Tackling Timelapse Troubles: Noise, Streaking, and Shadowing in Night Sky Photography
Capturing the vastness of the night sky in a timelapse is a captivating endeavor, but as many budding astrophotographers discover, it's often riddled with technical challenges. My second attempt at creating a night sky timelapse, using a Sony A7 with a vintage 27mm Canon prime lens, certainly presented its share of hurdles.
The Issues at Hand
Upon reviewing the final output, I noticed several common problems that detract from the overall quality of the timelapse:
- Noise: The images are exhibiting a noticeable amount of digital noise, particularly in the darker areas of the frame. This can be a persistent issue in low-light photography.
- Streaking: There's about a second of noticeable streaking in the sequence, which can be caused by a few factors, including camera movement between exposures or improper intervalometer settings.
- Shadowing: Shadows are appearing from what seem to be keyframes, creating an undesirable visual artifact that disrupts the smooth flow of the timelapse.
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Current Workflow and Limitations
My current editing setup is quite limited due to budget constraints. For processing, I've been using Lightroom to quickly edit and convert the RAW files to JPEGs. Then, I've been using a mobile app called 'Timelapse Video' to stack the images and create the final video.
Seeking Guidance
I'm eager to improve my technique and would greatly appreciate any advice or insights from the community on how to address these issues. Given my current limitations, I'm looking for practical solutions that don't necessarily require expensive, specialized software or equipment just yet.
What are your go-to methods for reducing noise in low-light timelapses? Have you encountered similar streaking or shadowing problems, and if so, how did you resolve them? Any tips on optimizing the intervalometer settings or post-processing techniques would be invaluable.
Let me know what you think, and thanks in advance for your help!
