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Posts Tagged ‘Trail’

Star Stacker lets you create star trail images and timelapses on iPhones, iPads

05 May

Star Stacker, an astrophotography app available for iOS, allows users to create star trail images and timelapses on their phone, computer or tablet. Michael Webb, the developer, posted about his latest creation on Reddit’s r/LandscapeAstro community. To demonstrate a final result from using the app, Webb posted the image, seen above, and explained how he achieved it in the post’s comments section.

Using a Sony a7R III camera and Rokinon 14mm M2 lens, Webb captured 170 15-second exposure images with an ISO of 640 and an F4.0 aperture. Webb then copied the 170 RAW files to his phone using an SD card adapter and stacked the images in the app. To be clear, you can also import JPEG, .tiff or .png images from your iPhone or iPad’s photo app into Star Stacker. Pixelmator was used to combine images of the foreground and stars together for a final product.

After importing your selected photos, you can start creating images or timelapses with the following effects:

  • Full trails – shows every star at full brightness.
  • Faded trails – stars get brighter as the process runs.
  • Shooting star – similar to faded trails but the last image is brighter than the previous, giving off a shooting star effect.
  • Warp modezooms into the image stack slowly creating a warped effect. This will also impact the foreground so post processing may be required if the images have the foreground included.

Astrophotographers typically take a series of images in the same place and stack them to reduce noise. Is 170 necessary? Likely not. This video from Milky Way Mike breaks explains how many photos you should stack and why.

The app isn’t available for Android yet though Webb mentioned he would ‘certainly consider making an Android version depending on how popular this version is.’ One Reddit user pointed out that Star Trails, available on Google Play, could be a decent alternative. Star Stacker is available for $ 1.99 in the App Store for the Mac, iPhone and iPad.

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Get Moving – Four Ways to Create Abstract Light Trail Photography

08 Jul

The post Get Moving – Four Ways to Create Abstract Light Trail Photography appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Megan Kennedy.

Light trail photography is a unique facet of photography. By combining slow shutter speeds with light and camera movement, fascinating abstract photography can be made. Here are four abstract light trail photography techniques to experiment with in your own photographic practice.

What is abstraction?

Before we get started, let’s talk about abstraction. Abstract photography (often called non-objective, experimental or conceptual photography) is photography that does not have an immediate association with the visual world. Instead, abstract photography uses aspects like color, light, texture, shape, and form to evoke an emotional response from a viewer.

Often, in light trail photography, light trails complement a scene or subject. However, in abstract light trail photography, it’s the light trails themselves that are the sole conveyor of meaning. By erasing any other context, the viewer relies solely on the nature of light and photography to read a photograph. This creates intriguing photography that captures and holds the attention of the viewer as they visually unpack the image before them.

When to make abstract light trails

Although it can be done in daylight, abstract light trail photography is best carried out in the evening, at night, or in a dark room indoors. This is to minimize distraction and enhance the efficacy of our chosen light source/s.

What to photograph for abstract light trails

Traffic lights, building lights, car lights, phone light, glow sticks, torches, neon signage… there is an abundance of light sources available to photograph at night. With the right camera settings and technique, almost any point of light can be used to create an interesting light trail.

Camera tossing

Abstract light trail photography rests on the nature of the light source/s (brightness, movement, color etc) and the behavior of the camera (exposure settings, camera movement etc). For example, during a long enough exposure, a set of car lights will leave a trail as they pass by, whereas a stationary light source requires camera movement to activate an abstract light trail. Camera tossing predominantly involves the latter, physically moving the camera to achieve interesting abstract light trail results.

Taken over two seconds at f/4 and ISO 100, this tangle of lights demonstrates the path of the camera as it is tossed in the air.

A disclaimer…

Camera-tossed abstract light trails involve the tossing of a camera into the air during an exposure. Purists argue that a true camera toss means that the camera is tossed without the use of a guiding hand or camera strap. This is why for this method, I strongly advise you to use an old, cheap camera. A compact camera works well. You can even use a phone with a durable case.

I wouldn’t recommend taking your DSLR out for some air-time (although I must admit I did use my 5D MKII with a 50mm lens for some camera tossing sessions). If you aren’t keen on risking your camera, (which is totally understandable) skip forward to camera swinging and keep an eye out for old tossable cameras on sale or in local charity shops.

How to camera toss

The first step to camera tossing is to find somewhere safe to toss. Camera tossing in a quiet location, over grass or carpet is a good idea.

Once you’ve found a good spot with an interesting light source or two, it’s time to organize your camera settings. I went with a shutter speed of one or two seconds to allow the camera movement to really gain traction. I then set my aperture to f/4 and my ISO to 100.

Set your focus to manual. Aim your camera lens at the light source/s and adjust your focus. You can aim for the sharp rendering of the light source/s, or take intentionally unfocused shots for softer light trails.

Depress the shutter button and quickly toss the camera in the air (10-30 cm is high enough, though you can go higher if you’re game). Catch the camera as gently as possible and have a look at your results. Make any amendments to your exposure and have another go.

When you are happy with your exposure and focus, start introducing different throwing methods. Try spinning the camera as you flick it into the air, or throwing it carefully so that the lens is orientated at a particular angle for the duration of the exposure. The results between different throwing techniques can be quite pronounced, so take some time to experiment a little.

Taken at f/8 at 1/4th of a second, I left my lens unfocused to introduce a soft quality to the resulting photograph.

Camera swinging

A variation on camera tossing, camera swinging involves swinging your camera by your (firmly secured) camera strap.

Find a light source and take a few photographs to determine exposure and focus. Just like camera tossing, you want a longer shutter speed to give the camera movement time to take shape. For camera swinging, I started with an exposure of two seconds at f/4 with an ISO of 100.

Once you’ve settled on an exposure, make certain that your camera strap is fastened to your camera. Double-knot, even triple-knot your strap to hold it in place. You really don’t want your camera to go flying once you start swinging.

Two examples of camera swinging. Different light sources make varying light trails.

When you’re ready, depress the shutter button and have a go at gently swinging your camera back and forward like a pendulum. When the exposure finishes, check your results and make adjustments to your camera settings or technique as required.

The possibilities for camera-swung imagery are endless. Each swing creates unrepeatable paths of light from one image to the next, so again, don’t be afraid to experiment a little. Try jumping while swinging your camera or spinning around in a circle with your camera fastened to your wrist.

Moving your body

Not all abstract light trail photography is based around swinging and tossing your camera. Light trails can also be created by moving your body with a camera in hand.

Locate an interesting light source and figure out your exposure with a few test shots. I found that the combination of a one-second exposure at f/4 with an ISO of 100 was a good starting point.

Depress the shutter button and start moving. Ever seen those inflatable tube men, dancing around in the wind? Well, you don’t have to go THAT crazy, but shifting your arms up and down, twirling around, doing a little dance or moving from a sitting position to a standing position are great examples of camera-body movement.

As long as the shutter is open, and the lens is pointed toward a light source, the movements you make will be recorded in the image, creating kinetic abstract imagery.

Moving subjects

As an alternative to moving yourself around, photographing a moving light source can create dynamic light trail imagery too.

Star trail photography is the photography of stars as they appear to transit the night sky. Though it is us that is rotating on earth, the star trails illustrate our perception of the celestial sphere as a moving body.

Car trail photography records the movement of car lights in darkness, revealing trails that trace the routes of traffic in a given setting. For a more abstracted image, isolate the car trails from the surrounding landscape.

Physiography is a method of light painting that can be done in your darkened living room. Suspend a light source on a string and let it swing over your camera during a long exposure. The results are often surprising and intricate, documenting the path of the light source as it swings through the air with diminishing momentum.

This physiogram traces the path a moving light source has taken while suspended over a camera

Burning steel wool photography is another form of recording light trails. Though it can be a little hazardous, the results are quite spectacular.

abstract light trail photography

Burning steel wool leaves golden trails of light not dissimilar to this example of camera movement.

Conclusion

When the day turns to night, many pack up their photography gear and head home. But night time doesn’t necessarily mean that photography is over for the day.

Creating abstract imagery with light is an intriguing aspect of photography. Through the use of camera and/or subject movement you can create fascinating imagery that engages and intrigues an audience.

Go out and try these techniques for yourself, and share your abstract light trail photography with us in the comments below.

 

4 ways to create abstract light trail photography

The post Get Moving – Four Ways to Create Abstract Light Trail Photography appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Megan Kennedy.


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On the trail of the best Texas BBQ with the Sony a7R III

07 May

Sony’s a7R III is a high-resolution flagship camera, and a showcase for some of the company’s most innovative imaging technologies. In addition to 42MP resolution and advanced on-sensor autofocus with face and eye tracking, the a7R III also offers 4K and high-speed HD video capture.

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Photographer Chad Wadsworth has been working with the a7R III and Sony’s FE 24mm F1.4 GM in Texas, on the hunt for the best barbecue in the state. From traditional family-run joints in Lockhart, to the trendy new generation pit-masters of Austin, Chad captured the experience every step of the way. Watch our video for a flavor of the experience, and check out a gallery of his images, above.


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Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Rail to Trail: 12 U.S. Park Projects Reclaiming Urban Infrastructure

10 Oct

[ By SA Rogers in Destinations & Sights & Travel. ]

A whole lot of valuable land in America’s densest urban centers is occupied by the disused and often toxic remnants of neglected infrastructure, industrial complexes and other blight that could be green space instead. Taking inspiration from New York City’s High Line, an elevated linear park along a former New York Central Railroad spur, many cities are transforming urban riverbanks, viaducts, underpasses, freeway structures and even the tops of tunnels into parks, bike paths, pedestrian routes and other public amenities.

11th Street Bridge Park, Washington DC by OMA and OLIN

An aging freeway structure over the Anacostia River in Washington D.C. is set to become the 11th Street Bridge Park, with officials announcing in October 2017 that a design by OMA + OLIN has been chosen. Each ‘lane’ of the bridge is pulled upward toward the middle, crossing each other to form an X shape; the space underneath these overhangs will host a performance area, cafe, plazas and other public functions.

Lowline, New York City, New York by James Ramsey and Daniel Barasch

Complementing New York City’s famous High Line park, a 1.45-mile greenway built on a former New York Central Railroad spur, the subterranean ‘Lowline’ has been given a green light. Set to be the world’s first underground park, it will be tucked into a former trolley terminal in Manhattan’s Lower East Side, with a design by James Ramsey and Daniel Barasch. “The transformation of an old, forgotten trolley terminal into a dynamic cultural space designed for a 21st century city is truly a New York story,” says Barasch. “We know with input from the community and the city, we can make the Lowline a unique, inspiring space that everyone can enjoy.”

The 606, Chicago, Illinois by Collins Engineering, Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates, Frances Whitehead

Chicago converted its abandoned Bloomingdale Rail Line into a 2.7 mile linear park called the 606 (named for the zip code prefix shared by everyone in the city.) The greenway connects four separate neighborhoods and includes a park and trail system with elevated trails for bikers, runners and walkers as well as event spaces and lots of greenery. The project was designed by the firm Frances Whitehead, which approached it as a ‘living work of art,’ demonstrating the vital role that arts play in the fabric of the city.

The Underline, Miami, Florida by James Corner Field Operations

Down in Miami, a stretch beneath an elevated rail line could become ‘The Underline,’ a new public park by James Corner Field Operations, one of the studios behind the High Line in NYC. The 10-mile-long park and urban trail would sit beneath the city’s MetroRail, following an existing bike path called the M-Path, but widening it and adding a parallel pedestrian path that winds through various ecosystems of native plants and habitats for birds and butterflies. Spaces for arts and recreation would be scattered along the way, like pop-up structures and a bike tune-up station.

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Rail To Trail 12 U S Park Projects Reclaiming Urban Infrastructure

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[ By SA Rogers in Destinations & Sights & Travel. ]

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East Coast Greenway: Longest Bike Trail in US to Span 2,900 Miles

30 Dec

[ By WebUrbanist in Destinations & Sights & Travel. ]

east coast greenway

The East Coast Greenway is already a third of the way to completion, and when finished will stretch from Calais, Maine, to Key West, Florida, passing through 16 states and 25 cities along the way.

ecg

Developed by the non-profit East Coast Greenway Alliance, the aim is to provide a continuous and ever-changing set of views and experiences to travelers on foot or in non-motorized vehicles.

east coast trail

Its creators note that the “route has been chosen to provide the traveler with an ever-changing, interesting and scenic landscape, whether urban, suburban, small town, industrial or rural,” accessible to cyclists, walkers, joggers and runners. Along the way, the Greenway also syncs up with public transportation at key spots, allowing easy access and egress for people seeking to pursue one stretch of it or another.

“It’s about seeing America at the right speed, where you can take in all of the culture around you. And you don’t have a windshield between yourself and the community.” While the project has been in the works for years, new funding and permissions gained in the last year have propelled it forward more quickly, helping its facilitators connect the dots along the nearly 3,000-mile route.

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Night Riding: Glowing Blue Bike Trail in Poland Powered by Solar Energy

14 Oct

[ By WebUrbanist in Architecture & Cities & Urbanism. ]

glow-in-the-dark-path

Charged during the day and lighting up at night, this beautiful bicycle trail outside the town of Lidzbark Warmiski is designed to improve safety for riders out after dark.

glowing-night-bike-path

Luminescent phosphor can hold emit light of various colors, but blue was selected to match the surrounding landscape and conjure associations with the sky (the source of the path’s power). Once deployed, the passive system recharges itself, obviating the need for connectivity or continual maintenance.

starry-night-bike-path

Though the technologies behind the effects differ, the path in Poland was inspired in part by the Starry Night bike path created in the Netherlands by Studio Roosegaarde. Both are proofs of concept, tests meant in part to demonstrate the potential and durability of this trail-blazing lighting strategy.

van-gogh-bike-path

Other illumination options were considered, but this glow-in-the-dark approach was deemed both appealing and cost-effective by the Board of Regional Roads. Adjacent pedestrian paths are also bracketed by glowing blue lines and denoted for persons on foot with likewise-illuminated path signage underfoot.

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Field Test: Claire Bangser and the Olympus PEN-F hit the Mississippi Blues Trail

11 Apr

DPReview’s Wenmei Hill and New Orleans-based photographer Claire Bangser recently hit the road with the Olympus PEN-F, visiting historic spots along the Mississippi Blues Trail. If you love the blues or want to learn more about the folks living in the small towns that dot the route, then you’ll enjoy our latest field test. 


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Trail Blazing: ‘Freezeway’ Path for Ice Skaters Opens in Canada

24 Jan

[ By WebUrbanist in Architecture & Cities & Urbanism. ]

freezeway opening canada edmonton

The new Freezeway pilot project now live in Edmonton aims to draw residents out of hibernation, encouraging them to skate along an iced trail system slated to double as a seven-mile commuting corridor.

freezeway frozen pathway

What started as a landscape architecture student’s conceptual project has already become a 1,300-foot ice pathway in winter that also serves as a bike route during the summer.

freezeway pilot program

The vision is well-adapted to the conditions of the city, which faces below-freezing temperatures for up to five months out of the year, and has been nicknamed Deadmonton for its lack of wintertime outdoor activity.

freezeway concept

The opening of the first stretch of Freezeway has been accompanied by a disco-style light show of rainbow colors projected onto the frozen path.

From the designer: “This project is not meant to be a tax payer’s burden. The Freezeway is meant upgrade city infrastructure for a multitude of uses, potentially doing wonders for the redeveloping City’s core, our international reputation, as well as attract investment into the City. The proposed route exists entirely on existing City infrastructure; the land is already secured. The numerous character areas along the route could be developed in phases, lending themselves well to private funding/sponsorship, like Calgary’s GlobalFest, or Vancouver’s Festival of Light fireworks shows, funded by donations of over 1 million dollars annually.”

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5 Advanced Tips for Light Trail Photography

27 May

If you’ve never shot light trails before, start with Darren Rowse’s excellent article How to Shoot Light Trails. Once you’re comfortable with the basics, here are five advanced tips for creating your own unique light trail photography.

1. Go big or go home

Smith 1

You don’t want an image with tiny light trails. You want big, Texas-sized, light trails streaking across the photo. As with any subject, if you want the subject to appear large, get close to it. Exaggerate the effect by using a wide-angle lens. Another way to add a sense of size to a subject is to shoot it from below. Shooting a person from a low point of view makes the person appear larger and more powerful. The same is true with light trails.

Get as low as you can, and as close as you can safely, to the traffic. If you’re shooting along a busy street, place two of your tripod legs barely into the street so that they are resting against the curb. Lower your tripod as far as you can and point it up. By getting as low and close as I could in the Chicago Theatre image (above), the top trails of the bus appear taller than the theatre marquee.

2. Visualize and compose for the light trails

Look at any of the images in this article and picture them without the light trails. You’re left with a boring composition that doesn’t work. When photographing light trails, you need to visualize how the trails will look in the image and compose your image with them in mind.

Treat light trails as if they were a river meandering through your image. You wouldn’t compose the shot so that the river moved straight across your frame, so don’t do it with light trails either. Pay attention to where the trails enter and leave the frame. Your eye will be drawn to the spot in the frame where the cars are beginning as it will have some of the densest and brightest trails. Place this location as you would place a main subject using the rule of thirds. The trails should move across your image and end at either the corners of the frame, or a vanishing point. Place this vanishing point in the opposite third of the frame. If the light trails enter in the lower left, have them end in the upper right. This lends a sense of movement to your composition.

Smith 2

If you can get to the middle of the road with traffic on either side of you, consider going for a perfectly symmetrical shot. You’ll need an interesting subject to go along with the trails, so look for a bridge or interesting buildings on the side of the road. Wait to hit the shutter until you have traffic on both sides of you to create a balanced composition. More importantly, make sure that you’re in a safe position. Stand in the median, or off the street. Never set up in the middle of a busy street.

Smith 3

3. Isolate the light trails from the scene

To create an interesting abstract image of light trails, put yourself in a position where the lights from the cars are the only light source. An expressway overpass is an ideal location. You don’t want any buildings or other light sources in the frame. Find a location where the road takes an interesting path and underexpose the scene so that the only things that appear are the light trails and streetlights.

When you open the photo on your computer, increase the exposure of the light trails while keeping the black areas black. You can increase the exposure of just the trails by increasing the whites slider in Lightroom, lowering the white point, or making an adjustment to the tone curve in Lightroom or Photoshop. You’ll be left with an image that shows only the path of the trails that makes for a unique abstract image.

Smith 4

4

. You don’t need cars for light trails

You can create light trail images at night by shooting anything that is moving and emitting light. If you’re photographing a city like Chicago, you’ll mostly shoot cars and buses, but don’t forget about trains, bikes, horse-drawn carriages, or even a bunch of kids walking by swinging glow sticks. The rules for photographing any of these is the same as with cars, but you’ll be able to shoot them in locations that cars don’t drive, and the trails that they leave are different than your standard cars.

Smith 5

Smith 6

5. Make your own light trails

Who says that you need to stand around and wait for something to drive by? If you’re in a more remote location, set up your tripod, set up a long exposure, use the 10-second delay feature in your camera, jump in the car, and drive around in front of your camera. You can drive in any path that you think might be interesting. Experiment until you find something you like. You’re essentially light painting with your car lights. This technique works even better with a friend. One person drives while the other shoots! Find an empty parking lot or a winding road and make your own light trails.

Smith 7

What do you do to spice up your light trail shots? Have you tried any of these techniques? Tell us in the comments below.

The post 5 Advanced Tips for Light Trail Photography by Chris Smith appeared first on Digital Photography School.


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Save 25% on my eBook and Star Trail Webinar Now Through January 2nd, 2014

01 Jan

New Years Sale

Now through January 2nd at midnight PST you can save 25% on my eBook Photographing the 4th Dimension – Time and my Star Trail Photography webinar. To save 25% instantly use the code SAVE25NY14 when you check out.

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This video course is for photographers of all skill levels interested in expanding their photography and post-production knowledge to make great astronomy landscapes. The course includes 6 hours of instruction and professional tips covering every aspect of star trail photography including gear selection, camera technique, post-processing and more.

Bonus: Receive a FREE copy of the eBookPhotographing the 4th Dimension — Time with your webinar recording purchase.

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GREAT SAVINGS: Photographing the 4th Dimension – Time eBook – BUY THE PDF

No matter your skill level Photographing the 4th Dimension – Time will help you improve your photography and heighten the impact of your photographs by introducing you to numerous slow shutter and video techniques.

  • Learn to create amazing photos using Light Painting & Star Trails techniques
  • Discover how to easily make Time-lapse Videos
  • Transform your photography with motion as Cinemagraphs
  • Avoid time-wasting mistakes and learn insider tips
  • Keep it all with you in the included Field Checklist

Learn More  and Read the Reviews

Copyright Jim M. Goldstein, All Rights Reserved

Save 25% on my eBook and Star Trail Webinar Now Through January 2nd, 2014

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