Spring Mountains November Time Lapse 4

The Spring Mountains November Time Lapse 4 video features dramatic cloud activity, colorful sunsets and strange high desert night sky scenes. The first Pacific northwest cold front usually moves through the desert southwest this time of year and these winter weather systems bring interesting cloud formations. The November air is cold enough to crystalize water vapor in the mountainous high elevations and the clouds can look close enough to reach with bare hands. The lunar cycle also changes this time of year and the Milky Way becomes nearly impossible to see with the naked eye after sunset. The bright moonlight after sunset does enhance the night-scape scenery, which is something to keep in mind when planning an evening outing. 

The local wild horses make an appearance once again at the 4:27 and 10:19 minute marks. Keep in mind that I often use ultra wide to medium telephoto focal lengths, so the wild horses will look like tiny dots in the picture frame. Even so, it is interesting to watch them dart around during a time lapse video. This video is high resolution 4K, so it can be expanded for a better view without losing details.

There was a full moon rising in some of the night sky scenes, which has a way of making the starlit dark skies vanish. Recently I have been filming holy grail videos in program mode, so predicting what ISO settings will be needed later after dark is part of the game. After a while it becomes intuitive when using ƒ/2.8 lenses and a camera that has a traditional sensor. However, when using the new sharp wide open ƒ/1.8 lenses with a back-lit mirrorless camera sensor, the experience compares to breaking new ground. Seeking advice for ISO settings will likely lead to a dead end. The ISO settings have to be precise when using equipment that is much more sensitive, because overexposure at moderate ISO settings will be a problem even on a jet black night.

Every video clip in the Spring Mountains November series actually was processed inside 2 mirrorless cameras with the time lapse video function. No RAW image post processing was involved. Only a few minor video software edits were employed when assembling the film timeline. For those who are unaware, mirrorless camera technology is progressing quickly. Now it is possible to film a fully automated holy grail 4K time lapse video and process it inside the camera, which was practically unheard of only a few years ago. 

After many years of staring at a computer screen, I definitely am going with progress and demanding better video processing performance inside mirrorless cameras by manufacturers. Honestly, a consumer should not spend a ton of hard earned cash on a new camera just to end up only using the basic camera functions while ignoring the rest. Not using the onboard processing features does mean having to spend endless hours post processing RAW image files, which simply is not feasible for busy people. 

My recent time lapse videos show examples of day to night scenes that a modestly priced mirrorless camera can produce on its own. It is easy to see that this is the start of a new age of time lapse photography, which is guaranteed to be far less time consuming than the past!
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