Night Motion Timelapse: Outer Banks on Vimeo

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22. Daniel Lowe Fall 2011 timelapse reel

by Daniel Dragon Films

4 months ago

21. 2011 Chronos Film Festival promo

by Daniel Dragon Films

4 months ago

20. Southeast September Timelapses

by Daniel Dragon Films

4 months ago

19. LAAFF raw: Johnnycakes street performance

by Daniel Dragon Films

5 months ago

18. a Day Without Rain (polarizer cloud timelapse)

by Daniel Dragon Films

6 months ago

17. NMT:Outer Banks (HQ MOV/94)

by Daniel Dragon Films

7 months ago

16. Tattooed Beauty: APG Burlesque

by Daniel Dragon Films

7 months ago

15. Night Motion Timelapse: Outer Banks

by Daniel Dragon Films

8 months ago

14. Preview - Night Motion Timelapse: Outer Banks

by Daniel Dragon Films

9 months ago

13. Tuesday Night Model Shoot w/APG

by Daniel Dragon Films

11 months ago

12. Supermoon Rising - 300mm timelapse

by Daniel Dragon Films

11 months ago

11. Crabtree Falls/Skyline Drive (HQ moco timelapse)

by Daniel Dragon Films

11 months ago

10. Destin Sunrise (motion timelapse)

by Daniel Dragon Films

1 year ago

9. Lunacy:Chasing the Moon (HQ night timelapse)

by Daniel Dragon Films

1 year ago

8. Eye of the Beholder (summer 2010 timelapse reel)

by Daniel Dragon Films

1 year ago

7. Fairfield Foundation @ Edge Hill Service Station

by Daniel Dragon Films

1 year ago

6. How-to:Back Seat Bungie Time-Lapse

by Daniel Dragon Films

1 year ago

5. "Long Time" BigNic

by Daniel Dragon Films

1 year ago

4. Life of Romeo the Cat

by Daniel Dragon Films

1 year ago

3. All Stars, All Night

by Daniel Dragon Films

1 year ago

2. Jamestown Glass House:Brick in the Furnace

by Daniel Dragon Films

2 years ago

1. Seven Days at Jensen Beach:Split-Screen Project

by Daniel Dragon Films

2 years ago

Blog on the making of this film:

blog.planet5d.com/2011/06/daniel-dragon-shares-his-lessons-in-timelapse-with-night-motion-timelapse-outer-banks/

Or

danieldragonfilms.com/bts-making-of-night-motion-timelapse-outerbanks-planet5d.html

This version is an 36Mbps / MP4 file.

Highest Quality version here, uploaded as a 94% Photo-JPEG Quicktime MOV file

vimeo.com/26029525

Updated 7/5/2011 with better sound.

still prints and postcards of my work available here
fineartamerica.com/profiles/daniel-lowe.html

Email my work address if you would like to request any specific scene as a still.

Included are two shots of the Stumpy Point wildfire that was burning in eastern North Carolina, U.S.

The lighthouse is Hatteras Lighthouse, the tallest in North America.

The light streaks you see in the Milky Way shots are shooting stars, no airplanes this time. Shooting stars & meteors happen all the time all over planet Earth; you can't see them except in the darkest skies. Especially look for them right before dawn (in the film & real life), they seem to increase in frequency at that time.

Camera Gear:
Canon 5DmkII (one BTS w/Canon 7D & 16-35mm)
Canon 24mm f/1.4 lens rented from BorrowLenses.com
Canon 16-35mm f/2.8 II-L lens
Tiffen 77mm & 85mm UV filters (vital for lens protection from salt, sand, and moisture)
Pearstone ShutterBoss remote timer
Bescor 40W basic LED on-camera light (mounted on its own tripod, w/ fabric dimmer)

Motion Control:
MX2 controller from dynamicperception.com
Orion Teletrack AZ-G telescope pan/tilt mount from
telescope.com/catalog/search.cmd?form_state=searchForm&keyword=teletrack
(Orion controlled with MX2 unit and custom interface cable)
Dynamic Perception Stage Zero 6 ft. motion control dolly
2 Aluratek ADMPFB100 external battery packs
Manfrotto 460MG 3D Magnesium Head
Manfrotto quick release plate used w/Orion
Universal Ball Head

All photo gear purchased from bhphotovideo.com

Featured on:
blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2011/06/15/time-lapse-video-from-north-carolina-to-the-galactic-center/

gizmodo.com/5811780/this-outer-banks-timelapse-makes-me-want-to-north-carolina-right-now

10minutesaperdre.fr/2011/07/03/night-motion-timelapse-outer-banks/

malgusto.com/videos-curiosos/outer-banks-un-timelapse-nocturno/

neatorama.com/2011/06/16/timelapse-outer-banks/

wtkr.com/news/wtkr-amazing-time-lapse-video-of-the-night-sky-over-the-outer-banks-20110616,0,3823395.htmlstory

geek.com/articles/geek-cetera/time-lapse-video-captures-stumpy-point-wildfire-in-north-carolinas-outer-banks-20110613/

landscapephotographymagazine.com/2011/night-motion-timelapse-outer-banks/

thebluemask.com/blog/2011/07/new-time-lapse-video-featuring-my-music-outpost-31/
_____________________________
DanielDragonFilms.com
twitter.com/Daniel_Dragon

Credits

Daniel Dragon Films
Cinematographer, Editor, Design
Dynamic Perception
motion control gear
Simon Wilkinson
music: "Outpost 31" available from http://theBlueMask.com

1,214 Likes

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Dustin Farrell 8 months ago

Well played. My favorites: 2:20 and 2:50. 2:50 is spectacular! The through the sunroof shot is wicked too. Love the lighthouse stuff.

Kick ass Daniel. Keep em' comin'.
Daniel Dragon Films 8 months ago

I'm glad you had a chance to see this right away. Thanks man. I challenged myself to use my imagination after all the great work we've seen lately.
Eric Hines 8 months ago

Oh man, so good. Seriously excellent work. The move through the sunroof was very clever. The driving timelapse was perfect, too. Looks like your hard work and long days have paid off, my friend. Glad you picked that track, too. They blended amazing. Congrats, Daniel.
Daniel Dragon Films 8 months ago

Thanks again, Eric. I had to pull off some tricks with a Universal Ball Head in order to get my camera and the dolly to fit through the sunroof. The lens clears by about 10mm. I was sitting there thinking, "this could be great, but some of these stills will be ugly!"

I did shoot one entire night of test footage in my car before I got this right. It had both my car and the stars out of focus, so was unusable.
Josh Lloyd 8 months ago

How unfortunate!..Must have been frustrating early on:~).
Daniel Dragon Films 8 months ago

It wasn't the first time. I'm sure it won't be the last. I swear, focus check is the thing I forget the most, but these days about 60% of my shots turn out to be keepers. That's not really too bad.
Tom Scott 3 weeks ago

Epic Time Lapse | California Daylight on Vimeo! vimeo.com/user7499655/california-daylight-time-lapse
Rafael Asquith 8 months ago

Wow Daniel, amazing shots man :)
Daniel Dragon Films 8 months ago

Rafael, I love your work in Vienna. Thank you for the compliments.
Brad Kremer 8 months ago

Great stuff Daniel! Let's get out and shoot some together soon!
Daniel Dragon Films 8 months ago

I'm all for that, Brad, love your work.

If any of you reading this have not seen Brad's epic timelapse reel of Japan, it is a truly soul-stirring piece. It's also where I first realized how powerful a simple panning shot could be, when properly framed.

vimeo.com/12112529
Ben 8 months ago

Wonderful timelapse Daniel! Added to vimeo.com/channels/hdtime and vimeo.com/channels/1341
Daniel Dragon Films 8 months ago

Thanks, Ben! I worked very hard on this... my goal was to make every shot a "wow" shot.
Ben 8 months ago

You did !! And Wow so many likes already in one day! Congratulations Daniel!
Daniel Dragon Films 8 months ago

Thanks, Ben. I think there's something seductive about a well-done astrophotography piece that just about everyone enjoys.. that is how I got hooked on doing these!
Graham Gaunt 8 months ago

Good stuff - Very nice 00:17 amazing.

What makes this video special for me is the almost endless night, or Nights its as if we the viewers are being dragged into the dark, and I love the repetition of the milky-way, the lighthouse sequence really helps this idea flashing out its seemingly insignificant yet crucial message.
Daniel Dragon Films 8 months ago

Graham, thanks for a such a nice compliment, and for being a Mod on my HD Nature Shorts channel vimeo.com/channels/hdnatureshorts
Richard Bentley 8 months ago

2.49 lighthouse is my favourite shot, closely followed by 3.00 sliding up from the car out of the sunroof by the looks of it - great idea. It seems much longer than the 3.58 running time and has a truly epic feel about it. Inspired!
Richard Bentley 8 months ago

Forgot to add, loving the stage 2 work as well. I have my eyes set on one in the near future and almost feel working without one now is simply 'little league' ;-)
Daniel Dragon Films 8 months ago

Thank you for the compliments and for watching.

I actually left out about half a dozen shots that were not quite as good as these.
MILapse 8 months ago

Excellent work Daniel! Thought 2:50 was very striking as well. Lots of patience here. =)
Daniel Dragon Films 8 months ago

Thanks! This never would have been possible without the robust, affordable products from dynamicperception. ;-)
The Upthink Lab 8 months ago

Fantastic work Daniel. I'm pleased to see your impressive North Carolina OB astro time-lapse. I just got back from experimenting with some infrared Milky Way sequences inland on the Appalachian Trail in NC (sans all the moco gear). North Carolina is the spot to be for decent dark sky in the SE. Keep up the good work, it gets better each time!
Josh Lloyd 8 months ago

Let us know when your up this way. We've discovered some untouched secrets in the Smokies and the Blue Ridge. Could make for an epic encounter!
Josh Lloyd 8 months ago

PS: There is a place called, "The road to no where" out near Bryson City. It's incredible & supposedly haunted!
Daniel Dragon Films 8 months ago

I will totally take you up on this. Remind me if you see me tweeting or on FB and I forget to say something to you. It will be some time before I go "on the road" again, maybe in 2nd half of July.
Andy Bryant 8 months ago

Stunning Dan. You keep moving the bar higher. Love it!
Daniel Dragon Films 8 months ago

Thanks, Andy. I know you have a discerning eye. I enjoy the "mechanics" of this art form, the way it makes you feel like you've been to a place. These films are like a little piece of me.
Stefan Springman 8 months ago

Gorgeous.
Daniel Dragon Films 7 months ago

Thanks, Stefan, I appreciate that.
Christophe MILET 8 months ago

Very good and nice stuff!
Michael Zhao 8 months ago

really awesome, look forward to your blog post tomorrow. Did you use a rig to move the camera up really slow?
Daniel Dragon Films 8 months ago

This video will explain it all. vimeo.com/19812555 Except, turned in a vertical position. :-)
Aaron Morrell 8 months ago

"WOW", That's what came out of my mouth when I saw that short of the lighthouse from under the framing. Really awesome stuff!
Daniel Dragon Films 8 months ago

That's another shot where I had to shoot it twice, you see the second shot. Thank you for the kind words, please share this video with your friends if you really enjoy it, I am not as well known as some others for this kind of work.
Mindrelic 8 months ago

nice!
Daniel Dragon Films 8 months ago

Thanks, Josh. I did do one Little Bramper shot that I ended up not using. On 2 other occasions I wasn't able to get it set up & working, it would either lock up or would only do 150ms exposure (not what I was programming).

Something to work on. Thanks for watching, have much respect for what you've done the past year.
Dan Eckert 8 months ago

Daniel, how do you like the Little Bramper? Nice work your time lapse is really looking good.
Daniel Dragon Films 8 months ago

Heh, I would describe the Little Bramper as "tempermental", but Josh / MindRelic above ^ has done some great work with them. Thank you Dan, I still think about how to do railroad/driving astro timelapses... not quite there yet.
Josh Lloyd 8 months ago

You & me both Daniel. I have been studying Professor Eckert's work for some time now:~). His work with that hand-held camera/walking step by step though the desert made him a technical genius
in my book. His patience & understanding of his craft are Jedi-like to say the least.
محمد مريح mohammed mreh 8 months ago

impressive ! i was trying to make some star timelapse but i didnt succeed to do it, i wonder maybe the camera cant , its canon Rebel T1i EF-S.
Daniel Dragon Films 8 months ago

Get a lens that can open up to at least f/2.8, with a focal length of 25mm or less. Get a remote timer/intervalometer, go out somewhere really dark, in the country, use a tripod, set your ISO for 1600 or higher and point at the brightest star you can find. Since you have a Canon, you'll want to set your focus on that little "L" mark (unless, it's a Tokina.. then infinity).. set your camera for Manual and take a 30 second exposure. That's the best I can do without turning this into a very long discussion.

Er, yeah.. easy, right? Watch this.. I've come a long way since then, but it can be done... "All Stars, All Night" vimeo.com/9952540 .. my first totally astro timelapse, done with a Sigma 17-70mm f/2.8 at ISO 250.. this looks hideous to me now, DO NOT use any multiple of ISO 125. I got better.

I might add, that Sigma 17-70mm f/2.8 lens is for sale. :-)
محمد مريح mohammed mreh 7 months ago

thanks a lot i really appreciate it, i succeed to take some photos with magnificent start's view, i'm trying to go to desert and shot some thing for one night as a try, i downloaded app called "star walk" it helped me to locate views for some starts and other things... again thanq it helped me alot !
Dominic 8 months ago

Nice ! Love the shot where the clouds reveal the Milky Way.
Dustin Farrell 8 months ago

I forgot about that one. A Mother Nature surprise. Liked it too.
Daniel Dragon Films 8 months ago

That was actually the first shot I did of the Milky Way, period, at f/1.4 with the rented 24mm.. When I looked at my LCD... As Jim Cameron likes to say, "cut negative", which means, that looks great, roll camera already, don't change a thing.
Magnus Lund Nielsen 8 months ago

Amazing!
Alex Dyuldin 8 months ago

This is really really really incredible stuff.
This reminds me so much of the timelapse called
"The Mountain" I'm sure you know it.
May I ask, how long did this take you to do?
Daniel Dragon Films 8 months ago

Alex, this was a 3 month process. On April 5th, when Terje Songfred was shooting on the Canary islands, I was shooting this test shot (on Flickr) flic.kr/p/9wwE13

When I saw "the Mountain" I knew I had to get my hands on a lens with a wider aperture, so I rented the Canon 24mm f/1.4 (for 4.. er, I mean 7 weeks.. they extended it). I'm using the same camera & lens as Terje, so it makes sense it might remind you.
Tom Robinson 8 months ago

Wonderful footage - You truly are a master of patience! ;)
Daniel Dragon Films 8 months ago

The hardest part was sitting in the car for the sunroof shot.. could not turn on the stereo, open the door, or look at my phone (any of these would brighten the exposure).. so I sat there nervously rubbing my neck. If you look closely you can see this.
Tom Robinson 8 months ago

Ha ha ha I did notice the head movement in the car ;) Still inspiring - And indeed encouraging it took you a couple of attempts to perfect ;) Well done again
Daniel Dragon Films 8 months ago

Let's just say next time I do a shot like this, I'll have an empty plastic bottle closer on hand. Otherwise that shot might've gone on for another few minutes. :-)
Randy Halverson 8 months ago

Great Job!
Daniel Dragon Films 8 months ago

Thanks, Randy! I must admit you gave me a lot of inspiration with "Sub Zero", I thought, "hey, I like to timelapse stars"... and I realized I'd better get started working on it. I had already started doing test shots, trying to find a location, then Terje's piece "the Mountain" got me to realize the virtues of shooting with a wider aperture (under f/2)

In summary: I am standing on the shoulders of Giants, thanks again.
Josh Lloyd 8 months ago

Well said.
Sinan İpek 8 months ago

Question: With long exposure photography, do you ever experience hot pixel issue with your camera and, if so, how do you manage it?
Daniel Dragon Films 8 months ago

The short answer is yes, but it's less of a problem on the 5DmkII than most cameras. Search for "dark frame subtraction" to understand the technical issues of how a camera tries to manage hot pixels.

I am not doing anything myself to manage it.. I am not using any kind of noise reduction on the camera or in post, but people say NR works better on the Nikons than on Canon's.
Martin Oller 8 months ago

Seems you only tracked the sky for the purpose of movement - not for longer exposures?
Daniel Dragon Films 8 months ago

That would not be timelapse, then. I'd be doing star trails or still photos of nebulae.. I wanted to capture the earth's rotation via starlight, so to speak.
Ben Lean 8 months ago

Amazing night skies and motion. Great work!
Gabriel Franco 8 months ago

Fantastic lapses Daniel! Cheers.
Andy Weibley 8 months ago

Great stuff. Was that the Hatteras Lighthouse? Or Cape Lookout?
Daniel Dragon Films 8 months ago

It is the tallest lighthouse in North America: Hatteras. I am somewhat of a "lighthouse expert" now. There are 4 on the Outer Banks, I have shot Hatteras (3 times) and Bodie Island (twice), but I have not yet been to Ocracoke (ferry, and very far away... but I will go one day) or Currituck.

I swear Bodie Island and Hatteras Light are the same structure with different paint jobs.

I've also taken pictures of Assateague Lighthouse at night - 500px.com/photo/710831
Leslie Bright 8 months ago

Just got back from another week at Ocracoke, one of my favorite places...

FYI: sometimes, Cape Lookout is also included in the list, although it's further south, in what's called the Core Banks. It matches Bodie and Hatteras, but has a diamond pattern.
Leslie Bright 8 months ago

PS: forgot to say, beautiful... makes me want to turn around and go back again already (and I don't even have the sand out of my car's floorboards yet).
Daniel Dragon Films 8 months ago

Thank you, Leslie. I really want everyone on the OBX to see this film! That sand.. It got in my shoes on a daily basis, but fortunately I was able to keep it mostly out of my gear. I have tried also to reach Cape Charles lighthouse, but it's only accessible by boat. I'll go to Cape Henry sometime, it's in VB, not far from me.
Karen Abad 8 months ago

<3 Nice nice D
Daniel Dragon Films 8 months ago

Thank you, Karen. Please share this with people who might appreciate it. This was something I had to do, if that makes any sense.
Chris Giordano 8 months ago

So epic! The music is awesome too, what a mood!
Pavel Kučera 8 months ago

just fantastic
heewook Lee 8 months ago

That is 'beauty'
Daniel Dragon Films 8 months ago

Thank you very much. I think I see the world as more beautiful when it's a bit darker.. less light.. than most people. I used to play soccer (football to the rest of the world) for over 20 years... and I was much better player at night. Maybe it's just something with my eyes.
Josh Lloyd 8 months ago

Or maybe, just maybe you're a night owl like the rest of us Daniel:~).
Daniel Dragon Films 8 months ago

I told another photographer once: "if I could get up in the morning, I'd have a real job". For this project, I would go to sleep about 10am every day and wake up about 5pm to eat, clean my lenses, get everything ready, and then drive 30-60 minutes to the shoot location I had in mind.
heewook Lee 8 months ago

I think so too Daniel~ really. night has some calm so I can see and hear nearby more and more. yep^^
depingo 8 months ago

Great...! I really love the beauty of image and music...!!!
miguel mendez 8 months ago

Alucinante!
idle fancy films 8 months ago

Top notch! Great work, Daniel! The opening shot is awesome.
Daniel Dragon Films 8 months ago

Thanks, Jake. You have a small part in getting me started, with this video (warning: song very addictive) vimeo.com/9692051

Still shooting weddings? Will we ever see a timelapse from Jake Seegers again? :-)
idle fancy films 8 months ago

Actually, I've been wrapped up in a few things. Wife is heading to med school, which has been a big change. I'm working on a good size contract right now and will post the videos when I am done. Mostly timelapse and stop-motion, some video. Just got back from AK with a few sample shots from up there. I'll keep you posted. Going to be building this business on the side a lot more seriously. Dropped weddings long ago...
Daniel Dragon Films 8 months ago

Cool, Jake, you have strong skills and you should be doing cool stuff like stop motion. Alaska?? That sounds way awesome. Keep in touch, it's nice to hear from you.
FansOfFilm 8 months ago

nice work
Luis Fonseca 8 months ago

WOW!!! Amazing work!
Mikel Camara 8 months ago

Terrific Daniel, mesmerizing work! congrats!!
Nicolas Chapleau 8 months ago

Nice, lots of work and appreciated by all, especially the seasoned OBX fans, like me.
Daniel Dragon Films 8 months ago

Nicholas, I really want to share this with the OBX folks as much as possible. This is not some random location: my family went camping at the Salvo Day Area when I was 2 years old. I have camped in Oregon Inlet campground many times, and we went to the Outer Banks twice after we got out of school as a teenager, our first time away from home. The first time I ever kissed a girl was in a rental house in June 1989 there!

This is a location that I have spent a lot of time at, both recently and through the years, and I tried to put some special touches in there that an outsider might not think of (like, the Bonner Bridge, which has been condemned on at least one occasion, and it's the only road in or out)
Nicolas Chapleau 8 months ago

Well based on the comments being left I would say that you succeeded in showing how great a place this is, based on your great work. It's actually nice of you to take the time and comment back. +1 and good luck in your future endeavours.
ed 8 months ago

I love this video. We've been going to the Outer Banks for years, and you captured it perfectly.
Daniel Dragon Films 8 months ago

Thanks, Ed!
Eric Kornblum 8 months ago

Awesome shots. Could you point me towards information regarding the "Orion AZ-G telescope pan/tilt mount"? I think I found their website ( telescope.com/ ), but I don't see the specific mount you mention.

Thanks much
Daniel Dragon Films 8 months ago

Hey, after some research, I found it, here:
telescope.com/catalog/search.cmd?form_state=searchForm&keyword=teletrack

For others reading, don't buy the Orion expecting to use it for timelapse by itself. It's not programmed for that, but you can "hack" it with the MX2 Controller.
Givot 8 months ago

great work daniel. was that a fire? Loved the music choice to. awesome job.
Kemalettin Sert 8 months ago

do you remember shutter speed for car drive shot? also did you use little bramper? ( actually didnt see any day&night transition but i would like to know)
Daniel Dragon Films 8 months ago

I did the dawn, out-the-window car shots twice. Using 1-second intervals, you can shoot for about 20 minutes on Manual without your exposure getting ruined.

First take was was 1/50th of a second, ISO 200, @ f/4 10 minutes *before* sunrise.

Second time was 10 minutes *after* sunrise, I used 1/60th, f/5.6, ISO 100. The photos look better as stills, but the sequence was too shaky to use.

The second time had better lighting and focus, but was shaky and the mount rotated while I was driving.. (more car traffic blowing the camera around)... so I couldn't use the 2nd take, which was "sharper". You are seeing the first take here.

I put my Canon 5DmkII & 16-35mm (about $3200 together) out into the wind at 50mph twice and it survived, I did not want to tempt fate a 3rd time. :-)

I own a Little Bramper, I did one shot with it that was not mo-co, but in the end I couldn't find a way to use the shot.
Philip Bloom 8 months ago

impressive work Daniel!
Daniel Dragon Films 8 months ago

Thanks so much. You have a lot to do with this indirectly: choice of camera, lens, and understanding aperture, ISO, and knowing NOT to use ISO 125 / 250 / 500 /1250 on the Canons. Thanks for everything you do, you inspire our whole community.
Kevin Huggins 8 months ago

Absolutely Amazing Daniel! Really really great stuff!
Inspired me to pay a visit to NC sometime soon. Awesome Astros!
If you don't mind me asking what were your settings for the Stumpy Point Astro shots?
Again, awesome work!
Daniel Dragon Films 8 months ago

Most of the astro shots were 25 seconds, ISO 1000, f/1.4, but some of them were f/1.8, f/2, and the car/sunroof shot was at f/2.2. One Milky Way shot was at ISO 1600.

I am "different" than most astrophotographers, I don't like to use really high ISOs (over 2000), I'd rather find another way to get it done (which is expensive, but you see the results).

Here's the deal, if you're shooting at f/1.4, you're getting twice as much light as f/2.8. Stop and think about that for a minute, that's why I was able to get so much color from the stars.

Got that idea from Terje Sorgjerd, you may have seen this one already ;-) vimeo.com/22439234
Kevin Huggins 8 months ago

Awesome Daniel!
Thanks for the advice! I have to get myself to somewhere nice and dark... Miami has way too much ambient light, hoping to make a trek to the Everglades when it gets cooler again (Dec/Jan)... right now mosquitoes will eat ya alive!