Never let anybody convince you that it is only possible to take decent star trail images many miles away from any light pollution. This was taken in my back garden in a medium sized town though it is on the edge of town. As long as there is no street light directly in the field of view the Camera can see and record stars.

I took a few similar pictures a few years ago but since then neighbours have removed a very tall hedge which has increased the star view a lot so I wanted to try it again

This was 2 hour worth of 40 second shots so 180images. These were later combined in Startrails.exe. I first composed and found the North Star with the Google Sky Map App. The camera was set to manual, aperture f4, ISO 800. White Balance sunny and shutter speed set to Bulb. Length of shutter speed was set in the timer shutter release. Then I set the camera to continuous mode. It is very important to turn off all long exposure and high ISO noise reduction to avoid increasing the gap between exposures. The remote timer shutter release I use for star trails sets the delay until the sequence starts, the number of shots and the interval between shots (set at a second) and the exposure time. The versions to fit Canon and Nikon are only £12 and I have a full review on my website at http://edwinjonesphotography.com/blog/2012/5/timer-interval-remote-review

I used a Sony A700 with a Sigma 10-20 lens at 10m. I also used a product called LensMuff by Kevin Adams in North Carolina which has pockets for chemical handwarmers and fits round the lens with built in Velcro. This avoids the ever present risk of condensation forming on the lens as it cools and spoiling the shot.

This was a really easy way to do Star Trails shot I with no boring and cold waiting. Just set up, set the sequence going with the remote and then I went inside to the warmth and watched telly.