Help with this image please

ethan · 13 Feb 2016 at 21:12

Hi. can anybody give me some help with this image please. It was the first attempt to take a picture of the Milky Way and for some strange reason I cannot figure out where the orange tint came from? I used my Sony Rx100 MK2: F1.8. Iso 1600 with a SS of 25 seconds.

{SAS}TB · 13 Feb 2016 at 21:39

Any chance it could be light pollution ?

ethan · 13 Feb 2016 at 21:52

There was nothing orange visible that I could see but did wonder if the camera was picking up some residue from some street lighting some four to five miles away. Tungsten lighting apparently gives off an orange tint. Unfortunately I wasn't able to take the shot again in a different area as it rained, so until I can try again I will still be left wondering whether or not it might be the camera?

{SAS}TB · 13 Feb 2016 at 22:00

I would go with light pollution especially if you haven't noticed it on other pictures ?

Also (and I appreciate this is t the long) I'm sure you could get rid of the orange tinge in PP

Orange glow aside - nice image

ethan · 13 Feb 2016 at 22:08

Thanks

Clum · 13 Feb 2016 at 23:32

Aliens

Amp34 · 14 Feb 2016 at 04:21

Yep, it's almost certainly light pollution from street lamps. You get the same in the middle of Dartmoor miles from Plymouth. You don't see the light but the camera amplifies it, along with all the rest of the light.

The only solution is to get away from street lamps even more, which basically means deepest darkest Cornwall, Wales or Scotland. Alternatively use it to your advantage and make it a feature.

uv · 14 Feb 2016 at 10:55

definitely light pollution - you can lessen it somewhat by exposing to the right and then bringing exposure down in PP. I'm actually amazed you didn't start getting trails at 25 seconds!

Cern · 14 Feb 2016 at 11:39

As others have said, it's almost certainly light pollution from street lamps. Hard to keep away from them in most of the UK of course. If the light pollution is below you (i.e. you're up a hill) you might be able to prevent some of it with a lens hood.

Alternatively, use Photoshop to 'Content Aware' fill the orange section with replacement stars and no-one will ever know ... well other than Tim Peake and the Stargazing Live audience

ethan · 14 Feb 2016 at 19:46

uv said:
definitely light pollution - you can lessen it somewhat by exposing to the right and then bringing exposure down in PP. I'm actually amazed you didn't start getting trails at 25 seconds!

For some reason I thought star trails would have been borderline @ f1. 8 25 secs? My second shot was ruined by the pulsating lights from a jumbo jet.