What you need to create an HDR image in this tutorial:

• Luminar Neo Image Editor with HDR Merge Plugin (Download free trial version here) – purchase price later approx. 89€ for Luminar Neo and 49€ for HDR Merge.
• Mac or Windows computer (Luminar Neo with HDR Merge Plugin is available for both platforms)
• 3 to 10 images of an HDR exposure series

Importing Raw Photographs into Luminar Neo HDR Merge

Once you have installed Luminar Neo and added the HDR Merge Plugin on the start screen (click on the puzzle piece next to the Luminar logo) you are ready to go.

I have stored the RAW photos of my exposure series on the desktop. You can also import JPEGs at this point, but for reasons of higher image quality I always recommend using RAW files. In my case, I want to create an HDR composition from 10 differently exposed photos of one and the same motif. By the way, the pictures show the lighthouse “Phare petit minou” in France. It is one of my best-selling images on various stock photo portals.

I simply drag and drop the images I use into the HDR Merge area on the start screen of Luminar Neo:

Within the import field, the imported images are now displayed as thumbnails. For this purpose, the respective exposure value is displayed below the images and we can hit the “Merge” button:

The images are now merged and the composition is displayed in the image catalogue. With a double click on the image in the catalogue we can jump to the development mask:

Infinite possibilities of HDR processing

An HDR image lives from the details and the contrast. By combining different exposures, no details are lost in overexposed or underexposed parts of the image.

When processing, I therefore start with the histogram and the shadows and highlights. This way I increase the range of visible details:

Both the light clouds and the dark area under the bridge become visible with all their details. I can then enhance or strengthen the details themselves with the settings in the details section. For the first time we see a real HDR look in our picture:

It makes little sense at this point to go through all the other possible processing settings; after all, every motif is different and so are tastes. Besides, basic, non-HDR-specific post-processing development processes should be familiar to most users anyway. But this much should be said, just by looking at the sheer amount of editing options available, it becomes clear how much room for creativity there is in Luminar Neo. For the final result above, I used only a fraction of the total functions available:

If you want to go further, you can even edit or replace essential components of the image with the help of an amazingly well-functioning artificial intelligence (AI). For example, the sky can be replaced and the lighting mood of the image can be adapted to the lighting conditions of the sky. Is that still photography? In my eyes, such editing goes far beyond authentic photography. Anyways, the technical possibilities are impressive:

What about performance?

A lousy speed when stitching HDRs can really ruin the fun. When I develop my first photos while travelling, I don’t want to have to stare at loading bars the whole time.

In the past, I have created HDRs mainly with Affinity Photo and Aurora HDR (also from the developer of Luminar). The new HDR workflow in Luminar Neo beats them all.

On my Macbook M1 Pro, the times for assembling 10 images into an HDR composition (no alignment correction, no ghost reduction) are as follows:

• Luminar Neo HDR Merge: around 19 seconds
• Affinity Photo: around 25 seconds
• Aurora HDR 2019: around 26 seconds

Download free trial version of Luminar Neo now

The developers of Skylum are based in Ukraine. By buying the software, you support the people and the economy in Ukraine who are suffering from the Russian war of aggression.

If you want to test the software for free, that’s no problem. Click here for the product page with free trial version for Luminar Neo and the HDR Merge Plugin.

Der Beitrag How to develop HDR photos in 2022: Luminar Neo with HDR Merge erschien zuerst auf Pixelfriedhof.

NX Field is a remote photography application developed by Nikon Corporation.
We can now remotely configure and operate up to 9 cameras connected to a network and press the shutter buttons.
In addition, we can download image data directly to iPhone or iPad and upload images to an FTP server directly after shooting while the app is running.

Supported digital cameras (as of January 2022)
D6, D5, Z 7II, Z 6II, Z 7, Z 6

To use these features, the camera firmware must be updated to a version that supports NX Field.
The update is performed by a Nikon authorized service representative. For more information, visit the following website.
https://nps.nikonimaging.com/nx_field/
The update is not available in some countries; contact your service provider for more information.

Most important functions according to Nikon:

• Control remote cameras (up to a recommended maximum of nine) from your iPhone or iPad.
• Display the view through the camera lens on your iPhone or iPad while shooting.
• With the iPad version, you can capture images from a distance while viewing the views through the lenses of up to nine remote cameras.
• Adjust exposure, focus, white balance, image quality, and other settings remotely.
• Remotely format memory cards and edit FTP profiles on remote cameras.
• Trigger the shutter buttons on all connected remote cameras simultaneously. You can also trigger the triggers of selected cameras one after the other.
• Upload images directly from the remote camera to an FTP server.
• Copy saved settings for all remote cameras to other iPhones or iPads.
• The iPad version can display remote camera locations using handwritten drawings.
• Wired Ethernet connections provide higher reliability and faster image transmission than wireless connections.

Der Beitrag Remote control and tethered shooting for Nikon Z6, Z6II, Z7, Z7II with NX Field erschien zuerst auf Pixelfriedhof.

Camera Nikon Z6II

Mirrorless, light-weight, durable, perfect for both photo and video. We love Nikons user interface and picture quality. The best system we ever owned.

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Lens Nikkor Z 24-70mm f2.8

Our video-workhorse: Compatible with the gimbal, great low light performance, silent. Also great for photo documentaries. Our favorite always-on lens.

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Lens Nikkor Z 24-200mm f4-6.3

Our favorite always-on lens for our second camera. Allthough too heavy for the gimbal, great range for shooting nearly everything.

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Lens Nikkor Z 20mm f1.8

Shooting interior or the milky way in a slovenian night sky? This is your lens.

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DJI Mavic 2 Pro

Best picture quality when it comes to aerial shooting. Tried a lot of other drones before but this is best of class. Maybe the Mavic 3 is better.

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DJI Action 2

Works on the hood of the car, can be attached to a kite, can be carried around on a descend into a cave. Doesn’t break, where the loss of the big camera would hurt your wallet. In our opinion the best companion in battery life, image quality and usability.

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Rollei OLED Remote Shutter

Shooting interior or the milky way in a slovenian night sky? This is your lens.

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Rollei Compact Traveller No. 1 Carbon Tripod

Ultra light-weight, small dimensions, ideal for limited space in planes or cars. ARCA-compatible head plate.

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3Legged thing Ellie PD L-bracket

With this bracket, we can fast insert the camera to our tripod, gimbal or carrying-system without changing anything. A bracket for lazy people.

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Peak Design Capture Clip v2

ARCA compatible camera carrying system.

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DJI RSC 2 Gimbal

Makes your videos smooth. But sometimes you leave it at home, because it is too heavy to carry around on a 6 hour hike.

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Arca compatible quick release plate for DJI RSC 2 Gimbal

Makes the DJI RSC 2 gimbal compatible with the Peak Design ARCA-clip on the Ellie PD bracket.

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Rode Video Mic

Makes your videos smooth. Sometimes you leave it at home, because it is too heavy to carry around on a 6 hour hike.

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Zoom H2n Recorder

Capture dialogues and ambient noises with this handy stand alone recorder. You can even mount it on the camera hot shoe as an external microphone.

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TP-Link M7200 mobile network router

This little friend helps us to keep our connection to the internet everywhere in the world. We just insert a SIM-card, enter the cards pin and our M7200 spans its WiFi for all our devices, providing us with internetconnection even in the most remote albanian mountain areas.

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Luminar Neo Photo Editor

Most of our photos are edited with Luminar Products. Intelligent, fast and subscription free creativity for everyone.

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Aurora HDR Software

When shooting and editing HDR photos, Luminar Aurora HDR is the way to go.

Learn More

Der Beitrag Our video and photo gear erschien zuerst auf Pixelfriedhof.

Ihre Daten werden erst beim Abspielen des Youtube-Videos an den Dienst übermittelt. Your data will only be transmitted to the service when you play the Youtube video.

You can find the photo-blog here.

Der Beitrag Our first (semi-) professional video travelogue erschien zuerst auf Pixelfriedhof.

With FE File Explorer you can easily copy files from SD-card to the iPad opr a connected storage device like SSD or HDD. the app can also access SD cards that are read-only. While copying, we always see the progress for every single file. The app supports differential backups, and asks if we want to skip duplicates or rewrite duplicate files.

Ihre Daten werden erst beim Abspielen des Youtube-Videos an den Dienst übermittelt. Your data will only be transmitted to the service when you play the Youtube video.

Everything you need is a USB C Hub with SD card reader and maybe an external Storage.
I use a SanDisk Extreme Pro V2 for this:

Special offer

SanDisk Extreme 2 TB Portable SSD Festkörper-Laufwerk(USB-C, mit 550 MB/s Übertragungsraten, AES-Verschlüsselung und ist...*

• Mit der SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD haben Sie eine optimale Unterstützung zur Datensicherung. Speichern Sie Fotos und Videos auf die...
• Übertragen Sie Ihre Daten schnell mit 550 MB/s auf Ihre externe SSD Festplatte. Dank der Speicherkapazität von 2 TB sind Ihrer...

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Der Beitrag Stable Backup from SD-Card to iPad or external Storage (HDD, SSD) 2021 erschien zuerst auf Pixelfriedhof.

Work mobile and cross-device

My main editing machine is a 2017 iMac with a 1TB Fusion Drive. To be honest, Apple hasn’t exactly covered itself in glory when it comes to this unreliable and, at its core, still slow hybrid drive. I’ve been wanting to upgrade to an SSD for a long time. On the other hand, I’ll probably switch to the new M1 iMac soon, which is why I don’t want to invest in a fixed SSD.

I can also use an external SSD on my Macbook or iPad when I travel and then use the Final Cut libraries on it both mobile on the Macbook and stationary on the iMac. Plus, I need a backup SSD for photos and videos while traveling anyway. For those tasks, I don’t even need to look below 2TB for a solution. 4K videos and photos need space.

SanDisk Extreme Pro Portable V2 (SDSSDE81-2T00) – small and tough

After a long research, my choice finally fell on an SSD from SanDisk, more precisely the SanDisk Extreme Pro Portable V2 (exact model number SDSSDE81-2T00). SanDisk claims this series with read and write speeds of up to 2,000 MB/s. In addition, the drive has a USB-C port and is also resistant to shocks, water and dust – not bad for an off-road trip through Estonia, for example. Finally, I received a good offer for the SSD and bought it.

When I received the package, I was also surprised by the SSD’s small size.
In various online stores, the product pictures of the SSD hardly reveal a size relation and I had expected such a case with the dimensions of a 2.5″ hard drive. In reality, the drive is about as big as a slightly longer cigarette pack, but three times as flat.

SanDisk advertises that the hard drive can be comfortably worn on the waistband with a carabiner. I wonder who would like to tie a 400€ SSD to the belt loop, but the pure dimensions of the SSD would definitely allow that. However, I actually use the snap hook: To “strap” the SSD in the photo backpack so that it does not fall out or slip around.

2,000 MB/s – not quite, but still pretty damn fast

I doubted that an external SSD would reach 2,000 MB/s from the start, especially on my MacBook from 2017 and the slightly older iMac from 2017, I did not expect extremely high transfer rates, but was then quite thrilled by about 1,400 MB/s.

The speed boost from this external SSD is so huge that I now only work with Final Cut on the SSD and no longer have any Final Cut media library data on the Mac’s built-in Fusion Drive.

The first time I used the SSD with Final Cut, it almost blew my mind. The previews in the event browser were there instantaneously and didn’t build up piecemeal like they usually do. Final Cut freezing during large load operations is a thing of the past. I can switch from one event to another without waiting. In return, that thing gets quite warm.

Similarly, photos are stored as a backup on the SSD. Half-hour copy orgies from camera to spinning hard drives are a thing of the past. Within minutes, the job is done – more vacation, more travel, less setup time.

Would I go for an external SSD again for Final Cut? Yes, again and again. I wonder how I put up with my lame Fusion Drive for so long and didn’t switch to an SSD like this much sooner. And then suddenly the answer comes to me: Because such devices would only have been available from 1000€ upwards a year ago. Praise be to the price drop and the technical progress.

Der Beitrag External SSD for backups and Final Cut media libraries – in the office and on the road erschien zuerst auf Pixelfriedhof.

The photo gloves from PGYTECH (and Amazon affiliate link) help us to operate our drone or our photo camera even in icy temperatures.

The gloves keep the hands warm, also allow the operation of delicate controls such as joystick or small buttons and also touchscreens. If necessary, the fingertips can also be exposed through a flap, should this be necessary.

By the way, PGYTECH is the only accessory manufacturer that is certified by DJI.

PGYTECH wasserdichte Winterhandschuhe, 3M Thinsulate Ski & Snowboard Handschuhe für Mavic Mini 2/Mavic Air 2/Mavic 2 (L), Schwarz*

• PGYTECH-Fotohandschuhe wurden für Outdoor-Sportarten, Aufnahmen in kalten Zonen oder Drohnenflügen unter rauen Bedingungen entwickelt...
• Das Fäustling-Design (leitfähige Kappe, effektive Bildschirmberührung) bietet ein komfortableres Erlebnis bei der Bedienung...

Amazon

Der Beitrag Fly a drone and take photos despite the freezing cold: Photo or drone gloves make it possible erschien zuerst auf Pixelfriedhof.

Depending on the desired image detail, a telephoto or super-telephoto lens with focal lengths between 200mm and 600mm is recommended. In this lens class, I rely on my Sigma 150-600mm F5,0-6,3 DG OS HSM Contemporary(Amazon Affiliate Link).

The “Photo Pills” app can also be used to calculate when, for example, the moon or the Milky Way will rise or set exactly behind the monument.

Upper access path to the cemetery in village district Hausberge at the street „Kempstrasse“

From the upper graveyard path you have a direct view on the Kaiser-Wilhelm monument. From this place you can get quite close to the monument without having to photograph from too far down. You do have to look up, but not in such a way that it is disturbing on the photo.

Link to the exact spot

Upper part of street „Kempstrasse“

This is my favorite place because I can reach it on foot from home. With the car you can stop at the shoulder and have the monument almost at eye level. Just please do yourself a favor and don’t stand in the middle of the road in the dark, but secure yourself with lights and ideally stand behind or in front of your lighted vehicle.

Link to the exact spot

Parking lot of the former „Porta Berghotel“

You almost can’t get any closer, but you are far below the Kaiser Wilhelm Monument and have to photograph up high. The parking lot of the former hotel is usually not very busy.

Link to the exact spot

Portakanzel on the “Wesergebirge“

By car you can drive to the TV tower Porta Westfalica on the Weser mountains. From here you have to walk about 30 minutes on the ridge towards the west, then you will automatically come to the small viewing platform “Portakanzel”. Pack sturdy shoes for this. If you are lucky, you can observe how the fog moves through the Porta early in the morning – the “Wilhelm” then stands like an island in the clouds.

Link to the exact spot

Möllberger Straße corner Papensgrund

From the pedestrian path along Möllberger Straße, the emperor can be photographed from the south. Parking is available at the roadside.

Link to the exact spot

My photo equipment:

Nikon Z6 II full frame mirrorless camera: https://geni.us/vF5K4Nk *
Nikon D500 DX format SLR: https://geni.us/QpwK *
Wide angle for astrophotography: https://geni.us/PIPEGEB *
Wide angle for astrophotgraphy on DX camera: https://geni.us/rnztt4N *
Travel tripod: https://geni.us/fVJfG *
Large tripod: https://geni.us/lXGgv *
Always-on lens: https://geni.us/XIbn *
SD Memory Cards: https://geni.us/YWhyWuG *
CFExpress Memory Cards: https://geni.us/QNYEy4J *
Remote shutter release with interval timer: https://geni.us/eRSAm *

* All aforementioned links are Amazon affiliate links

Der Beitrag The best spots to photograph the Kaiser Wilhelm Monument in Porta Westfalica erschien zuerst auf Pixelfriedhof.

Basics

When photographing stars or the Milky Way, we have very little light available. Thus, we have to expose for a very long time. The problem is that we cannot expose infinitely long, because then the stars would no longer appear as points but as lines, after all they are “moving” all the time.

Due to the Earth’s rotation, it can be said that all images of stars appear as a line when the exposure lasts longer than 25 seconds.

The trick is to set the camera so that we capture as much light as possible in under 25 seconds. To make this work, we can make things easier with the ISO setting. A high ISO value ensures that we have to expose for a shorter time, while at the same time a higher ISO value ensures higher image noise.

Basically, you can say that astrophotography is the constant search and optimization of compromises. This is photography in general, but nowhere is it as obvious as in astrophotography.

How much noise an image has at which settings or how much light enters the lens in which time is always strongly dependent on the hardware used. This article is therefore not a patent remedy for successful photos. Rather, it is a guide for the basic setting of your setup, from which you can then adjust your equipment so that you get good pictures.

One shot vs. Timelapse

Photographing the night sky with one shot is easy: Setup, point, shoot, optimize settings, repeat until the result fits your expectations.

Doing timelapse movies is more difficult, and doesn‘t set you free from the steps before. You will need a setup timer that helps you to trigger the camera in special intervals. 

Shooting timelapse scenes becomes even more complex when you are shooting them within changing lighting, for example from nighttime into the daylight, because you would maybe have to change settings during the shooting to prevent the image from over- or underlighting.

Using the right lens

For astrophotography we use very fast lenses, which let in as much light as possible with the largest possible aperture.

My favorite lens on the DX (APS-C) camera has always been the Sigma 18-35mm 1.8 Art *.
On my full frame Nikon Z6II * I use the Nikon Nikkor Z 20mm 1.8 *.

Both lenses are wide-angle lenses due to the focal length, which are able to capture a large part of the sky and/or the surroundings with their field of view.

Setting the right aperture

Since we want to let in as much light as possible, as described before, it only makes sense to work with these fast lenses with almost open aperture. So open the aperture as much as possible.

In special situations, for example when the landscape in the corners of the image is to be made even sharper, it makes sense to reduce the aperture by one or two stops. Of course, this is at the expense of the exposure time.

Setting the focus 

We should focus on the stars. To do this, we use Live View, then zoom in on one of the brightest and most central stars in the frame and focus on it manually. The autofocus remains off.

Which Whitebalance to use?

I use the white balance for the cloudy sky. I make the adjustment later in post-processing. It is important that the white balance is not switched back and forth by the camera by an automatic during the shooting. Therefore manual white balance to relatively balanced color temperature.

RAW or JPEG?

You shoot in JPEG? Please find another hobby.

Number of frames, shots, interval and duration

The earth rotates permanently under the starry sky, therefore our recordings must not take too long, otherwise the stars will no longer be recorded as points, but as lines. 25 seconds is a good starting value, since the stars do not blur into lines up to this value. But less exposure time is better, because the image will appear sharper. So if you can get by with your camera at a higher ISO value with only 20 seconds without the higher ISO setting leading to too much image noise, you can be happy.

Time-lapse photography is time-consuming. A 3-hour photography action later turns into 12-second time-lapse video – just enough for a short insert in a travel report.

But how many shots do we actually need to get a smooth time-lapse later?

I create most of my videos in 30p, which is 30 frames/images per second. TV shows are also produced at this frame rate. Movements are displayed very smoothly here. Thus, I need 30 frames per second of film.

Some people also create their videos with 24p, like in the cinema. I don’t, because all the computing with 30p is more pleasant and easier, besides most of the rest of my cameras produce 30p and therefore I don’t want to make an exception here.

Logically, the interval between the exposures cannot be smaller than the exposure time of a single exposure. The camera still needs some time to complete the individual exposure and finally store it on the memory card. If it does not have enough time for this after an exposure, the camera’s exposures end up in the intermediate memory, the so-called buffer, and are then only written to the memory card after a delay. In the worst case, the recording interval is then interrupted at some point due to memory backlog or recordings are discarded.

To prevent this from happening, we should use fast memory cards and also make the interval long enough that the camera can comfortably save between two shots. As memory cards I use either ExtremePro SD cards made by SanDisk * or the even much faster CFExpress cards from SanDisk *.

I use 30 seconds as the interval between exposures. Both exposures of 25 seconds or 20 seconds fit into this interval and give the camera enough storage time.

• With these settings I create 120 shots within an hour, which is enough for 4 seconds of 30p film. Too short for fitting into a reportage.
• With these settings I create 240 shots within two hours, which is enough for 8 seconds of 30p film. This amount of material might fit into a reportage.
• With these settings I create 360 shots within three hours, which is enough for 12 seconds of 30p film. This gives enough material for integrating it into a reportage and also fading in and out.

My photo equipment:

Nikon Z6 II full frame mirrorless camera: https://geni.us/vF5K4Nk *
Nikon D500 DX format SLR: https://geni.us/QpwK *
Wide angle for astrophotography: https://geni.us/PIPEGEB *
Wide angle for astrophotgraphy on DX camera: https://geni.us/rnztt4N *
Travel tripod: https://geni.us/fVJfG *
Large tripod: https://geni.us/lXGgv *
Always-on lens: https://geni.us/XIbn *
SD Memory Cards: https://geni.us/YWhyWuG *
CFExpress Memory Cards: https://geni.us/QNYEy4J *
Remote shutter release with interval timer: https://geni.us/eRSAm *

* All aforementioned links are Amazon affiliate links

Der Beitrag Cheatsheet: Basics of Astro and Timelapse Photography erschien zuerst auf Pixelfriedhof.

In my earliest childhood memories I can remember the cemetery chapel with its colorful glass panes. With my grandparents I visited the graves of our family and on each visit our way led past the chapel. Other times came and at some point I walked the last common path with my grandparents out of the chapel to their own funeral.

This building has certainly seen many fates and many tears. But the colorful glass panes through which the light falls into the hall comfort and give hope, I can say that myself. It is wonderful that the old cemetery chapel is preserved by the Bismarckbund and will remain a place of farewell but also of confidence in the future. My contribution are these photos.

All photos were taken with the Nikon Z 6 II and the Sigma 24-70mm 2.8 Art lens (Amazon Affiliate Links).

Der Beitrag Photos of the cemetery chapel in Hausberge erschien zuerst auf Pixelfriedhof.