close iframe icon
Banner

Lauterbrunnen star trails



behind the lens badge

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 b...
Read more

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!
Read less

Views

3161

Likes

Awards

Chatter Award
Zenith Award
Featured
Great Shot
  View more
Peer Award
Absolute Masterpiece
tinamay_6726 dablovesyou2 erkinai_tk Keeganhawk Patriot1 TarekShayne kimiraaman +97
Superb Composition
mjreyesbalatbat Ellenov davidchadwick_6967 Eberlephotography jorgesanchezsr Bianci sallyolson +69
Outstanding Creativity
amitpanigrahi imtiyazalidedhrotiya JuergenJoherl VikasSardesai Terryouston HeatherEtue Prash22757 +56
Top Choice
isabelhernandez JulsBad alubilo ErlMar58 Klaassen ash_coff cristianpostovanu +44
Magnificent Capture
Gadgetz UpuliWi francesmyers taarnes Demi08 Lemona SamA_Forty2 +26
Superior Skill
mbpics petrpolach ianwattsimages lucynoble RuggedOutdoorPhotography maxnwhk Sowaid +18
All Star
sourjyassen cometolifephotography teodorasarbinska toivido Cscross Badgrandad Shawndaman3 +3
Virtuoso
ScooterbugPhotography JasonGroomsPhoto lisaprefontaine FRSam Robert_Grauer Malcaido GBen +3
Genius
burtonff joannaSO ElizabethAPhotography SightsbyCF

Emotions

Impressed
KevLiving ritastapletonspencer jamesjeffs aliasadi109 fotographix Panda_Attak mkofo +66
Happy
ElizabethAPhotography alinpacemaker kaych22 ladysuprme
Relaxed
mercedesdiodati mihalymurka_5595 ChristieOnTheGo

Top Ranks

Color Explorer Photo ContestTop 10 rank
Color Explorer Photo ContestTop 10 rank week 1
An Unforgettable Adventure Photo ContestTop 10 rank
The Night And The Mountains Photo ContestTop 20 rank
The Night And The Mountains Photo ContestTop 30 rank week 1
18 Comments |
DNproSTUDIO
 
DNproSTUDIO April 10, 2019
really amazing work for this milky way picture
DNproSTUDIO
 
DNproSTUDIO April 10, 2019
really amazing work for this milky way picture
DNproSTUDIO
 
DNproSTUDIO April 10, 2019
really amazing work for this milky way picture
kovacsapor
 
kovacsapor April 19, 2019
Nice
dawnsview Platinum
 
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.
mirjam
 
mirjam April 19, 2019
Was your camera ok after having that ice cover it?
randalpair Ultimate
 
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 PRO+
 
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!
danicleeland Premium
 
danicleeland September 06, 2019
Amazing! :)
Shane1973 Platinum
 
Shane1973 November 04, 2020
Beautiful shot!
marzenego PRO+
 
marzenego December 19, 2020
This piece of art proves your high levels of determination, perseverance, talent and passion for photography. Bravissimo, Pascal !
RainbowWarrior
 
RainbowWarrior February 19, 2021
😍
KimsView
 
KimsView November 04, 2021
Beautiful capture!!
gerryparadis
 
gerryparadis November 11, 2021
Brilliant shot!
bhrantivallabhbhai
 
bhrantivallabhbhai January 17, 2022
Stunning
Foxx1999 Platinum
 
Foxx1999 January 23, 2022
beautiful
lindatenbrook
 
lindatenbrook July 05, 2022
Where were these taken?
U have some absolutely Stunning pics!
Ellenov
 
Ellenov October 14, 2023
Wonderful
See all

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 tripod

Inspiration

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 batteries

Feedback

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.

See more amazing photos, follow kammpascal

It’s your time to shine! ☀️

Share photos. Enter contests to win great prizes.
Earn coins, get amazing rewards. Join for free.

Already a member? Log In

By continuing, you agree to our Terms of Service, and acknowledge you've read our Privacy Policy Notice.