Sometimes you have to make a shot work, even if it’s not initially what you hoped for.
This timelapse was filmed over a period of more than three hours, with 30 second exposures at 45 second intervals. The footage was initially a disappointment: the frames were underexposed, lacking in contrast, and the light in the VW van flicked on for only a brief second. Worst of all, the camera’s sensor overloaded, resulting in a large number of “stuck” pixels across the sky.
AfterEffects was used to correct exposure (as well as possible) and to track and remove stuck pixels. Finally, the light in the van was spread over a greater number of frames and gradually faded out using mattes and layers.
I particularly liked the effect of the stars from the opposite side of the sky reflected in the van’s windows.