GoodMorphing

Join Date 03/2002

A photography question

I got a digital camera awhile ago. The other night I was out at the beach experimenting with it. I took this shot ( http://goodmorphing.wincustomize.com/photos.aspx?a=1&p=18&view=full ) which at first glance seemed like the moon. But the moon is not in full phase now. I enlarged that section and whatever it is seems to have something orbiting it. Also, it is a very 'happy faced' moon. I know from working with film I can kink the film as I wind it, or leave a bubble, or drop some dust during the development process.. but can a digital camera produce some artifact?

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Island Dog

Join Date 06/2003

+1048

My digital camera has before. I noticed when I have taken pictures of the night sky, that stars will show up that I didn't necessarily see.

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GoodMorphing

Join Date 03/2002

Yeah... I noticed the camera was showing me more detail than I normally see... but a whole out-of-phase moon? I thought it might be something on the lens but none of the other images had that. The other thing I thought was that maybe someone was teasing me with a laser toy... could that be possible?

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Wow, looks eerie, WHAT do you think it is?

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GoodMorphing

Join Date 03/2002

some glitch that I don't want to happen any more.... my guess is dust.

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In digital you don't have dust, although grain still shows up in low light, but what you have to watch for in digital photos is called "noise". But that isn't noise, it's too big to be. Noise is pixel per pixel, not a group like that. Maybe it was just a brighter star? It looks like you had a long shutter speed on which could have picked it up, but makes ya wonder where the other stars are or if this one would just be that much brighter?

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GoodMorphing

Join Date 03/2002

I know what you mean by grain... I was kind of surprised at that.

Do you remember a device for cameras that was like a long wire with a syringe in the end that screwed into the shutter? I was hoping to find the same kind of thing for the digital camera, I have a habit of moving the camera when I click. And I wondered if it is as good an idea to keep a polarizing lens on for protection as it was with the old camera?

thanks for your opinions.

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GoodMorphing

Join Date 03/2002

Maybe it was just a brighter star? It looks like you had a long shutter speed on which could have picked it up, but makes ya wonder where the other stars are or if this one would just be that much brighter

I thought the same for a moment... but there is the other object. Yeah, it was a timed shot with probably a long shutter speed and there was wind.

What causes noise?

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GoodMorphing

Join Date 03/2002

OH... maybe because of the long shutter speed, it picked up the dark part of the crescent moon? that kind of explains it.

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OH... maybe because of the long shutter speed, it picked up the dark part of the crescent moon?

yeah, the longer speed allows more light in.

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I think the word you're looking for is "cable release" on the wire that would trip the shutter. Noise is mostly caused from the same thing as grain, too little light, or at least that's where you'll usually see it pop up. It generally will just be one pixel, and if there's more than one they usually aren't together. But what actually causes it I semi forgot, something when surrounding pixels change and record they by some means affect another one and usually turns it white.

A trick I use a lot on steadying the cam is to use string. The base of your camera has the screwhole attachment for a tripod, what you do is get a good solid piece of yarn or kite string perhaps, tie one end of the string onto a screw that will fit into the camera. So in effect you'll just be simply attaching the string by screwing it into the tripod mount hole. Then you step on the other end, and the amount of tension from that will greatly steady the camera, then when you don't need it, unattach it and put it in your pocket. Most easy thing to carry around and might help you a good bit.

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GoodMorphing

Join Date 03/2002

I was all ready to relax with that solution, but then I went back and looked at all of the pictures i took in that location... not much changed but position. It isn't there in any of them. Of course, a cloud could have momentarily occluded it on all but one shot. But I guess since they were all automatic shots the camera could have had a longer shutter speed for that one shot.

thanks!

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GoodMorphing

Join Date 03/2002

A trick I use a lot on steadying the cam is to use string. The base of your camera has the screwhole attachment for a tripod, what you do is get a good solid piece of yarn or kite string perhaps, tie one end of the string onto a screw that will fit into the camera.

I'll try that. I have a little tripod but it is frustrating to use. It was a very cheap one. Even the wind was causing it to shake. Thanks

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It appears to be a lens flare from off camera somwhere. A bright flash somwhere else, a reflection, or even just the angle of the camera may have caused it.

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Send it to Nassa GM it looks like a new planet to me

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What the hell is a 'Nassa'.....?

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NASA,
You pedantic ......I'll stop now old son.

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starkers

Join Date 05/2004

+1153

I don't know it there's any connection here, but I saw a documentary regarding the 1969 moon landing, and how many sceptics took anomalies in some of the moon shots to try disproving it. Some of the photography shown had objects which were not visible to the naked eye, but also there were objects that could be seen by the naked eye which were absent in the shots. According to the various experts interviewed, these anomalies are common when photographing the night sky, with or without varying atmospheric conditions being a factor.

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Gotta say it.
"aliens"

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starkers

Join Date 05/2004

+1153

Gotta say it.
"aliens"

Well you'd have the low down on that.....didn't you say someplace else that some ET's had just left your joint for warmer weather.

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TYCUS

Join Date 09/2004

+43

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GoodMorphing

Join Date 03/2002

It appears to be a lens flare from off camera somwhere. A bright flash somwhere else, a reflection, or even just the angle of the camera may have caused it.

I've been wondering if it wasn't one of those airport searchlight things... usually you can see the path from the point of origin up, but I was standing with that area almost exactly behind me. In that case and with the ambient city lights, perhaps the path blended in?

According to the various experts interviewed, these anomalies are common when photographing the night sky, with or without varying atmospheric conditions being a factor.

That makes me feel less like a lunatic... thanks!

Ande... if it is a planet and I found it, that would make me quite rich? But if NASA got wind of it maybe not... Maybe I should keep my wealth a secret.

disregard my personal icon.. I lost mine while I was updating my desktop... I'll replace it when I can find a copy.

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starkers

Join Date 05/2004

+1153

Goodmorphing...can't be too sure with the limited screen magnification I have, but it looks like someone on the international spacestation forgot to turn off the outide light after taking the garbage out

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Fuzzy Logic

Join Date 05/2002

+493

Some digital cameras can have 'hot pixels' which show up as white dots. Could be what the small image is.

The large image could be flare, could also be an illuminated dust spot on the lens... it does appear to be out of focus.

I have noticed all your horizons slope from right to left. Do you have a natural lean to the left? Could be that stash of chocolate weighing you down, I'm afraid I'll have to confiscate it... for the sake of your photography of course...

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Lantec

Join Date 07/2003

+346

No one else mentioned it so I will, it could be a gnat or some other item actually on the lens itself. It actually looks like it might be a small drop of water. One the main problems I have with my Digital has to do with temperature differences between indoors and outdoors combined with humid air. I always let the camera sit for 20 minutes or so before I try to use it and always check the lens for "fog"

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GoodMorphing

Join Date 03/2002

Starkers... well then. I got the goods on them... wonder how much they would be willing to pay to cover up the extra terrestrial littering fee?

hehe.. I've noticed that too fuzzy. I have a hard time feeling comfortable with the tripod. I am looking forward to trying that string trick.

I was about asleep when I smelled smoke... a big fire only about a block away from the house that burned down three times already. This is one picture I got. By the time I got dressed and batteries in my camera.. the fire was a lot less dramatic.

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