Mortal Muses - More Musing: muse university

Saturday, March 12, 2011

muse university - let the light shine!

let the light shine: tips on shooting starbursts

by muses ashley featuring karli from the bonnie 5

I have recently become obsessed with capturing starbursts in my photos. I'd like to think it has something to do with the sun shining more and more each day, and that makes me happy. I first came across this effect several months ago when my friend Karli posted the night image below.

ISO 200, f/14, 6 sec

I quickly learned that this effect is rather easy to achieve, and it all starts with a tiny aperture (I prefer a minimum f-stop of f/20). You can certainly achieve the effect if your aperture is open wider (such as Karli's shot above), but it'll likely have more of a glow rather than big starburst lines.

If you're shooting a night scene, you'll want to use a tripod since your shutter speed will be slower to achieve proper exposure. I also recommend a remote shutter to prevent camera shake.

ISO 125, f/25, 1/160 sec.

During daylight hours, try your best to not to point your camera directly at the sun as it can damage your lens or your eyes. You can do this by partially blocking out the sun with another object such as tree limbs, blinds, or anything else that might provide visual interest.

ISO 800, f/22, 1/160 sec.

You may also try using your hand to block the sun entirely so that you can adjust your settings (if you meter off of the sun, you'll overexpose the shot). Once you're satisfied with your settings, just remove your hand and let the light shine!