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 p.1 #13 · 250MP Pixel Shift Series – Frankfurt Central Station in Color & Monochrome (Two-Part Fine Art Interpretation) | |
Yes, these photos will most likely be printed.
We’re moving into a new company building, and many of my images will be used to shape the visual design of different rooms – meeting rooms, break areas, and thematic zones. The goal is to create atmospheres that relax, inspire and take people out of their daily routine for a moment.
In March I’ll spend two weeks on the Lofoten Islands to photograph the Northern Lights. These images will later decorate some of the rooms. I’ve dreamed of this for more than 20 years – it brings together everything I love about photography: night scenes, atmosphere, emotion, wide landscapes, and subtle light.
About Pixel Shift (Sony vs. Canon and others)
Pixel Shift is implemented very differently depending on the manufacturer, partly due to patent workarounds.
Sony is one of the few brands that generates a true RAW from the Pixel Shift sequence.
Canon performs Pixel Shift internally but outputs only 8-bit JPEG, which is extremely limiting (low DR, no WB adjustments, compression artifacts).
Sony creates 16 frames, shifting the sensor by exactly one pixel each time.
If one exposure is 16 seconds, Pixel Shift becomes 16 × 16 seconds.
There are almost no pauses between frames.
Nothing in the scene may move, otherwise strange artifacts appear – a forest in the wind would completely fail.
Advantages with Sony 16-shot PS:
approx. +3 EV more DR
much higher resolving power
full RGB information per pixel (no Bayer interpolation)
visibly cleaner light colors, haze colors, gradients
especially strong in night scenes and atmospheric light
These are not dramatic “wow” differences at first glance, but clearly visible – and impossible to achieve with a single frame.
Sony’s software automatically recognizes the 16 files and generates a new linear RAW (still fully WB-adjustable). File size ~1.5–2 GB.
Important note:
Sony’s Pixel Shift converter is very weak.
Lightroom, which supports these RAWs since ~1–2 years, delivers far better results.
AI denoising can clean up remaining small artifacts completely.
When Pixel Shift works well
I use Pixel Shift mainly for:
large landscape scenes
wide overview shots
images with a huge amount of detail
architecture
night scenes with atmospheric light
I also tried PS underground with a 14 mm lens. Technically impressive, but you see every scratch, stain and imperfection – sometimes too much. Extreme resolution can hurt the overall aesthetic.
Night scenes benefit the most:
Lights in fog or mist, color transitions, subtle glows – everything becomes cleaner, richer and more finely resolved.
Movement:
Long exposures of water: works surprisingly well (AI fixes minor artifacts)
Moving train: impossible (must restart)
Norway workflow
For Norway I’ll photograph:
Landscapes:
HDR-RAW or Pixel Shift (depending on DR needs)
Northern Lights:
Very short exposures, high ISO, f/1.8 – since they move constantly.
Everything will then be combined in Photoshop into one final image.
This approach creates significantly better quality than any single exposure could.
After 30 years of night photography, this project brings together everything I care about. If the weather cooperates, it will be the photographic trip of my life.
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