Magnificent New Timelapse: Death Valley Dreamlapse 2

[n2doc]

http://vimeo.com/65008584

(Watch in HD with headphones on and the volume cranked, if you can. Hands and arms inside the cart at all times!)


Check out "STARCHASERS: BEHIND THE DREAMLAPSE", a 4 minute Behind the Scenes Doc here: vimeo.com/65031084
After the unbelievable response to our first DEATH VALLEY DREAMLAPSE (vimeo.com/57757618) our team returned for Part 2, this time going deeper, to the mysterious and unexplained sliding stones of Racetrack Playa. No UFOs this time (we THINK) but plenty of wonder and amazement, including some insane star trails, a beautiful milky way pass over the lakebed, and an incredible pink desert aurora! We also tried out some new timelapse techniques, like moonpainting the foreground landscapes (0:53 -- 1:20), and also some experiments merging regular timelapse footage with star trails -- a technique we've been calling STARSCRAPING (1:07:1:33). If it has an actual name, let us know! Star Trails shot at 25 sec exposures.

No special effects used, just the natural rotation of the earth's axis. Photography Merging: STARSTAX. Used two Canon EOS 5Dmkii, with a 24mm/1.4 lens & 28mm/1.8.

The pink aurora first makes an appearance during the star trails shot at 1:36 and later in more detail at 2:22. Since we didn't even know auroras were POSSIBLE this far south, we did some research and learned there was a CME (Coronal Mass Eruption) solar event that night (March 17th) which likely triggered what we see. Read more at UNIVERSE TODAY (bit.ly/11ygzCy). If anyone has any additional theories/insight, we'd love to hear more! To learn more about the mysterious sliding rocks, read here: bit.ly/YgjOf2

[niyad]

1. k and r--I find death valley a truly beautiful and haunting place

[struggle4progress]

2. It's beautiful territory