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Warning: My star trail photos keep coming out blurry no matter what I try
I spent hours last night trying to capture clean star trails in my backyard. I used a sturdy tripod and set my camera for a long exposure. But every single shot has these weird, jagged lines instead of smooth arcs. I've read all the guides online and followed them to the letter. It's driving me crazy because I see other people's photos that look perfect. What am I missing here? Is there some secret trick I don't know about?
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amyk927mo ago
Hey, have you checked if your tripod legs are sinking into soft ground? Even a tiny shift over hours can mess up the trails.
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parkera617mo ago
Remember my buddy shooting the comet last year? He set up on a beach. Looked solid. Five hours later, his star lines looked like little stairs. Totally jagged. We checked the tripod feet. They'd sunk a good inch into the sand. That tiny drop was enough to ruin the whole set. He was so mad. Now he always puts his tripod feet on small plates or his lens caps.
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gracet227mo ago
Honestly it sounds like you're overthinking this lol. A little jaggedness in star trails is pretty normal, not some huge failure. I've seen way worse from people who didn't even use a tripod.
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