Night Sky Timelapse Tutorial by Dustin Farrell from Dustin Farrell on Vimeo.

This has to be one of the most epic Timelapse tutorials we’ve ever seen so far. The video focuses on how to achieve great High ISO night sky shots but the techniques  can be applied to any timelapse.

In the Vimeo description Dustin said…

Shooting and processing clean, sharp, noise-free night timelapse scenes is very difficult. I’ve spent hundreds of hours figuring out the recipe for stunning night timelapse images. In this 20 minute tutorial I share with you a majority of the information that I have learned from several years of trial and error of shooting in dark and remote areas.

He also added this additional info on his Planet 5D blog post

Here are a few things not mentioned in the video that you should pay special attention to when trying to shoot the starry skies.

• Exposure times over 30 seconds will begin to result in significant star trails. You can mask these trails by shooting with wider lenses. Keep your exposures at 30 seconds or below if you plan on shooting with 24mm or more.


• You will likely be shooting with a wide aperture so focus is critical. Triple-check your focus.


• Composition can be difficult in the dark. You must take some test photos first. To frame your shot crank your ISO up as high as it will go and use all of your available aperture. This will allow you shorter exposure times while you search for your frame. Yes, I just saved you several minutes of your life.


• A hot camera sensor produces more noise. Try to take it easy on your camera while setting up. Sometimes I turn my camera off for a few minutes before I begin the timelapse. A battery powered fan is not a bad idea.


• Check your histogram. If your levels are buried to the left then you need more exposure. If you have no more exposure, go get a better camera and/or faster lens.


• Drive AWAY from the city. Duh.