Spent a weekend in the hills for star trails, now I'm debating travel vs. local.

I drove to a quiet hill area to take pictures of star trails. The photos came out sharp with no light around. But a friend gets nice shots from his town using computer programs. I like the trip, but it takes time and gas. How do you pick between travel and staying near for astronomy photos?

4 comments

4 Comments

the_caleb1mo ago

What's more important to you, the process or the final photo? I used to chase perfect shots too, but I realized I enjoy the drive and quiet nights more. Now I only skip the trip if I'm really pressed for time, lol.

nora_murphy1mo ago

My old Meade telescope in the backyard gets used more than my passport these days. Sometimes the local sky is plenty good if the goal is just to practice or clear your head. I save the big trips for when I really want the whole adventure, not just the picture.

luna_murray991mo ago

Seriously, I chased big trips too, but now I get that same buzz in my backyard.

sarah_torres201mo ago

Try to overthink it like I did and you'll end up with a hard drive full of blurry local shots and a bank account drained from gas money. I drove two hours once only for clouds to roll in, so now I just go local unless I really need to escape my own wifi for a night. The pics from my roof are never as good, but at least my cat keeps me company.