The following brief time lapse video segments were captured and created using "Skyflow," an Apple iOS app running on my Apple iPad mini 6. My goal was simple: Capture a time lapse using the "RAW+JPEG" photo setting that could be used for testing purposes. In particular, I wanted to experiment with in-app editing of RAW files.
Here's the JPEG version of the time lapse video exported "as is" from "Skyflow."
27 February 2026. Video created using JPEG files.
Here's the JPEG version of the time lapse video exported from "Skyflow" and edited using Apple "Photos."
27 February 2026. Video created using JPEG files, edited using Apple "Photos."
And here's the version created using RAW files (negatives/DNGs) post-processed using the "Skyflow" in-app editor. My objective was to make the RAW version look as good or better than the JPEG version edited using Apple "Photos."
27 February 2026. Video created using RAW files.
Looking at the JPEG and RAW versions of the same video side-by-side, I think the JPEG version looks slightly better, and the JPEG version edited with "Photos" looks the best of all three. That tells me my "recipe" for in-app editing of RAW files probably needs to be tweaked for better results.
The following photo shows the first frame of the RAW files before it was edited. Notice the RAW image looks "flat" and washed out. The RAW files have much more dynamic range than the JPEGs shot at the same time, so it should be possible to edit them to look better than the JPEGs.
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| HEIC image saved from RAW video before editing. |
Finally, here's the "recipe" I used to edit the RAW files using the in-app editor.
- Brightness = +/-0
- Contrast = +14
- Gamma = +/-0
- Shadows = +14
- Highlights = -14
- Black Point = +/-0
- Saturation = +26
- Vibrancy = +14
- Noise Reduction + 0
- Sharpness = 8
- Vignette = 0
Tech Tips
The Apple "Camera" app on iPad mini 6 IS NOT CAPABLE of shooting RAW files (negatives/DNGs). Yet "Skyflow" can, and it uses the iPad camera. What's wrong with this picture? Hey Apple -- are you listening? This problem needs to be fixed STAT!
Among many nice features in "Skyflow," lots of useful information is available by tapping on a recording to open in "project view" (my name for the screen) and tapping the "i" button shown in the upper-left corner. In this case, I am reminded the app was set for Focus = Locked, Exposure = Auto, and White Balance = Locked.
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| "Skyflow" (i)nfo. |
Nothing But Blue Skies ... well, almost
In my last blog post, I described how to interpret the "Sky Cond." shown in a table of three-day weather observations for KDCA on 27 February 2026 nearest the time when I recorded the time lapse video (shown above). The low level clouds shown in the video are fair weather cumulus (Cu).
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| Source Credit: KDCA | National Weather Service. |
Related Resources
- GoPro "Orbit" - a blog post by Walter Sanford
- [Blog] posts with label "Skyflow"
Copyright © 2026 by Walter Sanford. All rights reserved.
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