Light trail time exposure firefly photos on iPhone

Wondering how to take time exposure light trail photos of fireflies on an iPhone? Try the app Slow Shutter Cam () in light trail mode, sensitivity all the way up, and use Apple headphones with (+) volume button as a remove shutter. I used a tripod with Glif adapter for these, but you can also use a makeshift binder clip tripod adapter as long as you don't have a lot of wind.

Several minute exposure in twilight

I noticed most of the fireflies fly UP as they light up, forming little commas

Fireflies and fireworks on the 4th of July

Had the tripod up high to look down on the fireflies. Viewing side-on you lose a lot of depth and viewing up they are lost against the sky.

Photos from museum exhibit 'Star Wars: Where Science Meets Imagination'

Well these photos aren't really night sky related, but who cares! It's Star Wars! This exhibit came to the Indiana State Museum, which is walking distance from my office. I got Chris to take me today after getting coffee with our new friend Drew.

The costumes looked like costumes, which I suppose is a credit to the lighting and special effects teams who made the movies into more than actors on a sound stage. The original storm troopers had black elastic holding them together, it was really amazing how "normal" some of the stuff looks off camera, away from the magic. The hand-painted models were the most impressive. It's amazing the amount of work put into something used in a handful of close up shots. 

Me hanging out with the original Yoda, ear hair and all

The original Darth Vader costume. This really hits home how low budget the first movie was, and how rectangular future gadgets were supposed to be. The black leather is showing its age as well.

Amazing detail covering every square inch of the Millennium Falcon

Large hand-painted model of the Millennium Falcon, about 4 feet across in immaculate detail

Hi little guy!

The original Chewbacca costume!

These two! Props? Costumes? Both?

Luke's X-Wing with great detail

My favorite piece in the exhibit. The actual original Yoda puppet!

Roger, roger!

This star destroyer was about 3 feet long, amazing detail!

Various air traffic light trails

We don't have fireflies here in Brownsburg, but we have an airport pretty close by and like 5 hospitals with careflight helicopters - so it makes for an interesting and busy night sky. I took this with my point and shoot, which is why there are big gaps between the trails. Max exposure time is 15 sec and it takes like 10 sec to process before the shutter opens again.

Stacked in StarStaX, each at ISO 400, 15 sec

My favorite is the one that bobs up and down, I'm pretty sure that was a helicopter. I'm gonna try again on Sunday night when there should be tons of air traffic with people coming back from weekend activities.

Drat! Checker-board JPG image compression artifact strikes again. Huf! Here is the PNG version:

94% Waning Gibbous is the Missing Piece in my Moonsterpiece Moon Phase Composite!

My several month Moonsterpiece photo composite is complete! I've been working on this beast since February, slowly adding to my waxing phase collection, and eventually capturing all but one for several tantalizing cycles!

Victory was inevitably mine, however, as I was able to capture last week's 94% waning gibbous moon high above the haze at 3:59am on June 25, 2013.

It feeeeeels soooo gooooooood! Click to enlarge

The elusive final piece, captured in 30 subs at f/5.6, 1/500s, ISO 100, 300mm

Now off to the printers! I'm totally making my composite into a print for my office wall.

iPhone Lightning Photos with Slow Shutter Cam App

I haven't found an easier way to photograph lightning than with Slow Shutter Cam () for iPhone. With a live exposure view, you can see what the final product looks like before closing the shutter. In light trail mode, it's just amazing. I wish my DSLR had this feature. The background is never over-exposed, it's like the app is just selecting the brightest pixel from a series of photos or video. With a DSLR, I'd imagine the entire scene continues to get brighter and brighter as you keep the shutter open - making bulb mode lightning exposures tricky.

Got lucky with this one! My favorite of the night.

I had my iPhone in my Glif tripod mount.

I used my Apple headphones with (+) volume button as a remote shutter release.

Several lightning strikes within the clouds

Storm rolling in from the NW