The "Milky Way" test of a boondocking site
I know there are many definitions of boondocking, and that is a good thing. But here is one possible test -- if you are not in a campground and you can see the Milky Way under clear skies, you are re...
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Not much of a trick. You need a tripod, and preferably a digital SLR camera, rather than a point and shoot. That shot was at 3200 ISO for 20 seconds. I set the white balance to auto, which was a mistake. I should have put it on tungsten.
Then you go into Picasa (which is free!!) and gently tweak the exposure to bring out the stars. Don't be intimidated by Picasa -- it is very easy to learn, and it is much easier than Photoshop. I am just getting started with Lightroom, which is sort of Photoshop for the tech impaired. It is very good, but it only works well with "raw" files. I have been shooting jpeg. I am going to start shooting "raw plus jpeg," which saves a copy in both formats.
But let's be honest -- I am far from a pro, and there are literally millions of folks who know more about pictures than I do. So I would not rely on my advice.
Having said that, my very best advice is to go camping more often, in more remote places, and get outside in the early morning, late evening, and night. Taking pictures is kind of like fishing. The more your hook is in the water, the more fish you catch. Out of every hundred pictures I take, maybe one is worth keeping.
Then you go into Picasa (which is free!!) and gently tweak the exposure to bring out the stars. Don't be intimidated by Picasa -- it is very easy to learn, and it is much easier than Photoshop. I am just getting started with Lightroom, which is sort of Photoshop for the tech impaired. It is very good, but it only works well with "raw" files. I have been shooting jpeg. I am going to start shooting "raw plus jpeg," which saves a copy in both formats.
But let's be honest -- I am far from a pro, and there are literally millions of folks who know more about pictures than I do. So I would not rely on my advice.
Having said that, my very best advice is to go camping more often, in more remote places, and get outside in the early morning, late evening, and night. Taking pictures is kind of like fishing. The more your hook is in the water, the more fish you catch. Out of every hundred pictures I take, maybe one is worth keeping.
