follow the stars so there isn't any movement in the shot at all. Of course when the sky is blended with the foreground there will be areas that are overlapped etc.
Thank you so much for sharing of 5 methods to shoot the milkyway, most my shot is single shot, I really would like to try on methods number 3 and thinking to buy 20mm f1.8G lens..is there any tutorials how to use the sequator, please Thanks so much and really grateful for the turorials video once again.. Cheers Soelast
Wow!! That is a great documentary of the logical journey of learning that I have undertaken under your guidance. I'm just getting to grips with a small tracker, just to see if I can manage it, and so far, so good. I may well be investing in a more robust model soon!! Thanks as always for these videos, Richard. They have re-invigorated my interest in photography, and they continue to inspire and motivate.
Thank you so much for your very encouraging comments Simon. We are all on a journey of discovery with this nightscape photography stuff . .and it's one heck of a ride.
Hi, nice photos as always. Fyi, the "math" behind noise reduction with stacking is a square root of the number of images, so I prefer to use numbers that give a whole result, like 4, 9 or 16. ;)
Thanks for the review Richard, I am still struggling with what ISO you use in different conditions or circumstances. Is there a cheat sheet that explains when and to what ISO you use. Hoping my trip to you is still on. All looks good so far.
Yes all is looking good for your trip down south Gary. Regarding iso, it really depends on a few things. Ambient light levels, light pollution, if your camera is iso invariant and what you're actually shooting. I use the Nikon Z6. It's an iso invariant sensor which means I can underexpose it if I choose to and still get good exposure in post production. I also shoot in dark skies so If I want to I can lift the iso quite high, and I don't encounter a lot of light pollution. If you look through my images you'll see that I don't change my basic settings very much. If I had to deal with lots of light pollution for example I'd be forced to lower the iso for sure. The iso is the last parameter I select. First aperture, then shutter speed and finally iso . .much like daytime photography. When capturing the stars my shutter speed is usually set due to the rotation of the stars so I can't go too long. (Note that this is not an issue when shooting foregrounds.)
Awesome all 5 methods. Im in the method #3 right now. Stacking skies and different light painting directions in subject or foreground wich I learned from your channel.
Thanks for this video. I have never done night photography, but the 14mm lens that I ordered for this purpose arrives today. Your videos are inspirational and I am looking forward to trying your techniques. I guess that I will become a day sleeper.
Very nice Richard. March 19th will be my first night out for North America MW Core season. This will be my 3rd season employing track/stack sky with long exposure foregrounds. Excited as ever, and your vids have kept my excitement levels on high through our USA winters without the MW core. Thank you for your efforts. They are well appreciated.
I have absolutely no problem with using the different focal length for the foreground and sky. If it comes to an "ART". And If I am using the star tracker and post my photo to some pages, I just mention in the post that I used star tracker and that s all about. Thanks again for your video.
Hi Vicki, it's exactly the same as stacking the sky. By selecting the sky as you normally would and also freezing the ground you get the same stacking and low noise for the foreground as you do for the sky. When I use extra long exposures for the foreground all I do is blend those final tiff files from Sequator in with the sky in photoshop.
This video is excellent. I appreciate all of the information right here in one spot. I just purchased a mirrorless camera and want to stack multiple long exposures for added dynamic range. When the images are stacked for dynamic range is noise reduction automatic? When you stack them are you using the HDR function that is in either light room Lightroom and Photoshop?
Thanks so much for watching. Well it will be a by product of stacking long exposures but you will always get better dynamic range in the lower iso settings. All cameras are different in this regard but as a generalization that's the case. No I'm not using the HDR function in Lightroom or photoshop. That is designed to mix multiple shots at different exposure settings. It will give a similar result but I don't expect it to be better than using a specialized software like Sequator. So in a nutshell .. if you stack multiple exposures you will get noise reduction. Dynamic range will be extended as well but moreso if you shoot at a lower iso to begin with and simply raise the exposure in post. Some cameras handle this really well such as the Nikon and Sony brands.
the shot with 50mm tracked and the tree in front of MW. Do you track the MW in the that position or do you track behing the tree and then move in front of it to make the foreground. Because if you track with the tree in front of it you might get problems in the interface between the sky ant the tree since the tracker will blur the tree.
Thanks so much for watching Raphael. I always move to a clear patch to do the tracked shots. It makes the blending so much easier. Thanks so much for watching.
G'day Richard, I come across this today and thought you might find this interesting. Could this possibly cause the difference in air glow, I do notice difference in colour from shots taken leading up to new moon compared to the days after it www.space.com/amp/moon-has-a-sodium-tail?__twitter_impression=true
Another great video, thanks Richard, I am trying to work on the tracker at the moment and hope to start getting some great results as yours. thanks again for the inspiration.
Great information, Richard (and great results). Looking forward to trying a few of these methods out on an upcoming road trip to Joshua Tree National Park in California.
Breaking News: This Spring, thousands of photographers worldwide begin "tracking and stacking." 😊 Inspiring as always, Richard. I will be tracking and stacking, for the first time, a Milky Way arch at about 3:30 am tomorrow. Gulp!
Thanks a lot for watching Erik. I have the ioptron Sky Guider Pro and Sky Watcher Star Adventurer. Check this video where I discuss the star trackers. ruclips.net/video/oiUvBwCrBmQ/видео.html
@@nightscapeimages.richard 😂 Nope! It’s probably the coldest week so far. It was -34 or so. I tried to stay outside but my fingers fell off... frozen! 🥶🥶🥶😂😂
Hey Richard! Great video! Thanks for the information. It is really nice to hear all of the separate methods compared to each other. I hadn't thought about how many different methods there are, as I am still working on understanding how to capture my first good single shots. I'm still confused on a few things though. Wondering if you could answer a few of my questions. 1.Why the need to stack multiple exposures of the foreground since it's not moving? I understand why you would want to stack multiple exposures of the sky since the stars are moving, but when it comes to the foreground...why? For example; why would 4 x 30sec stacked exposures of the foreground be better than just taking a single 2 minute exposure and then blending with 10 or so stacked sky exposures? I heard you say that it gets you a sharper image with less noise but wouldn't a single 2 minute exposure do the exact same thing? There's got to be something I'm missing! 2. I am super confused on how you decide what ISO to use, the first few images you showed taken @ f/2.8 look great at 2500 ISO and then many of the others including ones taken with larger apertures, are taken @ at least 3200 ISO., and it seems like 6400 is your most used ISO setting for sky shots. Is there a deciding factor that makes you feel the need to use a higher ISO? Do you have to stack more exposures if you are using a lower ISO? 3. Similarly, I'd love to get an idea how you decide how many exposures to stack, as the numbers seem to vary widely. Sometimes just 2 or 3, sometimes 5 or 6 and other times its 10 or more. Is it simply a matter of how much light you are working with? The ISO setting? Or are there other deciding factors? I'll watch again to see if I catch any correlations. I apologize if you have answered this in a past videos, I did a little searching and couldn't find them. Thanks a ton!
Hey Cody, thanks so much for watching. I can understand some of the confusion regarding your questions. The reality is that there are many settings that can be used to capture nightscape images. So I'll try to explain. You have to also realise that the images shown here are a progression of my development over quite a number of years. Some of these I'd do differently if I was shooting today. Question 1. You can indeed get good results with a single long exposure foreground. I find that when stacking more than one image you increase the signal to noise ratio . .in other words you get a cleaner image . .so that's always my goal. Question 2. Choosing the iso is based on a number of things. If you are shooting in a very dark sky then you can push it up more and still get a great image. If it's light polluted then all you'll do is increase the glow from that and that's not good. Also it depends on whether or not your camera has an iso invariant sensor. In short .. an iso invariant camera enables you to underexpose in the fielsd and simply increase the exposure in post production to get the same level of brightness. Stacking is always used to increase the signal to noise ration and to decrease the noise and get a sharper image. Question 3. There isn't any set rule on how many images to stack. It comes down to how much time you have to spend out there in the field. For my sky images I usually go for 10 but for the longer exposure foregrounds it's usually 3-6. It's all about time. The more (within reason) the better. Hope that's helpful.
Hi Richard I have been following you for awhile but have not taken up night photography until now. I just purchased Z20mm f1.8 for my Z6. I live near the geographic center of Canada 49th parallel and lots of light pollution. But dark spots are an hour + away. So I am starting to get out just to shot the stars and knowledgeable. I see you have Z6 and really like the Z20 f1.8 but I notice that you do not shoot at f1.8. Is there a particular reason? Thanks really love you videos.
Thanks so much for your support of my channel Fred. All lenses perform a bit better when stopped down. One of the advantages of a fast aperture lens such as the Nikon Z20mm f1.8 is that you can stop it down to f2.8 or similar and get better performance than a native f2.8 lens. Things like coma and vigneting are common on lenses wide open. Hope that helps.
Wonderful video!! I do have a few questions. After shooting the sky and foreground images in method 3& 4 do you still use layers in PS to combine the sky and foreground? If Sequator is used to stack must you separately stack the sky and foreground?
Great work Richard, really enjoy your content, love your work. When we're allowed to travel again in the uk, I want to work on finding my own style, not just copying what others do, also to get better composition. How did you go about getting your own style? I have been trying to get good pictures, like others do, but as hard as I try, mine never look as good. I know methods and settings etc, but sometimes fitting it altogether and getting good results like others do, doesn't happen.....bit demoralizing. Thanks for your channel, I look forward to seeing your videos
Hey Suzanne, I really do understand your frustration . .it's really hard to put your finger on the issue with this nightscape photography sometimes. It helps a lot to have dark skies and then other things fall into place. Of course the lockdowns have made it very difficult for everyone in your country. Keep your chin up . .it's a marathon and you will get there I'm sure.
Great video Richard. You explained all the methods really clearly. I did not realise you had a D610 at some stage. Thanks for sharing your knowledge and experience mate. Top shelf work 👍🙏
We’ve all got to start somewhere . Single shots was all I knew till you introduced us the advantages of light painting and sky stacking . Some of my fav shots are single sky and a few light painted foregrounds But have to admit that the staking of the sky and light painting the foreground is my fav . Took and ambient light single exposure of 3 mins the other night with a stacked sky and I like that to . Need a bit more practice but will get there. Another inspiring video Thanks Richard
What a fantastic video!! I absolutely loved it! Do you have any videos that show, from start to finish, a night shoot? Including how to take the shots, how to edit them in Lr/Ps, how to stack them and then the final product? Cheers!
Thanks so much for watching Robin. I have many such videos. See here: ruclips.net/video/Dhd4t9hC0X8/видео.html or here: ruclips.net/video/uJOkz3llEsQ/видео.html
Thanks a lot for watching Frank. When I say move the tripod it can mean 2 things. Firstly what I'm referring to is the fact that the tracker is moving to follow the stars so by default the camera moves. Secondly what I usually do is move the whole setup away from the foreground subject to shoot an uninterrupted view of the sky to track. This makes the blending process so much easier. I hope that helps.
Hey, man, hello. Why paint objects with individual frames instead of painting each place one time when taking a picture of the floor? And how do you blend ground photos into the Milky Way? I didn't see him blending with the pinwheel in his videos. I want to know about this floor blending thing.
Thanks for watching. I usually get better results by blending more than one image of the foreground. It takes a lot of time to move around the subject and I'll invariably get in the way of the camera at some stage. As well as that it helps me keep note of what areas I've done. I have lots of videos explaining this process. See here: ruclips.net/video/9sFVT1e-jMo/видео.html or here: ruclips.net/video/uPyce5NbxiE/видео.html
Hello Richard, it's always a great pleasure to follow your videos on a big TV screen, I learn a lot and I enjoy sublime images! Thank you very much for everything you share. How to make a point of sharpness on zvec a Sony A7riii? It's very difficult
@@coltonetpaulcoltonetpaul4444 Check this video . .it may be helpful. ruclips.net/video/lqYf2w_BAQ8/видео.html or this one: ruclips.net/video/R5jYdAwTpQ0/видео.html
I think that 'Method 5' is going to compliment its predecessors perfectly Richard! Great to see you embracing this new approach while retaining your tried and tested fine art techniques 👍.
Thanks very much for your comments Paul. Yes it's taken me a while but finally I'm working through all the challenges that tracking entails. Appreciate you watching.
Great Video Richard, and great to see you back on. I am buying the new Benro Astro Polaris for tracking night skies. It would be amazing if you could review one when they are available in July.
Thanks so much for watching Roy. The Benro Polaris looks really interesting. I doubt I'll be able to get my hands on one anytime soon though. I'll be keen on your experience with it though.
So, you are not taking any Darks, Bias nor Flat frames? I'd use Darks at least, to help reduce some noise too (thermal). Besides, having Darks between each series of photo also helps to figure out, after, what pictures goes together.
@@nightscapeimages.richard Alas, with the current situation and my location, I haven't been able to go outside at night for a long time. Here, we are in lockdown and/or curfew for at least 6 months, and that will stay for at least another month. Also, living in a big city, to escape light pollution it's several hours of travel, which is not easy. Last time I have been able to do nightscape images, that was during a week in July and 3 weeks in August. Considering not every nights are good enough... it's been too long. In theory, darks might help a bit, mostly for thermal noise, which depends on your sensor/exposure time/ambiant temp. But to be perfect, you'd need a constant temp - that's why astrophotographers have cooling cameras. As for Flats or Bias, again maybe not as useful as it was in the past, depending on the sensor. The Z6 has a modern BSI CMOS sensor, so maybe you can live without it. When I can shoot nightscapes, I usually take Darks because it's also very convenient to separate every shooting from the other. I'm not trying to compete, just asking if you are using these astrophotographers techniques as well.
@@puck528co Yes I saw Alyn's video. Very good. I've not had any issues with using high iso's but I agree that the key is to use lower iso's when necessary. Which is exactly what I'm doing for my light painted foregrounds.
My plan for this spring is to go back to the places I've already taken photos and try all the different ways to see how each work and how I can improve.
Good timing Richard. I sure wish you could see the lightbulb go off in my head in regards to long exposure foreground shooting. Good overview of the different methods, which I hope apply this weekend. For multiple stacked backgrounds (method 3), did I hear correctly in that Sequator will stack the stary background and freeze the foreground? I assume you are using photoshop to stack long exposure foregrounds. Thanks once again for all your insight and dedication.
Thanks so much for watching Rob. Yes those lightbulbs are pesky things aren't they ...!!! Yes you can freeze the ground in Sequator . .that's the thing I love most about it. I also stack my foregrounds in Sequator rather than photoshop. I do all my blending in photoshop.
Hey Richard, back again - I've watched 4 times now. First of all, good on you for challenging yourself. I recall one or two videos in the past in which you expressed skepticism toward your trackers, and tracking in general. Yet, here you are... absolutely setting the standard for the beauty they can produce. Question: when not tracking, I notice you vary between 10 and 15 second shutters. Also, between 2, 2.2, maybe even an occasional 2.8 aperture. What do you encounter that causes you to choose one setting over another? I shot the arch last night with 20mm S at 2.2 and 15 seconds. There is some very slight star trailing when I pixel peep. So I'm thinking about dropping to 10 seconds.
Thanks so much for watching again Chris. I've always known that tracking produces the finest image detail but the stumbling block has always been the foreground blending. As you know I value my foreground detail and subject matter just as much as the sky portion. So it's really only been since photoshop introduced their new Sky Replacement algorithm that I've been able to get a good marriage of the two parts of the process. I will often vary the settings based on ambient light levels or perhaps lens focal length. Sometimes I just want to see what the different images will look like. As they say . .There's always more than one way to skin a cat ...!!!!
Thank you for another inspiring and educational video. One question on method # 5 whereby you shoot multiple foreground images using ambient light and long exposures, then stack them to reduce noise. Are you stacking them in Photoshop (along with noise reduction filter), or are you using Sequator/Starry Landscape stacker? Great images!
Thanks heaps for watching Bob. I typically use Sequator for all my stacking as it's really easy and it has the brilliant freeze ground function. I don't stack anything in photoshop.
Thanks so much for watching Vince. I don't stack my long exposures in photoshop .. I use Sequator. You could use photoshop if you want but it doesn't have the amazing "Freeze Ground" option.
It is always exciting when a new video gets published in your channel, Richard!! Always looking forward to learn from your experience. This weekend I'm starting my first adventure following your tutorials an trying to get my first blended nightscape image, hopefully I'll get something nice. Thanks for inspiring us. Warm regards from Uruguay.
Great video, thanks for sharing your techniques with us, I’ve learned so much from you. Would love to see a video how you shoot and edit a stacked panorama image (sky panorama blended with the foreground panorama). I’ve tried it a few times, and it either worked ok, or didn’t work at all.
Hi Richard, Another great video showing your progress in nightscape imaging. You have shown the methods and what they offer and I particularly like the tracked skies mixed with a focal length blend. Some of my favourite images are the Tank with the Windmill, Eddystone Lighthouse, Childers Cove, the Orion selfie and the Orion tracked sky with Barnards Loop with a focal length blend of the old house. Eye candy +++
Thanks Richard - great information with some stunning images as ever. Hoping to try some of the tracked-and-blended methods this year. My wife and I were joking last night that a lot of your images seem to be shot from the set of Banjo Patterson’s Snowy River!! 😂 Gorgeous locations.
Thank you for your inspirational way of teaching your methods. Im so looking forward to getting out there and trying it for myself. The shooting process itself appeals to me as a bit of alone time. Can i ask what torch you use and do you use a beam, flood or a combination of both?
Thanks very much for watching Neanie. I use the LED Lenser P7 as my main light panting torch but I also use led light panels for "Low Level Lighting" See this video: ruclips.net/video/Dd_jqe1DxQk/видео.html
Enjoyed seeing the recap of the methods. That tracked and stacked method seems like a natural evolution people should aspire to. Highest quality. Wishing you a great Milky Way season, thanks for the video.
Love it!! I'm like a lot of people here. I get out to take a photo then forget my settings. I'm cheating now!! Took a couple screen shots of your photos with your settings. Thanks for your help within the last 6 months you have made me addicted to this type of photography.
Nice to see you back Richard. a good compilation video to recap and refresh all your tips for successful night photography. By following all your videos and using your techniques I finally feel confident that when I go out at night I have a plan for what to shoot and how to shoot it, that is so important as you rightly point out.
These are exactly the methods of learnt from your tutorials over the years Richard, they work every time and I'm most looking forward to tracking and stacking this year now Photoshop sky replacement is available now. It was extremely challenging to do select and mask, of course once the bloody weather plays game here Ireland 😂😂😂😂😂😂 👍👌👍
Cheers Richard for these tips, with milkyway season coming I can't wait to try your tips, I need way more practice at this side of Landscape Photography. Have a great weekend mate.
Thank you so much for the updated summary. Have been binge watching your Chanel to catch up and can see the evolution of your techniques over time. This clarified many things for me, an ‘ah ha, I get it’ moment if you like as there is so much to absorb in the beginning. As always, love the manner in which you deliver your videos and keep things simple. They are the most helpful out there both in terms of technique and inspiration. Love your enthusiasm. Thanks so much.
You're very kind Dianne, and I'm so pleased you find the videos helpful. Many thanks indeed for watching.
Hi Richard, another great and informative video. Thank you.
In a little over 1 week I will be staying on a farm in south central NSW for a week, which is dark enough to hopefully get some good and clear sky images (God willing). I am going to put all of your techniques into practice and if there is enough time, I am also considering attempting a series of different time lapses. Starting with a standard fixed point Dusk to Dawn time lapse that will roll into a star trail during the night and shrink back to a normal sky as dawn approaches. I will be using my Sony A99ii (FF 42MP sensor) with a 16-35 / f2.8 zoom lens set at 16mm and a TimeLapse + View controller. What settings in the +View controller, would you recommend?
Another time lapse using my new Star Adventurer 2i that will produce a tracked time lapse sky.
The third time lapse type I am considering is blending a slider time lapse of the foreground and the tracked time lapse sky. (I am thinking of "green screening or actually removing" the foreground time lapse sky and then putting the tracked time lapse sky "behind" the foreground time lapse.) Have you done any of this type of motion blending? What programs would you suggest I use? Adobe Premier Po, After Effects, something else? (I use windows, not mac.) What problems do you foresee? This will be the first time I will try to blend 2 videos.
Basically, I will be trying to gather as as much "raw images" as possible and then "go wild" with creative ideas. I have always faced challenges head-on and enjoy the learning curve to achieve a satisfactory result. (Hopefully this will produce some exciting images and time lapses.)
Apologies for the bit of a ramble, but I am keen for your valued input, so I minimize wasting my time. Much obliged, David
That sounds like a great adventure David. Regarding the Timelapse + View. I only ever use that when I'm doing a day to night timelapse . .otherwise I'll use a cheap standard intervalometer or even the in-built intervalometer. Blending a moving video is a job for Adobe After Effects but it won't be easy. That's quite an ambitious idea as any trees or objects that protrude into the sky will need to be blended one frame at a time. Considering that you are shooting at about 25 frames per second you can see what I mean.
When I watch these videos, I wish everyone in the world would pay more attention to light pollution. The photos taken in places with bortle below level 3 are great. Even though I don't use star tracking, the night sky is still very beautiful.
Yes I think it's a very sad state of affairs with light pollution. Thankfully the country I live in is one of the best in that regard.
Rewatching this video Richard and looking at the progression, especially the difference between with Astro mod & non-Astro modified sensors.
I think the 6th method combining both types as twin mounted setup could really be useful, as to blend both types into one, getting the best of both possibilities.
Thanks as always for watching Derek. It is interesting going back over some of the previous videos ..things do certainly change over time.
CONGRATULATIONS Richard !!! ... I have being a follower of your videos, your tips and advice ... And let me tell you that the way you explain is EXCELLENT !!! ... PLEASE keep being so clear, didactic and explanatory as you have done until this days !!! ... I would like to see a video in which you explain in detail how to BLEND a Night Sky with a SUNRISE image ... Kind of what you did in this video ... BUT ... Considering all COLOR issues !!! ... Greetings from Xalapa, Veracruz. México !!! ... Keep Healthy ... Be safe !!! ... Best wishes !!! ... Rafael
Thanks so much for your lovely comments Rafael. This image is not incorporating a sunrise . .it's a moonrise. You couldn't get milky way and sunrise in the same shot realistically.
Hey Richard, great vid! Can you post a video on how to edit different types of images like a timelapse vid, and *especially* stacking multiple images of the sky(without a star tracker) and editing.
Thanks a lot for watching Arhan. I have already posted multiple videos on those topics. See here: ruclips.net/video/3uXHTmwcaFM/видео.html or here: ruclips.net/p/PLAYKmqkUeSM96MzmcTwVxT7Ccps5zhWOJ
Stacking multiple tracked images - great idea. I've just purchased a SkyTracker so I'll add that to the set of things to try. Need to get familiar now with Sequator for Windows!
Thanks so much for watching Mike. You'll love the star tracker . .and Sequator is pretty straight forward.
Great explanation as to how you go about nightscape images Richard. For someone who has not progressed onto using LR or PS yet (beginner/amateur) can you stack in Sequator even if you only take ONE sky image and multiple foreground images or do you have to take multiple sky images also. I am planning my first Milky Way shot with a local landmark next year and trying to decide whether I would be better off doing single shot images or multiple. The landmark (a windmill) would be instantly recognisable even if i didn’t do any light painting and it was silhouetted but I would like to light paint it if possible but without using LR or PS for any post processing, could I just use Sequator and “freeze ground” option 🤔 Regards Garry
Thanks so much for watching. The reason Sequator exists is to stack multiple images. But it is usually used to stack the same image composition .. EG: 10 images of the sky or landscape with the intention of aligning each image .. in the case of stars, or for noise reduction in the case of foreground. I guess in theory you could freeze the ground and use multiple images .. but in my experience you need to do some post processing on RAW files to get the best out of them. This is where Lightroom or Photoshop . .or even another RAW photo editor comes into it's own.
Great! You have addressed several issues I have been having about tracking and stacking, and different possible combinations for setting for images with both sky and foreground exposure and sharpness. Now understand better what I am messing up.
Thanks so very much!
I'm so glad you found it helpful. I appreciate you watching.
Blown away stunning work I’ll stick with my single shots at the moment but for how much longer 🤔🤔🤔 loving the channel Richard thanks for your efforts 📷❤️
Appreciate you watching again mate.
Hi Richard.
I'm down in Tassie now.
Hoping to get something that resembles your shots in quality.
Number 3 is my mainly used method.
Dave
Good on you Dave, hope it goes well in Tassie.
Awesome video, Richard. In addition to the videos, I truly enjoy your enthusiasm for the subject. Thank you. Nyall
You're welcome my friend. Thanks for watching.
G'day Richard
Just found your incredible Chanel.
I'm hooked Just after the first video.
I got a question about stacking your shots on a Skye tracker.
Am I right in assuming that you would have to do a lot of cropping because the image is constantly moving?
Havagoodweekend mate
Greg
Thanks so much for watching Greg, I really appreciate it. When I'm tracking the shot I tend to get the composition where I want it so don't usually crop much at all. Remember the tracker and camera follow the stars so there isn't any movement in the shot at all. Of course when the sky is blended with the foreground there will be areas that are overlapped etc.
Thanks again :-) I will use Sequator a lot more in the future :-) My Nikon D5600 give me a lot of noise when using Iso6400 :-)
Yes it will Niels, but with Sequator it will become a new camera.
Thank you so much for sharing of 5 methods to shoot the milkyway, most my shot is single shot, I really would like to try on methods number 3 and thinking to buy 20mm f1.8G lens..is there any tutorials how to use the sequator, please
Thanks so much and really grateful for the turorials video once again..
Cheers
Soelast
Thanks so much for watching Soelast. I mention Sequator quite a bit in many of my editing videos. There are also a few tutorials on youtube.
Wow!! That is a great documentary of the logical journey of learning that I have undertaken under your guidance. I'm just getting to grips with a small tracker, just to see if I can manage it, and so far, so good. I may well be investing in a more robust model soon!! Thanks as always for these videos, Richard. They have re-invigorated my interest in photography, and they continue to inspire and motivate.
Thank you so much for your very encouraging comments Simon. We are all on a journey of discovery with this nightscape photography stuff . .and it's one heck of a ride.
Hi, nice photos as always. Fyi, the "math" behind noise reduction with stacking is a square root of the number of images, so I prefer to use numbers that give a whole result, like 4, 9 or 16. ;)
Very good information, thank you.
Thanks for the review Richard, I am still struggling with what ISO you use in different conditions or circumstances. Is there a cheat sheet that explains when and to what ISO you use. Hoping my trip to you is still on. All looks good so far.
Yes all is looking good for your trip down south Gary. Regarding iso, it really depends on a few things. Ambient light levels, light pollution, if your camera is iso invariant and what you're actually shooting. I use the Nikon Z6. It's an iso invariant sensor which means I can underexpose it if I choose to and still get good exposure in post production. I also shoot in dark skies so If I want to I can lift the iso quite high, and I don't encounter a lot of light pollution. If you look through my images you'll see that I don't change my basic settings very much.
If I had to deal with lots of light pollution for example I'd be forced to lower the iso for sure. The iso is the last parameter I select. First aperture, then shutter speed and finally iso . .much like daytime photography. When capturing the stars my shutter speed is usually set due to the rotation of the stars so I can't go too long. (Note that this is not an issue when shooting foregrounds.)
Awesome all 5 methods. Im in the method #3 right now. Stacking skies and different light painting directions in subject or foreground wich I learned from your channel.
Many thanks indeed for following the channel Luis, I really do appreciate your support.
Thanks for this video. I have never done night photography, but the 14mm lens that I ordered for this purpose arrives today. Your videos are inspirational and I am looking forward to trying your techniques. I guess that I will become a day sleeper.
Thanks again Richard, really appreciate you watching.
Great review of all your methods of shooting the nightsky Richard and some food for thought of how I’m going to follow your example. Thanks 👍
I'm glad you liked it Carl. Thanks so much for watching.
Very nice Richard. March 19th will be my first night out for North America MW Core season. This will be my 3rd season employing track/stack sky with long exposure foregrounds. Excited as ever, and your vids have kept my excitement levels on high through our USA winters without the MW core. Thank you for your efforts. They are well appreciated.
Thanks so much for your very kind words Ryan. I hope you get some wonderful images this year. Take care.
I have absolutely no problem with using the different focal length for the foreground and sky. If it comes to an "ART".
And If I am using the star tracker and post my photo to some pages, I just mention in the post that I used star tracker and that s all about. Thanks again for your video.
I'm pleased you enjoyed the video my friend. Thanks so much for your comments. Yes I think full disclosure is always the best policy.
Hi Richard. I understand sequator for stacking the sky with the freeze ground but how do you stack the long exposure foreground?
Hi Vicki, it's exactly the same as stacking the sky. By selecting the sky as you normally would and also freezing the ground you get the same stacking and low noise for the foreground as you do for the sky. When I use extra long exposures for the foreground all I do is blend those final tiff files from Sequator in with the sky in photoshop.
This video is excellent. I appreciate all of the information right here in one spot. I just purchased a mirrorless camera and want to stack multiple long exposures for added dynamic range. When the images are stacked for dynamic range is noise reduction automatic? When you stack them are you using the HDR function that is in either light room Lightroom and Photoshop?
Thanks so much for watching. Well it will be a by product of stacking long exposures but you will always get better dynamic range in the lower iso settings. All cameras are different in this regard but as a generalization that's the case. No I'm not using the HDR function in Lightroom or photoshop. That is designed to mix multiple shots at different exposure settings. It will give a similar result but I don't expect it to be better than using a specialized software like Sequator. So in a nutshell .. if you stack multiple exposures you will get noise reduction. Dynamic range will be extended as well but moreso if you shoot at a lower iso to begin with and simply raise the exposure in post. Some cameras handle this really well such as the Nikon and Sony brands.
Once again.... Thanks. Timely, as I am off tomorrow to try for auroras and if I can hang in, the Milky Way at 0500.
I'm really pleased you like it Guy. I hope these tips come in handy for your aurora and milky way shoots.
Very educating video, thank you!! Your nightscapes are amazing, hope your channel to grow bigger as the work done deserves it!
I'm really pleased you like it George, appreciate the comments.
Sensational production. Very creative and educational. Thank you sir.
I really appreciate you watching, thanks so much.
the shot with 50mm tracked and the tree in front of MW. Do you track the MW in the that position or do you track behing the tree and then move in front of it to make the foreground. Because if you track with the tree in front of it you might get problems in the interface between the sky ant the tree since the tracker will blur the tree.
Thanks so much for watching Raphael. I always move to a clear patch to do the tracked shots. It makes the blending so much easier. Thanks so much for watching.
Thank you for the high-quality and useful content! Very interesting!
I'm really pleased you find it helpful Sergey. Thanks a lot for watching.
Another great video Richard. Looking forward to the workshop in June!
Thanks a lot for watching Daniel. June will be here before you know it ..!!!!
G'day Richard, I come across this today and thought you might find this interesting. Could this possibly cause the difference in air glow, I do notice difference in colour from shots taken leading up to new moon compared to the days after it
www.space.com/amp/moon-has-a-sodium-tail?__twitter_impression=true
I've never heard of it .. but you never know.
hello! do you use sequator to stack background image too? even when u r using sky watcher?
Yes I do use sequator to stack tracked images. It works well.
Another great video, thanks Richard, I am trying to work on the tracker at the moment and hope to start getting some great results as yours. thanks again for the inspiration.
I'm really pleased you like it Alan. Thanks heaps for watching. I'll be keen to see what results you get with the tracker.
Excellent video Richard, milky way season is upon us and time to try them all!
Thanks so much for watching my friend, really appreciated.
Great information, Richard (and great results). Looking forward to trying a few of these methods out on an upcoming road trip to Joshua Tree National Park in California.
Thanks so much for watching Photog. I'm sure you'll get some great shots at Joshua Tree.
The trike one is still one of my favourites Richard. Thanks for the update, great video.
Many thanks indeed Michael. Appreciate your comments.
Breaking News: This Spring, thousands of photographers worldwide begin "tracking and stacking." 😊
Inspiring as always, Richard. I will be tracking and stacking, for the first time, a Milky Way arch at about 3:30 am tomorrow. Gulp!
Haha, good on you Chris. I think there are already many people employing this method. I hope your milky way arch goes well.
I must have lessons in Stacking etc > I am only up to shot per scene your first method
It all takes time Peter. Nothing wrong with employing any method that works for you. Appreciate you watching.
Im headed out to death valley california for some astro photography next week, cant wait!!!
Hey that will be fantastic Marcus, I'm sure you'll get some great images. Thanks for watching.
Great stuff as always! checking out your camera lens kit in a bit!!
Thanks a lot for watching Marc
Thanks Richard ..great info and images as usual..
Thanks so much for watching Martin, I really appreciate it.
Amazing! Which tracker do you use now?
Thanks a lot for watching Erik. I have the ioptron Sky Guider Pro and Sky Watcher Star Adventurer. Check this video where I discuss the star trackers. ruclips.net/video/oiUvBwCrBmQ/видео.html
Magic, very entertaining thank you.....👍🏻
You're welcome James. Thanks so much for watching.
Very nice video, Richard. Thanks a lot.
You're more than welcome Branislav. Thanks for watching.
Just gorgeous Richard to dig out my star tracker for this summer
Good on you Jeff . .it's always worth a try. Thanks heaps for watching.
Very interesting, as usual. 🥰🥰🥰
I’m so happy ... I’ll have my S-lens 20mm f/1,8 next month. Isn’t this wonderful?!!!
That is wonderful news Carole . .and I'm assuming the weather is starting to warm up for you ...???
@@nightscapeimages.richard
😂 Nope! It’s probably the coldest week so far. It was -34 or so. I tried to stay outside but my fingers fell off... frozen!
🥶🥶🥶😂😂
Hey Richard! Great video! Thanks for the information. It is really nice to hear all of the separate methods compared to each other. I hadn't thought about how many different methods there are, as I am still working on understanding how to capture my first good single shots.
I'm still confused on a few things though. Wondering if you could answer a few of my questions.
1.Why the need to stack multiple exposures of the foreground since it's not moving?
I understand why you would want to stack multiple exposures of the sky since the stars are moving, but when it comes to the foreground...why?
For example; why would 4 x 30sec stacked exposures of the foreground be better than just taking a single 2 minute exposure and then blending with 10 or so stacked sky exposures? I heard you say that it gets you a sharper image with less noise but wouldn't a single 2 minute exposure do the exact same thing? There's got to be something I'm missing!
2. I am super confused on how you decide what ISO to use, the first few images you showed taken @ f/2.8 look great at 2500 ISO and then many of the others including ones taken with larger apertures, are taken @ at least 3200 ISO., and it seems like 6400 is your most used ISO setting for sky shots. Is there a deciding factor that makes you feel the need to use a higher ISO? Do you have to stack more exposures if you are using a lower ISO?
3. Similarly, I'd love to get an idea how you decide how many exposures to stack, as the numbers seem to vary widely. Sometimes just 2 or 3, sometimes 5 or 6 and other times its 10 or more. Is it simply a matter of how much light you are working with? The ISO setting? Or are there other deciding factors? I'll watch again to see if I catch any correlations.
I apologize if you have answered this in a past videos, I did a little searching and couldn't find them.
Thanks a ton!
Hey Cody, thanks so much for watching. I can understand some of the confusion regarding your questions. The reality is that there are many settings that can be used to capture nightscape images. So I'll try to explain. You have to also realise that the images shown here are a progression of my development over quite a number of years. Some of these I'd do differently if I was shooting today.
Question 1. You can indeed get good results with a single long exposure foreground. I find that when stacking more than one image you increase the signal to noise ratio . .in other words you get a cleaner image . .so that's always my goal.
Question 2. Choosing the iso is based on a number of things. If you are shooting in a very dark sky then you can push it up more and still get a great image. If it's light polluted then all you'll do is increase the glow from that and that's not good. Also it depends on whether or not your camera has an iso invariant sensor. In short .. an iso invariant camera enables you to underexpose in the fielsd and simply increase the exposure in post production to get the same level of brightness. Stacking is always used to increase the signal to noise ration and to decrease the noise and get a sharper image.
Question 3. There isn't any set rule on how many images to stack. It comes down to how much time you have to spend out there in the field. For my sky images I usually go for 10 but for the longer exposure foregrounds it's usually 3-6. It's all about time. The more (within reason) the better.
Hope that's helpful.
@@nightscapeimages.richard Absolutely helpful! Definitely clears things up for me. Thanks for getting back to me so fast I appreciate your time!!
Thank you for another video, great as always
I'm really pleased you like it Rimantas, thank you.
Hi Richard I have been following you for awhile but have not taken up night photography until now. I just purchased Z20mm f1.8 for my Z6. I live near the geographic center of Canada 49th parallel and lots of light pollution. But dark spots are an hour + away. So I am starting to get out just to shot the stars and knowledgeable. I see you have Z6 and really like the Z20 f1.8 but I notice that you do not shoot at f1.8. Is there a particular reason? Thanks really love you videos.
Thanks so much for your support of my channel Fred. All lenses perform a bit better when stopped down. One of the advantages of a fast aperture lens such as the Nikon Z20mm f1.8 is that you can stop it down to f2.8 or similar and get better performance than a native f2.8 lens. Things like coma and vigneting are common on lenses wide open. Hope that helps.
@@nightscapeimages.richard Yes Richard that does help thanks.
Wonderful video!! I do have a few questions. After shooting the sky and foreground images in method 3& 4 do you still use layers in PS to combine the sky and foreground? If Sequator is used to stack must you separately stack the sky and foreground?
Thanks a lot Bob. I use Sequator to stack both the sky and the foreground sometimes. I use Photoshop to blend the images when light painting.
Thank you..
Great info. I'll have to try some night shots
Give it a go Bob, it can really be a lot of fun.
Great work Richard, really enjoy your content, love your work.
When we're allowed to travel again in the uk, I want to work on finding my own style, not just copying what others do, also to get better composition. How did you go about getting your own style? I have been trying to get good pictures, like others do, but as hard as I try, mine never look as good. I know methods and settings etc, but sometimes fitting it altogether and getting good results like others do, doesn't happen.....bit demoralizing. Thanks for your channel, I look forward to seeing your videos
Hey Suzanne, I really do understand your frustration . .it's really hard to put your finger on the issue with this nightscape photography sometimes. It helps a lot to have dark skies and then other things fall into place. Of course the lockdowns have made it very difficult for everyone in your country. Keep your chin up . .it's a marathon and you will get there I'm sure.
@@nightscapeimages.richard Thanks for your encouragement
Love the tricycle image! Another great post
Thanks so much Walter
Great video Richard. You explained all the methods really clearly. I did not realise you had a D610 at some stage. Thanks for sharing your knowledge and experience mate. Top shelf work 👍🙏
Thanks heaps for watching Adrian. Yes the D610 was my first full frame DSLR camera back in the day.
Thanks again Richard for your content
I really appreciate you watching Dave.
We’ve all got to start somewhere . Single shots was all I knew till you introduced us the advantages of light painting and sky stacking . Some of my fav shots are single sky and a few light painted foregrounds
But have to admit that the staking of the sky and light painting the foreground is my fav . Took and ambient light single exposure of 3 mins the other night with a stacked sky and I like that to . Need a bit more practice but will get there.
Another inspiring video Thanks Richard
You are very welcome Michelle. I'm always blown away by your amazing images.
Thanks Richard Really appreciate your kind words and support 😀
What a fantastic video!! I absolutely loved it! Do you have any videos that show, from start to finish, a night shoot? Including how to take the shots, how to edit them in Lr/Ps, how to stack them and then the final product? Cheers!
I think I may have found it..."How to Photograph the Milky Way" and then the video after that one!
Thanks so much for watching Robin. I have many such videos. See here: ruclips.net/video/Dhd4t9hC0X8/видео.html or here: ruclips.net/video/uJOkz3llEsQ/видео.html
11:42 😱 what kind of spider species is that?
No idea .. but there are lots of them around these old buildings.
My minde can only manage a single shot 😂. You are an artist richard👌
That's quite ok Pablo .. I appreciate you watching my friend.
Great update, thanks Richard !!
Thanks a lot Stephen.
do you use flat frames? and/or dark frames?
I never use flat frames. I have done dark frames but usually not these days.
Great summary / refresher video. I do have a question: Why did you move the tripod when you used the tracker?
Thanks a lot for watching Frank. When I say move the tripod it can mean 2 things. Firstly what I'm referring to is the fact that the tracker is moving to follow the stars so by default the camera moves. Secondly what I usually do is move the whole setup away from the foreground subject to shoot an uninterrupted view of the sky to track. This makes the blending process so much easier. I hope that helps.
@@nightscapeimages.richard Thank you. This makes sense.
Hey, man, hello. Why paint objects with individual frames instead of painting each place one time when taking a picture of the floor? And how do you blend ground photos into the Milky Way? I didn't see him blending with the pinwheel in his videos. I want to know about this floor blending thing.
Thanks for watching. I usually get better results by blending more than one image of the foreground. It takes a lot of time to move around the subject and I'll invariably get in the way of the camera at some stage. As well as that it helps me keep note of what areas I've done. I have lots of videos explaining this process. See here: ruclips.net/video/9sFVT1e-jMo/видео.html or here: ruclips.net/video/uPyce5NbxiE/видео.html
@@nightscapeimages.richard Thank you big bro
Hello Richard, it's always a great pleasure to follow your videos on a big TV screen, I learn a lot and I enjoy sublime images! Thank you very much for everything you share. How to make a point of sharpness on zvec a Sony A7riii? It's very difficult
Thanks so much for watching Doume. I'm not quite sure what you mean about the sharpness on the Sony A7riii
I think tje question is how do you focus on stars for nighttime photo as the screens onntje aony a7rii seems to produce a lot of noise at night
@@coltonetpaulcoltonetpaul4444 Check this video . .it may be helpful. ruclips.net/video/lqYf2w_BAQ8/видео.html or this one: ruclips.net/video/R5jYdAwTpQ0/видео.html
I think that 'Method 5' is going to compliment its predecessors perfectly Richard! Great to see you embracing this new approach while retaining your tried and tested fine art techniques 👍.
Thanks very much for your comments Paul. Yes it's taken me a while but finally I'm working through all the challenges that tracking entails. Appreciate you watching.
Enjoyed that immensely.
Thanks so much for watching Paul.
Great Video Richard, and great to see you back on. I am buying the new Benro Astro Polaris for tracking night skies. It would be amazing if you could review one when they are available in July.
Thanks so much for watching Roy. The Benro Polaris looks really interesting. I doubt I'll be able to get my hands on one anytime soon though. I'll be keen on your experience with it though.
@@nightscapeimages.richard I will be pleased to let you have my thoughts and some raw images from it. Expecting delivery in July. TC
@@royhornyak8596 Excellent Roy
So, you are not taking any Darks, Bias nor Flat frames? I'd use Darks at least, to help reduce some noise too (thermal). Besides, having Darks between each series of photo also helps to figure out, after, what pictures goes together.
I'd be very happy to see what results you are getting using those methods with your nightscape images.
@@nightscapeimages.richard Alas, with the current situation and my location, I haven't been able to go outside at night for a long time. Here, we are in lockdown and/or curfew for at least 6 months, and that will stay for at least another month. Also, living in a big city, to escape light pollution it's several hours of travel, which is not easy. Last time I have been able to do nightscape images, that was during a week in July and 3 weeks in August. Considering not every nights are good enough... it's been too long.
In theory, darks might help a bit, mostly for thermal noise, which depends on your sensor/exposure time/ambiant temp. But to be perfect, you'd need a constant temp - that's why astrophotographers have cooling cameras. As for Flats or Bias, again maybe not as useful as it was in the past, depending on the sensor. The Z6 has a modern BSI CMOS sensor, so maybe you can live without it. When I can shoot nightscapes, I usually take Darks because it's also very convenient to separate every shooting from the other. I'm not trying to compete, just asking if you are using these astrophotographers techniques as well.
@@flexable9256 All good. There are many ways to get great images. It's always best to stick to a workflow that works for each person.
should light the interiers of these barns and sheds
I sometimes do .. it depends on what I like at the time. Thanks for watching.
Great vid as usual Richard.
Thank you so much for watching Gavin, I really appreciate that.
Hi Richard, thanks for this method collection. Even of someone was part of your journey so far, this collection helps a lot as a compendium.
I really appreciate you watching as always Matthias.
@@nightscapeimages.richard BTW, have you Seen Alyn Wallace talking about iso invariance? Very interesting for Milky way photographers imho
@@puck528co Yes I saw Alyn's video. Very good. I've not had any issues with using high iso's but I agree that the key is to use lower iso's when necessary. Which is exactly what I'm doing for my light painted foregrounds.
My plan for this spring is to go back to the places I've already taken photos and try all the different ways to see how each work and how I can improve.
Good on you Lawrence. Appreciate you watching.
Great Video Richard.😁
Thanks heaps for watching.
G'day Richard, still loving what you do. Good to see you're still safe and well.
I'm going ok thanks John. Thanks again for watching my friend.
One word - great!
Two words . .Thank you Werner ...!!!! That's 3 words.
Thanks Richard
Thank you as always for watching Spence. Hope it's not too cold over there.
Excellent video! Please share your new blending workflow.
I've already shared all my blending methods. See this video: ruclips.net/video/3snX_1iCB1E/видео.html
Thanks I binged watched all those. So I guess I am up to speed thanks!
@@inspiredartphotos Thanks so much.
Good timing Richard. I sure wish you could see the lightbulb go off in my head in regards to long exposure foreground shooting. Good overview of the different methods, which I hope apply this weekend. For multiple stacked backgrounds (method 3), did I hear correctly in that Sequator will stack the stary background and freeze the foreground? I assume you are using photoshop to stack long exposure foregrounds. Thanks once again for all your insight and dedication.
Thanks so much for watching Rob. Yes those lightbulbs are pesky things aren't they ...!!! Yes you can freeze the ground in Sequator . .that's the thing I love most about it. I also stack my foregrounds in Sequator rather than photoshop. I do all my blending in photoshop.
Hey Richard, back again - I've watched 4 times now. First of all, good on you for challenging yourself. I recall one or two videos in the past in which you expressed skepticism toward your trackers, and tracking in general. Yet, here you are... absolutely setting the standard for the beauty they can produce.
Question: when not tracking, I notice you vary between 10 and 15 second shutters. Also, between 2, 2.2, maybe even an occasional 2.8 aperture. What do you encounter that causes you to choose one setting over another? I shot the arch last night with 20mm S at 2.2 and 15 seconds. There is some very slight star trailing when I pixel peep. So I'm thinking about dropping to 10 seconds.
Thanks so much for watching again Chris. I've always known that tracking produces the finest image detail but the stumbling block has always been the foreground blending. As you know I value my foreground detail and subject matter just as much as the sky portion. So it's really only been since photoshop introduced their new Sky Replacement algorithm that I've been able to get a good marriage of the two parts of the process. I will often vary the settings based on ambient light levels or perhaps lens focal length. Sometimes I just want to see what the different images will look like.
As they say . .There's always more than one way to skin a cat ...!!!!
Great recap!
Thanks very much for watching, really appreciated.
Thank you for another inspiring and educational video. One question on method # 5 whereby you shoot multiple foreground images using ambient light and long exposures, then stack them to reduce noise. Are you stacking them in Photoshop (along with noise reduction filter), or are you using Sequator/Starry Landscape stacker? Great images!
Thanks heaps for watching Bob. I typically use Sequator for all my stacking as it's really easy and it has the brilliant freeze ground function. I don't stack anything in photoshop.
Good summary of your workflow. Question: Do you stack your multiple long-exposure foreground images in Photoshop or other program? Thanks.
Thanks so much for watching Vince. I don't stack my long exposures in photoshop .. I use Sequator. You could use photoshop if you want but it doesn't have the amazing "Freeze Ground" option.
It is always exciting when a new video gets published in your channel, Richard!! Always looking forward to learn from your experience. This weekend I'm starting my first adventure following your tutorials an trying to get my first blended nightscape image, hopefully I'll get something nice.
Thanks for inspiring us.
Warm regards from Uruguay.
Thank you very much for your kind words of encouragement Guillermo. I really appreciate you watching.
Great video, thanks for sharing your techniques with us, I’ve learned so much from you.
Would love to see a video how you shoot and edit a stacked panorama image (sky panorama blended with the foreground panorama). I’ve tried it a few times, and it either worked ok, or didn’t work at all.
Thanks so much for watching Alpha. I'll certainly add that to my video list for the future.
Hi Richard, Another great video showing your progress in nightscape imaging. You have shown the methods and what they offer and I particularly like the tracked skies mixed with a focal length blend. Some of my favourite images are the Tank with the Windmill, Eddystone Lighthouse, Childers Cove, the Orion selfie and the Orion tracked sky with Barnards Loop with a focal length blend of the old house. Eye candy +++
Thanks a lot Geoff. Yes as you know there are always multiple ways to skin a cat. Appreciate you watching as always.
Thanks Richard - great information with some stunning images as ever. Hoping to try some of the tracked-and-blended methods this year.
My wife and I were joking last night that a lot of your images seem to be shot from the set of Banjo Patterson’s Snowy River!! 😂 Gorgeous locations.
Haha, well maybe I need to get up to the Snowy Mountains region to do some shooting. Really appreciate you watching Paul. . and Mrs Paul ..!!!
Thank you for your inspirational way of teaching your methods. Im so looking forward to getting out there and trying it for myself. The shooting process itself appeals to me as a bit of alone time. Can i ask what torch you use and do you use a beam, flood or a combination of both?
Thanks very much for watching Neanie. I use the LED Lenser P7 as my main light panting torch but I also use led light panels for "Low Level Lighting" See this video: ruclips.net/video/Dd_jqe1DxQk/видео.html
Great lecture Richard about your road to excellence and the way you turn a nightmare in a easy to follow methods. Thumbs up and keep safe.
Thank you so much for watching again Zarcos, as always I appreciate your kind words.
Enjoyed seeing the recap of the methods. That tracked and stacked method seems like a natural evolution people should aspire to. Highest quality. Wishing you a great Milky Way season, thanks for the video.
Thanks so much Tony. I really appreciate you watching and leaving a comment.
Love it!! I'm like a lot of people here. I get out to take a photo then forget my settings. I'm cheating now!! Took a couple screen shots of your photos with your settings. Thanks for your help within the last 6 months you have made me addicted to this type of photography.
Thanks so much for watching Manny. I'm really pleased to be a small help in your journey into nightscape photography.
Love the video
Thanks so much for watching.
Awesome video Richard. The focal blending method, looks interesting.!!!
Thanks a lot for watching Andreas. It is an interesting method which I like to use from time to time.
Nice to see you back Richard. a good compilation video to recap and refresh all your tips for successful night photography. By following all your videos and using your techniques I finally feel confident that when I go out at night I have a plan for what to shoot and how to shoot it, that is so important as you rightly point out.
Thanks very much for watching Peter. As always I really appreciate your comments.
These are exactly the methods of learnt from your tutorials over the years Richard, they work every time and I'm most looking forward to tracking and stacking this year now Photoshop sky replacement is available now. It was extremely challenging to do select and mask, of course once the bloody weather plays game here Ireland 😂😂😂😂😂😂 👍👌👍
Thanks a lot for watching Royston. Yes the blending is the game changer for sure. Appreciate your kind words.
I admire your work Richard. Amazing photos and great tips as usual.
Thank you so much for watching, really appreciate it.
Thank you for all the work done in this great video and sharing it with us. It is inspirational, educational and artistic.
Thanks so much for watching Ray, I'm really pleased you enjoyed it.
Great video, Richard! These five methods are challenging -- I will be putting these to work in my night photography!
Thanks so much for watching Gary. Really appreciate your comments.
Nice recap.
Thanks so much for watching my friend.
Cheers Richard for these tips, with milkyway season coming I can't wait to try your tips, I need way more practice at this side of Landscape Photography. Have a great weekend mate.
Thanks a lot for watching Jeremy. Really appreciate that mate.