Sunset Storm - a short

[RadioFlyerMan]

Sunsets are sometimes overdone, but this was very unusual. Take a look... it's short.

 

[Motorcycle Rider]

Awesome.
It was short, but long enough, i liked it a lot.

 

[DaveS]

Great job. That is the most beautiful part of Michigan, around Traverse City. I visited there many times while growing up in the Detroit area.

 

[Dale D]

Sunsets are sometimes overdone, but this was very unusual. Take a look... it's short.

As you may know my travails if you follow this forum, I have been trying to achieve this for several months. Using my Mavic. 2 Pro in hyperlapse mode, I put the drone up about 100 feet and try to hover, not fly. I take an image every 2 seconds for the maximal limit of the drone which is 125 frames. I wait for the drone to finish processing the video internally and then restart the countdown to another 125 images, and repeat for a total of 4 cycles, or until my battery runs down. Then I bring it down. I develop the saved RAW files, not the pre-processed files.

How did you do this one???? Please. Need help.
Dale

 

[RadioFlyerMan]

As you may know my travails if you follow this forum, I have been trying to achieve this for several months. Using my Mavic. 2 Pro in hyperlapse mode, I put the drone up about 100 feet and try to hover, not fly. I take an image every 2 seconds for the maximal limit of the drone which is 125 frames. I wait for the drone to finish processing the video internally and then restart the countdown to another 125 images, and repeat for a total of 4 cycles, or until my battery runs down. Then I bring it down. I develop the saved RAW files, not the pre-processed files.

How did you do this one???? Please. Need help.
Dale

First, I am using an MPP, so I don't have a specific hyper lapse function like you do. All I have is just timed shots with the only limit being either the SD card size or the battery. I believe your functionality includes a slow movement of the AC. Mine does not. I have experimented with using waypoints and then setting my speed to the minimum which I think is around 2 mph. However, I have only done that about twice in all of the time lapse I have ever done.

For my location, I usually climb to 400 ft and point in the direction of interest. Then I set the time sequence to 2 seconds between shots for a flying sequence for clouds, sunsets and other interesting subjects. I have done up to 5 seconds for a non-flying sequence if I'm filming sun shadow movement. I normally start with a 100% battery, set it up, then take as many shots as I can until I burn down to 30% battery minimum. For a 15 minute flight (some are longer), I'll capture 450 shots. At this point there is no "assembly" software for the MPP. So I load all of the shots into Final Cut Pro X, setting the project frame rate to 30 frames per second. I then assign the number of frames for each jpg loaded into the time line to 1 frame each. So 450 shots will create a video of 15 seconds at 30 fps. I then convert the group of individual frames to a continuous video by creating a combined clip (a function in FCPX). I then export what I call a "RAW" file (my term) in the Apple format ProRes 422 to preserve quality. I then clear the current timeline and load the RAW file back into FCPX. I then add a LUT to convert from D-LOG, and finally stabilize the clip for movement. That then results in a FINAL time lapse that I again render into a master file in ProRes 422 that I can use later in one of my movies. I then keep the RAW and FINAL files and delete the original jpg's to save disk space. And that's it. It sounds complicated but it's not and I have done it many times.

Just in case you are so inclined, here are some examples of time lapse used in my movies...

 

[Paleomanjim]

That is very cool. We have awesome thunderstorms and sunsets here in Vegas. I wish I could do the time lapse video with the Mavic Mini but I don't think it is possible.

 

[RadioFlyerMan]

That is very cool. We have awesome thunderstorms and sunsets here in Vegas. I wish I could do the time lapse video with the Mavic Mini but I don't think it is possible.

I don’t know any details about the Mini. Doesn’t it have timed shots, like every two seconds, etc.? If so, your good to go, but you have to assemble it in post software.

 

[Dale D]

First, I am using an MPP, so I don't have a specific hyper lapse function like you do. All I have is just timed shots with the only limit being either the SD card size or the battery. I believe your functionality includes a slow movement of the AC. Mine does not. I have experimented with using waypoints and then setting my speed to the minimum which I think is around 2 mph. However, I have only done that about twice in all of the time lapse I have ever done.

For my location, I usually climb to 400 ft and point in the direction of interest. Then I set the time sequence to 2 seconds between shots for a flying sequence for clouds, sunsets and other interesting subjects. I have done up to 5 seconds for a non-flying sequence if I'm filming sun shadow movement. I normally start with a 100% battery, set it up, then take as many shots as I can until I burn down to 30% battery minimum. For a 15 minute flight (some are longer), I'll capture 450 shots. At this point there is no "assembly" software for the MPP. So I load all of the shots into Final Cut Pro X, setting the project frame rate to 30 frames per second. I then assign the number of frames for each jpg loaded into the time line to 1 frame each. So 450 shots will create a video of 15 seconds at 30 fps. I then convert the group of individual frames to a continuous video by creating a combined clip (a function in FCPX). I then export what I call a "RAW" file (my term) in the Apple format ProRes 422 to preserve quality. I then clear the current timeline and load the RAW file back into FCPX. I then add a LUT to convert from D-LOG, and finally stabilize the clip for movement. That then results in a FINAL time lapse that I again render into a master file in ProRes 422 that I can use later in one of my movies. I then keep the RAW and FINAL files and delete the original jpg's to save disk space. And that's it. It sounds complicated but it's not and I have done it many times.

Just in case you are so inclined, here are some examples of time lapse used in my movies...

Dear Radio Flyer Man:
Those were amazing, terrific, and wonderful. I now have my work cut out for me. I am going to re-invetigate the functions of my Mavic 2 Pro to see if I have timed shots without going into the hyperlapse mode. So far, that mode has been a disaster to me. I am very comfortable with time lapse photography- having been at it since November, 2015 after I started using Gunther Wegner's LRTimelapse software. I am doing milky ways, and all sorts of clouds, people crowds, traffic, etc. vimeo.com/user14373767

Right now I've been at the computer (Premiere Pro) doing a new project for the past 4 hours and hope to publish this over the week end. It is a combination of drone video, timelapses using my Dynamic Perception slider and Sapphire Pan-tilt head, and regular timelapse (using DSLR and tripod), combining with DSLR stills, Osmo Action, Osmo Pocket, Osmo Mobile 2.

 

[RadioFlyerMan]

Dear Radio Flyer Man:
Those were amazing, terrific, and wonderful. I now have my work cut out for me. I am going to re-invetigate the functions of my Mavic 2 Pro to see if I have timed shots without going into the hyperlapse mode. So far, that mode has been a disaster to me. I am very comfortable with time lapse photography- having been at it since November, 2015 after I started using Gunther Wegner's LRTimelapse software. I am doing milky ways, and all sorts of clouds, people crowds, traffic, etc. vimeo.com/user14373767

Right now I've been at the computer (Premiere Pro) doing a new project for the past 4 hours and hope to publish this over the week end. It is a combination of drone video, timelapses using my Dynamic Perception slider and Sapphire Pan-tilt head, and regular timelapse (using DSLR and tripod), combining with DSLR stills, Osmo Action, Osmo Pocket, Osmo Mobile 2.

By the way, here is how I cheated filming time lapse of events that occur over a time span of hours... like sun shadows. I could have used an Osmo 3, but I didn’t have one at the time.

 

[Deleted member 129058]

My first marvic pro sunset shot.

Storm cloud sunset

• Deleted member 129058
• Jun 26, 2020

Shot this photo to capture the moment of sunset and storm cloud.

 

[Deleted member 129058]

Can a marvic pro drone get hit by lightning?

 

[RadioFlyerMan]

My first marvic pro sunset shot.

Storm cloud sunset

• Deleted member 129058
• Jun 26, 2020

Shot this photo to capture the moment of sunset and storm cloud.

Now we’re talking! Most excellent!!! I like stuff like your shot. It’s amazing what the sky can produce. Thanks for sharing.

 

[RadioFlyerMan]

Can a marvic pro drone get hit by lightning?

Not sure. It would seem to me that if it were in the vicinity of a cloud to cloud, or cloud to ground strike that the communication would be disrupted if not destroyed. When I shoot a time lapse of storms coming in off of Lake Michigan, I stay up as long as possible before the rain hits. So far I have experienced only minor distant lightning. Not close enough to cause a problem. Yet.

 

[old man mavic]

that was a shorty short, but even so it went down a storm ,great stuff as usual

 

[VenomXts]

Sunsets are sometimes overdone, but this was very unusual. Take a look... it's short.

Very nice, I like how you did the pre stuff with the radar/map etc. As others have said, its short and i bet you wish you had longer!!!

I feel they are over done too as I make many but its only in a quest for a perfect one lol Keep em up one with a Rain cloud like this is still on my bucket list.

 

[Deleted member 129058]

Now we’re talking! Most excellent!!! I like stuff like your shot. It’s amazing what the sky can produce. Thanks for sharing.

Thank you !

 

[Deleted member 129058]

Very nice, I like how you did the pre stuff with the radar/map etc. As others have said, its short and i bet you wish you had longer!!!

I feel they are over done too as I make many but its only in a quest for a perfect one lol Keep em up one with a Rain cloud like this is still on my bucket list.

Outstanding work must try is one day!

 

[Deleted member 129058]

Next on my list is to photograph some water falls whit my Mp.

 

[RadioFlyerMan]

Very nice, I like how you did the pre stuff with the radar/map etc. As others have said, its short and i bet you wish you had longer!!!

I feel they are over done too as I make many but its only in a quest for a perfect one lol Keep em up one with a Rain cloud like this is still on my bucket list.

I have an idea I’m working on to present a series of sunsets in a kaleidoscopic way. Not sure yet it will work good enough to be interesting.