Oh beautiful ...

Oh beautiful, for spacious skies. Source Credit: America the Beautiful.

This blog post is an homage to Jack Borden, founder of "For Spacious Skies," a non-profit organization "committed to promoting the beauty of the sky as a visual feast that anyone, anywhere, and at any time could partake." Source Credit: BORDEN, Jacob “Jack” - Local Newscaster & Founder of For Spacious Skies.

Sometimes the sky is astoundingly beautiful. Friday, 31 July 2026 was one of those days. Click on the following panoramic composite image to see the full-size version.

31 JUL 2026. 2:40 PM. Panoramic view. (15274 x 3806 pixels.)

I decided to share two "as is" all sky time lapse videos, meaning unedited, so you can see exactly what the camera/lens combo "saw."

31 July 2026 | 1:34 PM - 1:54 PM EDT | Fairfax County, Virginia USA

6.5mm APS-C | f/8 | 1/4,000 s | ISO 160 | 623 photos at 2 s interval

Beautifully saturated blues and almost no blown highlights is the result of using faster shutter speeds, enabling me to capture the dynamic nature of the low level cumuliform clouds (moving generally from north-to-south).

Notice the sunstar (a.k.a., sunburst) that is visible in the second video during breaks in the clouds. A distributor of the lens says the sunstars are 18-point, although I haven't counted the points to verify that claim.

31 July 2026 | 2:01 PM - 2:23 PM EDT | Fairfax County, Virginia USA

6.5mm APS-C | f/8-ish | 1/6,400 s | ISO 160 | 636 photos at 2 s interval

The aperture was "f/8-ish" for the photos used to create the second time lapse, meaning the clickless aperture ring was set a little higher than f/8. What was the actual f/stop? I don't know because the aperture ring for the Meike 6.5mm circular fisheye lens doesn't have any markings between f/8 and f/22, plus the lens is manual only (with no electronic contacts) so there isn't any communication between the lens and camera body.

Tech Tips

The dimensions of the JPG photos used to create both time lapse videos are 6240 x 4160 pixels. That's way more than the resolution of Ultra High Definition, a.k.a., UHD (3840 x 2160 pixels)!

"YouTube officially supports maximum playback and upload resolutions up to 8K (4320p or 7680 × 4320 pixels)." Source Credit: Google AI Overview.

Click on the "Settings" button (gear icon) in the YouTube player and select the highest "Quality" available on your device.

Related Resources

• For Spacious Skies - Jack Borden (14:15) - a YouTube video by Sam Ruocco
• "Skyku©" poetry - a blog post by Walter Sanford
• Posts on Walter Sanford's Blog with the label "all sky"

Post update: Yep, that's an 18-point sunstar!

Copyright © 2026 by Walter Sanford. All rights reserved.

X-T3 Sky Lapse

The following YouTube video includes two time lapse video clips that show the sky over Fairfax County, Virginia USA during the afternoon on 27 July 2026. Two photo sets were captured using a Fujifilm X-T3 and the 18-55mm kit lens. Each photo set was rendered to video using Apple "QuickTime Player"; each movie clip was edited using Apple "Photos." The final video was created using DaVinci Resolve.

27 July 2026 | Fairfax County, Virginia USA

Low level cumuliform clouds were moving generally from north-to-south.

Panoramic Image

The following panoramic composite image was taken using the "Camera" app on my Apple iPad mini 6, set for "Pano" mode. The iPad was mounted on a tripod located in the shade of the tree shown at the right side of the image.

27 JUL 2026. 3:28 PM. Panoramic view. (16350 x 3870 pixels.)

Have I mentioned how much I love the look and feel of the panoramic composite images created using the Apple "Camera" app? I love it so much I would marry it. Easy to use. Excellent output. Good job by you, Apple!

Wind (mph), Weather and Sky Condition

"Wind (mph)," "Weather" and "Sky Cond." are highlighted by red rectangles in the following excerpt from a table of three-day weather observations for KDCA on 27 July 2026 nearest the times when I recorded the photos used to create the time lapse video, and the panoramic composite image.

Source Credit: KDCA | National Weather Service.

Tech Tips

My Fujifilm X-T3 camera was set for manual exposure and manual focus. Aperture was set for f/8. Shutter Speed was 1/500 second. ISO was set for 160. White Balance was set for "Daylight." The focal length of the 18-55mm kit lens was set for 18mm (27mm, 35mm equivalent). Aspect Ratio was set for 16:9 (6240 x 3512 pixels). Image Quality was set for FINE+RAW (Fine JPEG plus RAF).

The ELECTRONIC LEVEL was turned on. The manual focus DEPTH-OF-FIELD SCALE was set for "FILM FORMAT BASIS."

I selected a two (2) second interval between photos. Scene 1 = 602 photos. Scene 2 = 612 photos. Both photo sets lasted approximately 20 minutes in real time.

Related Resources: Posts on Walter Sanford's blog with the label "Fujifilm X-T3."

Copyright © 2026 by Walter Sanford. All rights reserved.

Another GoPro Panoramic Sky Lapse

The following panoramic time lapse video shows the sky above Fairfax County, Virginia USA on 21 July 2026 beginning at 1:06 PM EDT. The video was recorded using my GoPro HERO4 Black action camera mounted on an inexpensive mechanical one-hour kitchen timer.

21 July 2026 | Fairfax County, Virginia USA

The GoPro video was recorded after the "22 degree halo" all sky time lapse video featured in my last blog post. Regrettably the halo isn't visible in the GoPro video.

Panoramic Image

The following panoramic composite image was taken using the "Camera" app on my Apple iPad mini 6, set for "Pano" mode.

21 JUL 2026. 1:38 PM. Panoramic view. (14487 x 3785 pixels.)

RadarScope

Low level cumilform clouds (shown in the preceding panoramic composite image) were growing larger and darker ahead of an area of thunderstorms advancing from west to east.

RadarScope (app) animation | 1:39 PM to 1:58 PM EDT.

Tech Tips

The camera was set for "Video" mode / "Time Lapse Video" submode at a resolution of 4K and an interval of two (2) seconds.

I don't set the kitchen timer for a specific amount of time -- I just turn the dial clockwise until it's set for one hour. Then I compose the shot (by rotating the ball head to check the end points of the panoramic view) and start recording for as long as I need/want.

"CommerciaLapse," one of my earlier blog posts, features photos and a detailed description of the magnet-free rig I use for mounting the one-hour mechanical kitchen timer on a tripod plus a description of how the GoPro is mounted on the timer.

Related Resources

• 22 degree halo - a blog post by Walter Sanford
• RadarScope app - available for both Apple iOS and Android operating systems
• Search results for "RadarScope app" tag from walter sanford's photoblog (4 posts)
• Posts on Walter Sanford's blog with the labels "GoPro" and/or "one-hour kitchen timer"

Copyright © 2026 by Walter Sanford. All rights reserved.

22 degree halo

A time series of 412 photos was taken during the afternoon on 21 July 2026 using my Fujifilm X-T1 camera and a Meike 6.5mm circular fisheye lens. The first photo was shot at 12:37 PM; the last photo at 12:58 PM.

The camera was mounted on a tripod with the lens facing the zenith. The entire dome of the sky is shown in the circular field of view; the horizon is located around the outer rim of the circle.

21 July 2026 | Fairfax County, Virginia USA

A 22° halo around the Sun is visible high in the sky.

The small halo appears as a white or mostly white luminous ring of 22° radius with the light source (Sun or Moon) at its centre. ... The sky inside the ring is conspicuously darker than the rest of the sky. The halo always has a 22° radius regardless of its position in the sky. Source Credit: 22° halo, International Cloud Atlas, World Meteorological Organization.

Camera Settings

The camera was set for manual exposure and manual focus. The Meike lens features a "clickless" aperture ring. The Aperture was set for the f/8 mark on the aperture ring. The manual focus ring was set near the 3 ft mark. The Shutter Speed was set for 1/4,000 s, the fastest mechanical shutter speed featured on the Fujifilm X-T1. 

The camera was set to record FINE+RAW, in L 3:2 format (4896 x 3264 pixels). The film simulation was set for Provia/Standard. A three (3) second interval was used to allow sufficient time for the camera to save the photo files to a memory card.

Panoramic Image

The following panoramic composite image was taken using the "Camera" app on my Apple iPad mini 6, set for "Pano" mode. The iPad was mounted on a tripod located at my usual vantage point on top of a seven-story parking garage.

21 JUl 2026. 1:28 PM. Panoramic view. (14402 x 3877 pixels.)

Notice the low- and middle level cumuliform clouds.

Wind (mph), Weather and Sky Condition

"Wind (mph)," "Weather" and "Sky Cond." are highlighted by red rectangles in the following excerpt from a table of three-day weather observations for KDCA on 21 July 2026, nearest the times when I recorded the time lapse videos and panoramic composite photo.

Source Credit: KDCA | National Weather Service

The preceding table shows the surface wind direction is from the south-southwest. High level cirrostratus clouds (Cs) were streaming across the sky from west to east, as shown in the time lapse video. The difference in wind direction indicates vertical wind shear.

Tech Tips

The camera-lens combo was mounted on a ball head/tripod so that the lens is pointed at the zenith. Notice the green plastic spirit level mounted on the X-T1 hot shoe, used to level the camera body in this orientation.

Camera-lens combo mounted on ball head/tripod.

Apple "QuickTime Player" was used to render 412 JPEG images from the photo set into a time lapse video. The video was edited lightly using Apple "Photos." The post-processed video clip was made into a YouTube movie using "DaVinci Resolve."

Related Resources

• Halo Phenomena | International Cloud Atlas - World Meteorological Organization
• 22° halo | International Cloud Atlas - World Meteorological Organization
• Ice Crystal Halos - one of many good resources available from the Atmospheric Optics Web site
• 22 Degree Halo - WW2010 | Department of Atmospheric Sciences (DAS) at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
• Rainbows, Halos and Glories, by Robert Greenler [excellent reference book]
• Results for the query "halo" on Walter Sanford's Blog

Copyright © 2026 by Walter Sanford. All rights reserved.

Backdoor cold front

For locations in the northern mid-latitudes, weather systems usually move from west to east. Usually, but not always.

A backdoor cold front is a weather boundary that moves south or southwest, bringing cool air from the east or northeast. Unlike typical cold fronts that push west to east, it arrives from an atypical direction—entering through the "back door." Source Credit: Backdoor cold front (Wikipedia).

On 12 July 2026, weather radar showed a backdoor cold front located over the mid-Atlantic United States.

RadarScope (app) animation beginning at 12:00 noon EDT.

The precipitation echoes moving from east-to-west (to the north) and west-to-east (to the south) trace an invisible boundary between different air masses -- that's the "backdoor" cold front!

RadarScope (app) animation beginning at 2:18 PM EDT.

Tech Tips

Set the RadarScope (app) "Radar Frame Count" for 30 frames, the maximum number of frames.

Settings / General / Data / Radar Frame Count

A 30-frame time lapse lasts ~25 to 30 minutes. That's not very long, so I recommend you set the preceding videos to Play in a "Loop."

Click the white "Play" button. When the button turns red, right-click on the video and select "Loop." Then press the "Play" button again and the video will loop over and over. Alternate procedure (for mobile devices): Click the "Settings" button; select "More options" then select "Loop."

Related Resources

• RadarScope app - available for both Apple iOS and Android operating systems
• backdoor cold front - AMS Glossary of Meteorology
• "Backdoor" Cold Front - National Weather Service Glossary
• Search results for "RadarScope app" tag from walter sanford's photoblog (4 posts)

Copyright © 2026 by Walter Sanford. All rights reserved.

Using a Fujifilm X-T1 for time lapsing, revisited

Two time series of photos were taken during the afternoon on 15 June 2026 using my Fujifilm X-T1 camera and a Meike 6.5mm circular fisheye lens. Apple "QuickTime Player" was used to render the JPEG images from each photo set into a time lapse video. Both videos were edited using Apple "Photos." The two video clips were combined to make a movie using "DaVinci Resolve."

The camera was mounted on a tripod with the lens facing the zenith. The entire dome of the sky is shown in the circular field of view; the horizon is located around the outer rim of the circle.

The "Scene 1" time lapse video was created from 432 photos: first image = 1:29 PM; last image = 1:50 PM. The "Scene 2" time lapse video was created from 473 photos: first image = 2:35 PM; last image = 2:58 PM. My GoPro HERO4 Black action camera was used to record a panoramic sky lapse video during a break between "Scene 1" and "Scene 2."

15 June 2026 | Fairfax County, Virginia USA

When I started using the Meike 6.5mm circular fisheye lens for "all sky" time lapsing, I mounted the camera on a tripod with the center column fully extended. The idea was to raise the camera/lens high enough that I could stand by the tripod without appearing in the fisheye photos. As expected, this resulted in camera shake and noticeably "jittery" video. I lowered the center column so there's no extension, making the camera steadier. That's a good thing. The trade-off is now you can see me in some photos at times. I can live with that.

Test Shot

It's very difficult to see the LCD screen of the X-T1 in bright sunlight, so I went to a shady place where I could take a few test shots to be sure exposure was set correctly.

15 JUN 2026 | 1:21 PM | f/8 | 1/3,200 s | ISO 200 | 4896 x 3264 pixels

Camera Settings

The camera was set for manual exposure and manual focus. The Meike lens features a "clickless" aperture ring. The Aperture was set for the f/8 mark on the aperture ring. The manual focus ring was set near the 3 ft mark. The Shutter Speed was set for 1/3,200 s. 

The camera was set to record FINE+RAW, in L 3:2 format (4896 x 3264 pixels). The film simulation was set for Provia/Standard. A three (3) second interval was used to allow sufficient time for the camera to save the photo files to a memory card.

Panoramic Image

The following panoramic composite image was taken using the "Camera" app on my Apple iPad mini 6, set for "Pano" mode. The iPad was mounted on a tripod located at my usual vantage point on top of a seven-story parking garage.

15 JUN 2026. 3:17 PM. Panoramic view. (16350 x 3906 pixels.)

Wind (mph), Weather and Sky Condition

"Wind (mph)," "Weather" and "Sky Cond." are highlighted by red rectangles in the following excerpt from a table of three-day weather observations for KDCA on 15 June 2026 nearest the times when I recorded the time lapse videos and panoramic composite photo.

Source Credit: KDCA | National Weather Service

Low-, middle-, and high level clouds were streaming across the sky from the north-northwest to south-southeast.

Tech Tips

Everything You Need to Know About SD Cards by B&H eXplora provides a clear and concise explanation of the numbers and symbols that appear on SD memory cards. Although the article is a good resource it's the kind of information that makes my head feel like it's going to explode! So I just assumed the fastest memory cards I own were incompatible with my older Fujifilm X-T1. Turns out I was wrong.

After reading my blog post entitled Field testing an X-T1 for time lapsing - an after action report my good friend Luis Acosta suggested I try using one of the fastest memory cards I own with my X-T1. I did, and much to my surprise it worked. In fact it works so well I could probably record FINE+RAW files using a two-second interval. So I decided to give the X-T1 another chance for time lapsing. The following photo shows the memory card I'm currently using with my X-T1.

SanDisk 64 GB SDXC memory card.

Sometimes the little things make a big difference. I repurposed the lens cap strap from an old Kodak digital camera (now that's old!) to make a safety tether for the lens cap that covers my Meike 6.5mm circular fisheye lens. It's not elegant yet seems to work well. Also notice the green plastic spirit level mounted on the X-T1 hot shoe. I use it to level the camera body when the lens is pointed at the zenith.

Lens cap tether for Meike 6.5mm circular fisheye lens.

Post update: I forgot to mention "Mr. T," a little trick I learned from Chris Lee (a.k.a., pal2tech) that makes a big difference. For more information watch Fujifilm Shutter Speed Dial (8:20), a YouTube video by Chris.

Finally let's transition to a brief discussion about "DaVinci Resolve." I have learned two hard lessons from my early struggles to get up-to-speed with DaVinci: 1. Always spec the "Project Settings" before you begin editing ("Timeline resolution" most importantly); and 2. DO NOT move or rename media files on your computer after adding them to the timeline.

Related Resources

• Field testing an X-T1 for time lapsing - after action report - a blog post by Walter Sanford
• More Fisheye on the Sky - a blog post by Walter Sanford
• Fisheye on the Sky - a blog post by Walter Sanford

Copyright © 2026 by Walter Sanford. All rights reserved.

Solstice sunset

As a child we learned "the Sun rises in the east and sets in the west," right? Not always. In fact that's true only two days a year -- the equinoxes (March and September).

The Motions of the Sun Simulator was used to show the apparent motion of the Sun across the sky on the June Solstice. Notice the Sun rises along the northeastern horizon and sets along the northwestern horizon. At Washington, D.C. (38.89° North latitude and 77.03° degrees West longitude) the Sun reaches a maximum altitude of 74.7° above the horizon, the highest maximum altitude all year.

"Motions of the Sun Simulator" set for 21 JUN at 38.8 N latitude.

The following animation shows the Sun's apparent path across the sky on the June Solstice, repeated several times.

Firsthand Observations

I used my iPad mini 6 running the "Theodolite" iOS app to take a time series of images during the evening on 21 June 2026, beginning at 8:00 PM and ending at 8:36 PM (sunset) with an interval of five minutes between shots. The camera was mounted on a tripod facing exactly west. Notice how far north of west the Sun sets.

21 JUN 2026 | 8:00 PM | Facing west.

21 JUN 2026 | 8:05 PM | Facing west.

21 JUN 2026 | 8:10 PM Facing west.

21 JUN 2026| 8:15 PM | Facing west.

21 JUN 2026 | 8:20 PM | Facing west.

21 JUN 2026 | 8:25 PM | Facing west.

21 JUN 2026 | 8:30 PM | Facing west.

21 JUN 2026 | 8:36 PM | Facing west.

The exact position of sunset was obscured by both clouds and the tree line to the west of my vantage point, but it's clear enough the Sun set near the trunk of the tallest tree along the horizon.

By the way, I have no idea what the white orb is that appears in the lower-right corner of most of the sunset images. I assume it's a feature of the "Theodolite" app, but I'm not sure.

Related Resource: Theodolite - a blog post by Walter Sanford

Post update: The mysterious white orbs that appear in my "Theodolite" images are "augmented reality (AR) markers to show the position of the Sun." According to the developer, the fact that the Sun, as shown in my photos, isn't aligned with the AR markers indicates the compass on my iPad mini 6 was a little off. (Source Credit: "Thoedolite" app developer.)

Google AI says "Check if your iPad case has magnetic closures ... , and try removing the case temporarily to see if your accuracy improves." The Apple case I use with my iPad does feature magnetic closures so I will try removing the case. Although that might help reduce magnetic interference, it might not eliminate the problem because the iPad itself has a built-in magnet that is used to attach an Apple Pencil.

All of that being said, the amateur scientist in me thinks it's also possible the "Theodolite" AR might be a little off, especially since I calibrated the Apple iPad compass before using "Theodolite" to photograph the solstice sunset. I'm just saying, multivariate analysis isn't easy.

Copyright © 2026 by Walter Sanford. All rights reserved.