|
Stick with RAW. You have far greater exposure latitude and flexibility with fixing the files if they're under-/over-exposed. Not to mention fixing white balance -- white balance can potentially set the tone of your image from being cold and stark to warm and inviting.
If all the image(s) are ever going to be used for are web resolution (i.e., not for printing), then, downsize them to 1280x on the longest edge (or, whatever you prefer) and then output as 16-bit TIFFs.
I don't see there being any other way around the gradient in the trees, than to blend in your trails image with a static image of the foreground.
Try not to leave more than a 2 second gap between exposures. The length of your exposure is going to be dependant upon how bright the sky is, the phase of the Moon and local light pollution. Ideally, you want an image that peaks somewhere between 1/3rd to 1/2-way across the x-axis of the histogram when reviewing the image on your camera's LCD.
Hope that helps.
H
|