Trying a new stacking method really cleaned up my Milky Way shots

I take multiple short exposures instead of one long one. Then I blend them together to cut down on noise and keep the stars sharp.

3 comments

Log in to join the discussion

Log In

3 Comments

eric_price126mo ago

Remember my buddy who tried stacking?

6

jasonflores6mo ago

I usually aim for at least 30 frames for my stacks. The more short exposures you blend, the cleaner the final image gets because the software can really average out all that random sensor noise. It also helps a lot with those satellite trails, since you can just remove the single frames that have them. I use a free program called Sequator for the blending part, it makes the whole process pretty simple. This method completely changed my astro photography game. You get way more detail without the star trailing you'd get from one long shot.

3

mary_ramirez366mo ago

But all that stacking is such a HASSLE compared to one good long exposure. You waste hours blending frames and sometimes the software ruins the natural look. I'd rather get it RIGHT in camera with a solid track and one clean shot.

7