kammpascal
FollowThe previous picture which I shot there got so popular so that I decided to return here and shoot this paradise looking scenery again ???? The image is a time b...
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The previous picture which I shot there got so popular so that I decided to return here and shoot this paradise looking scenery again ???? The image is a time blend. The base exposure was shot during blue hour so that I could stop down my lens to f11 for maximum sharpness and depth of field. Then I planned to wait an hour or so shoot the star trails. On the right hand side of the image you can see that the mountain is illuminated by yellow light. This is where the very famous „Staubbachfall“ waterfall drops 297m down! However these days the waterfall does not look that impressive as it barely runs water. However as the light was turned on anyway it was impossible to get a clean image of the night sky. Beside that fog was about to develop making it even more impossible to get any usable shot. I left my tripod with the camera on it and went back to my nearby parked car and waited. According to an information which I found online the light should turn off at 2200. When I stepped out of the car at that time the fog was actually gone however the light was still on. So I decided to wait until the lights would eventually switch off. It happened at 2317…finally! I let the camera run for 50minutes to capture the star trails. When I was done the tripod was frozen on the ground and the camera was covered by a layer of ice accretion! It stayed there for more than 9 hours, however that way I was sure the tripod did not move during the entire time and the blending process in PS was easy to do!
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Peer Award
Absolute Masterpiece
Superb Composition
Outstanding Creativity
Top Choice
Magnificent Capture
Superior Skill
All Star
Virtuoso
Genius
dawnsview
April 19, 2019
Thanks for sharing the information on how you took the photo. It is amazing what photographer will go through the "get the shot", Great job and patience and hope your camera survived the freeze.
randalpair
April 25, 2019
Great image. Thanks for detailed explanation. You must have had a GREAT battery in your camera - mine always go flat when the temp drops below freezing.
joybello
May 31, 2019
Wow!! Amazing shot!! And thanks for sharing the story behind it. You had some amazing patience to wait that long! I hope your camera is still working!
marzenego
December 19, 2020
This piece of art proves your high levels of determination, perseverance, talent and passion for photography. Bravissimo, Pascal !
Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Behind The Lens
Location
I took this photo in a small town called "Lauterbrunnen" in Switzerland from one of my favourite viewpoints.Time
The foreground was shot during evening blue hour to get as much detail as possible in the shadows. Then I let the tripod with the camera on it standing in the exact same position and headed back to my car where I waited for a couple of hours until the night rolled in and all the stars popped out in the sky. Then I headed back to my camera and set the interval function to shoot 100 exposures of the stars so that I could later merge them in post processing for the final star trails.Lighting
The foreground and the stars were captured during various times of the day for the best possible image quality. There is still detail in the shadows as well as in the highlights.Equipment
Canon 5DIII Canon 16-35mm f/2.8 L II Really Right Stuff TVC-33S tripodInspiration
This is a very magical place and tons of tourists visit there every year. Therefore there are so many images of this famous spot around in the internet. Rarely I see one with stars in it so I wanted to create something special and combine this often photographed place with a starry sky to give it a special look.Editing
Firstly I blended those 100 30s exposures together so create the star trail effect. Then I blended in the evening blue hour shot to increase quality and detail in the foreground of the image. Last but not least I increased the contrast of the blended image, created a vignette and also tweaked the colours a little bit until I was happy with it.In my camera bag
Canon 5DIV Canon 16-35mm f/2.8 L II Sigma 24mm f/1.4 Canon 70-200mm f/2.8 L II Really Right Stuff TVC-33S tripod Really Right Stuff BH-55 ball head Lots of spare LP-E6N batteriesFeedback
Just think outside of the box and try to create something special instead of just copy other images. Try different angles or times of the day/night, try different focal lengths. Do not hesitate to use several images and blend them together if it increases the quality of the image. Be sure though to mention it. Be patient and stay in a place for a longer time and observe how the light, the shadows and the whole scenery changes over time. Try to capture all of the various moods and then later in post processing chose which one you like most.