Long Exposure Sunset - 2 Second Exposure Samples

[laselvasurf]

Here are a few shots I took last night along the coast.

This is a 2 second exposure. Taken with custom grad ND filter.
DJI_0237 by laselvasurf, on Flickr

This is a 1.3 second exposure. Taken with custom grad ND filter.
DJI_0218 by laselvasurf, on Flickr

Not as long of exposure on this one, I just really liked the colors.
DJI_0142 by laselvasurf, on Flickr

And here is a still shot that is not a long exposure, from the day before. I'm posting this so you can see how the Inspire handles wind. There were 20-30MPH winds with gusts up to 40MPH when I flew.

DJI_0044 by laselvasurf, on Flickr

 

[laselvasurf]

It's a cutout from a full size graduated ND filter. My stock DJI ND filter broke, so I cleaned all the glass out and a friend cut out the other ND filter to just the right size to fit in it's place.

 

[laselvasurf]

Also, for those wondering... The auto return home based on distance and battery % works perfectly.

 

[Jenn348]

Those are really awesome I need to get out for fun shoots more!

 

[The Editor]

Also, for those wondering... The auto return home based on distance and battery % works perfectly.

Can you elaborate on that? What were your low battery/critical levels set at and what was the remaining mAh left in the battery after returning and landing?

Thanks

 

[GizaDog]

Those photos make me want to visit that place. Especially the top photo. Thanks for sharing.

 

[jplayer]

Very nice!!!!
Top 2 seem a wee bit soft BUT in the same token kind of add to the surreal look of the images AND... the fact that the inspire is able to capture a 2 second exp image that has any level of sharpness is just way way way way cool!!!

 

[laselvasurf]

Can you elaborate on that? What were your low battery/critical levels set at and what was the remaining mAh left in the battery after returning and landing?

Thanks

Sure. I have my low warning at 25% and my critical at 10%. I was almost 6000ft out when it warned me. I had 37% battery left. I turned around and floored it back and got back with 25% left. I flew it another minute or so down to 20% and then landed it.

 

[The Editor]

Sure. I have my low warning at 25% and my critical at 10%. I was almost 6000ft out when it warned me. I had 37% battery left. I turned around and floored it back and got back with 25% left. I flew it another minute or so down to 20% and then landed it.

Excellent - Thanks

 

[TonG]

Here are a few shots I took last night along the coast.

These are beautiful photographs especially also from a technical point of view. The gimbal does a great job, holding the camera that steady over a period of 1 to two seconds. I really acts like a tripod in the sky!!

The long exposure quality looks very good but I have the following question; is it possible to make the same pictures (no bracketing) with the same exposure/iso setting (dng offcourse) without the grad. ND-filter and correct the skies later in Photoshop or will the skies completely blown out?
Let me ask this question in a other way. What is the attenuation-difference in "stops" between the top end of the filter and the low end? Let me guess, two stops?? What is the headroom for overexposure for this camera, about a stop?

Ton

 

[laselvasurf]

These are beautiful photographs especially also from a technical point of view. The gimbal does a great job, holding the camera that steady over a period of 1 to two seconds. I really acts like a tripod in the sky!!

The long exposure quality looks very good but I have the following question; is it possible to make the same pictures (no bracketing) with the same exposure/iso setting (dng offcourse) without the grad. ND-filter and correct the skies later in Photoshop or will the skies completely blown out?
Let me ask this question in a other way. What is the attenuation-difference in "stops" between the top end of the filter and the low end? Let me guess, two stops?? What is the headroom for overexposure for this camera, about a stop?

Ton

It's certainly possible to do something similar without the graduated ND filter, but it wouldn't be nearly as clean. If I didn't have the filter, I would shoot two shots with different exposures and then just combine them in photoshop. I am not a fan of HDR shots usually, so I would most like just split the image down the middle and then soften the transition between them. I would say you could get a very similar look, but it wouldn't be same. I try to use practical effects whenever possible as they just always look more natural and give me more room to mess with things in post.

 

[TonG]

It's certainly possible to do something similar without the graduated ND filter, but it wouldn't be nearly as clean. If I didn't have the filter, I would shoot two shots with different exposures and then just combine them in photoshop. I am not a fan of HDR shots usually, so I would most like just split the image down the middle and then soften the transition between them. I would say you could get a very similar look, but it wouldn't be same. I try to use practical effects whenever possible as they just always look more natural and give me more room to mess with things in post.

Thanks for your answer.
I'm also not a fan of HDR-photography.
With a grad filter, which looks beautiful in your photo's, you have to make in advance a choice where to put the horizon in the frame. Up in the air you cannot change it anymore or is it not that critical? I have no practical experience with grad filter. I always fixes these differences in photoshop if the sensor has enough exposure latitude.
I'm still curious about the attenuation difference between the top and bottom of the grad filter and the overexposure headroom in the DNG files.

Ton

 

[laselvasurf]

Thanks for your answer.
I'm also not a fan of HDR-photography.
With a grad filter, which looks beautiful in your photo's, you have to make in advance a choice where to put the horizon in the frame. Up in the air you cannot change it anymore or is it not that critical? I have no practical experience with grad filter. I always fixes these differences in photoshop if the sensor has enough exposure latitude.
I'm still curious about the attenuation difference between the top and bottom of the grad filter and the overexposure headroom in the DNG files.

Ton

You're correct, the grad is fixed. I believe it's a 3 stop ND filter that was cut, so you're looking at 0 ND at the top and 50% in the middle 100% at the top. It's a soft edge, so it's very gradual. There are hard edge NDs as well, but I prefer the soft edge as it leave more flexibility on where to put the horizon. The overexposure headroom in the DNG files is decent. Not as good as my 5D MK3, but not bad considering.

To give you an idea, the sky around the sun was completely blown out in this image originally. I used LR to adjust the highlights down as much as I could and was able to pull quite a bit of detail out of the clouds around the sun.

DJI_0063 by laselvasurf, on Flickr

 

[laselvasurf]

Nice.. I like the softness of the water in the 2 second one.. Where was it taken.

Thank you. It was taken at Davenport beach in northern CA.

 

[laselvasurf]

Here is an 8 second exposure I shot this week. Yes, 8 seconds! My mind is blown at how clear this is.

DJI_0069_8second by laselvasurf, on Flickr

 

[TonG]

Here is an 8 second exposure I shot this week. Yes, 8 seconds! My mind is blown at how clear this is.

Eight seconds and that sharpness! Unbelievable. I'm in need of a new tripod!

Ton

 

[Erik vonBartheld]

Very nice!!!!
Top 2 seem a wee bit soft BUT in the same token kind of add to the surreal look of the images AND... the fact that the inspire is able to capture a 2 second exp image that has any level of sharpness is just way way way way cool!!!

A wee bit soft? They are long exposure. That's the point when you shoot with an ND and hold the shutter with a regular camera. All movement blends into one entire exposure. In this case we have no tripod, the camera is flying in the air - getting tossled by the wind.... motor vibration. To get pics like that after 2 seconds. Epic!!

Bravo. Love the NDF too - just the right shade. I wonder if multiple filters can be layered like a regular DSLR lens.

 

[laselvasurf]

A wee bit soft? They are long exposure. That's the point when you shoot with an ND and hold the shutter with a regular camera. All movement blends into one entire exposure. In this case we have no tripod, the camera is flying in the air - getting tossled by the wind.... motor vibration. To get pics like that after 2 seconds. Epic!!

Bravo. Love the NDF too - just the right shade. I wonder if multiple filters can be layered like a regular DSLR lens.

Thanks! You can't stack filters, the lens is too wide, even with the GND I'm using now, it doesn't screw on as far as the stock and I get a little bit of vignetting. There are all kinds of combo filters in the works though...

 

[Erik vonBartheld]

Thanks! You can't stack filters, the lens is too wide, even with the GND I'm using now, it doesn't screw on as far as the stock and I get a little bit of vignetting. There are all kinds of combo filters in the works though...

Totally makes sense. The wide angle, plus piling glass on top of each other with no hood, you'll definitely get flaring where you probably don't want. Plus the extra weight could throw off the gimbal calibration.

I got some video on mine with the first and only flight before the whole prop lock saga. Short battery run time and being deliberately cautious for the first flight, I didn't get anything all that interesting. I then flew my P2V+ in a similar path right after and the Insp 1 footage blows the doors off the Phantom 2V+. I'm anxious to compare my P2 with goPro 3+ and get a goPro 4.

Someone did a well done split screen view of GoPro 4, GH4 and Inspire 1 on YouTube.. I seriously thought the Inspire 1 - won in daylight clips. They did not do nighttime. I saw GH4 handle night time, lowlight pretty amazingly.

I need to check back on YT for any nighttime I1 posted.

With that said, keep up the great work bro.

 

[Erik vonBartheld]

Here is an 8 second exposure I shot this week. Yes, 8 seconds! My mind is blown at how clear this is.
Well, you just answered my question about lowlight / nighttime shots. WOW 8 seconds!!! That is amazing. Can you give all the camera settings for that shot?
DJI_0069_8second by laselvasurf, on Flickr