Oh, on a night like this only one tram passes, as last watch! In the dark purple twilight of the weeping streets, you scan every shadow and silhouette floating in the distance. And if you were having a midnight stroll in Sofia, it must have been somewhere around 11.30pm, one of those silhouettes was probably that of photographer Mikhail Minkov – the third #URBN and Xiaomi 12T Pro challenger to be included in the “Mega Moments” challenge – three photographers, three stories of cities and photos, from thousands of likes, who have immortalized the mega moments made only with a phone…
The new 200 megapixel camera Xiaomi 12T Pro and in the hand of a kind of knight of the night: the photographer Mikhail Minkov. You can only find it in the dark part of the day – the darker it is, the more likely it is to chase the moment to turn it into a nocturnal landscape.
More from Mega Moments by Mikhail Minkov see HERE >>>
Mikhail Minkov met Photography much more than four years ago, but lately his heart has been occupied by Her Majesty the Night. The first night photo he took and liked later was in March: he photographed the Milky Way. When he sees on the camera display that the photo was successful, the feeling is indescribable, because photographing the Milky Way is phenomenal: very few people have actually seen it.
“Capturing it on a phone or camera display is awesome! I got into night photography because it was the only time I could shoot because I’m a dad of two and there was no way I could capture sunrises and sunsets with them” .
In those four years, his perception of night photography has changed mainly as a way of shooting.
“Right from the start, I started shooting with a professional camera. Then, as the possibilities changed and the technique rose, so did my purely conceptual feelings about a good shot. At first, I shot according to the principle of ” trial and error” – in processing and shooting. Now my shots are conceptually clearer and look better visually,” the night photographer tells about his development.
What draws him into the dark woods is the endless path of improvement, trying the new and the unexpected. Encounters with the nightlife not only of people, but also of nature.
On this same vast path for the unarmed, we walk with Mikhail and the flagship Xiaomi 12T Pro, which has been in his hands for several weeks. Let’s recreate Night Sofia with a mystical twist. Thanks to groundbreaking improvements, Xiaomi 12T Pro now offers a complete solution for low-light performance, from optical equipment to leading AI algorithms for shooting night landscapes. Guaranteed by 200MP imaging system. The model is equipped with a super large 1/1.22″ sensor and Super pixels with 16-in-1 binning and f/1.69 OIS aperture for more light throughout the night. This is the reason for the lower noise in low-light photos and for sharp detail even in the dark.
The imaging system is Xiaomi’s highest resolution in a smartphone to date, featuring a 200MP mega ultra-high resolution image sensor with OIS and an 8P lens. And for maximum sharpness in every scene, it features our most innovative AI camera features.
Photo: Mikhail Minkov with Xiaomi 12T Pro
“The phone is extremely good. I’m using Pro mode because every time I shoot I want to check all the settings myself. Surprisingly, this flagship has surpassed the level I imagined for mobile photography. Great optics, very little matrix noise – I’m impressed! I had to steal the time in the night. I had to see her through her eyes! Luckily, when I went out with the Xiaomi 12T Pro in my pocket, it was already raining. There were great reflections in the puddles and from the splashes on the streets The atmosphere was magical!”
Mihail Minkov photographed the series “Mega Moments: Night Sofia” only with a long exposure. The goal is to capture the beautiful, elongated, chasing lights that we see…
“Trails, as we call them in English. They make the shot so interesting and spectacular. Then the tram appeared, as if to order.”
Photo: Mikhail Minkov with Xiaomi 12T Pro
The imaging system is Xiaomi’s highest resolution in a smartphone to date, featuring a 200MP mega ultra-high resolution image sensor with OIS and an 8P lens. And to achieve maximum sharpness in every scene, it is equipped with the latest AI camera features.
Tram, like the last guard, like from a “Grilli” song!
Looking at Minkov’s series, we see the emblematic buildings of the capital: the National Palace of Culture, the monument-temple of Alexander Nevsky, Hagia Sophia, the National Theater and the Parliament.
“I’m preparing a few more releases with the Xiaomi 12T Pro and around Sofia. We captured the moon in all its glory!” says Minkov.
Recommend Xiaomi 12T Pro even to amateurs, precisely because full control and camera quality are mastered in both standard and night mode. But to get the images with blurry city lights in night colors, you need at least 5 seconds of exposure.
So with just one phone you can capture your moments anywhere, from a lonely walk on the beach under a starry sky to a kiss on the forehead after the lights go out. Every movement is captured in vivid detail and with far less noise or overexposure. To record scenes in the most extreme low light conditions, simply activate Ultra Night Video. An ultra wide angle camera can give you the biggest picture imaginable, while a macro camera can show you the fine details that bring a story to life.
The chipset works faster. The battery lasts longer. Charging is faster. The core is kept much cooler. All this while prioritizing energy efficiency. TSMC’s new 4n processor goes a step further in keeping power consumption low while delivering high performance, assuring Mikhail Minkov that even longer journeys than him are warranted by a mobile device.
Mikhail Minkov shoots “Mega Moments: Night over the city” with Xiaomi 12T Pro
Photo: Mikhail Minkov with Xiaomi 12T Pro
“That is, the aperture should be set so that, for example, a car can pass by and be blurred at the bottom of the frame. You need to have a tripod and set the ISO – in this case it was quite low, because it’s not lights in the city, this means there will be less noise. You can then print this shot. You can also adjust the focus yourself, it’s easy. This makes the shot better.”
From the series “Mega Moments: Night over the City”, ranging from the Center to the Teleporter and the Hoof, the most memorable thing for Minkov is the excitement and feeling, while traveling, looking for the right conditions for photos.
Mikhail Minkov shoots “Mega Moments: Night over the city” with Xiaomi 12T Pro
Photo: Mikhail Minkov with Xiaomi 12T Pro
“It depends entirely on the weather and when there is a window with a clear sky, I would take the Xiaomi 12T Pro and jump in the car, then drive around for 2-3 hours moving from place to place, late into the night. So I met deer on my way and rabbits and other nocturnal animals, which gave a mystical and fabulous atmosphere,” says Mikhail.
To enjoy the nightlife and nature!
“My dream is to be able to travel a lot and go to a very dark place! To photograph the night sky there, as light pollution interferes a lot. There are not many places around Sofia where I can take pictures. I am definitely not afraid of the dark . I feel pretty good when I’m alone. It’s a great experience for me to be in the field and have this infinity and the stars above me. You feel humbled by how small you are!”
Mikhail Minkov shoots “Mega Moments: Night over the city” with Xiaomi 12T Pro
Photo: Mikhail Minkov with Xiaomi 12T Pro
As a mood, Night Sofia is welcoming. Thus, photographs for Mikhail Minkov become a Mega Moment for himself, walking in silence and observing – people, lights, movements and shadows.
“It was nice to walk, get wet, feel alive around midnight in Sofia”
Rain doesn’t bother the Xiaomi 12T Pro in the slightest.
“The splashes didn’t bother him!” Minkov says. “Unique display, battery and camera”.
Exactly, Michael. Xiaomi 12T Pro has a bright display and demonstrates incredible color accuracy: 68 billion color display with TrueColor and 100% DCI-P3 wide color gamut. Designed with the eyes in mind, the display supports 1920Hz PWM dimming to help them without losing image quality. Up to 480Hz touch sampling rate means the display responds to your every touch with greater sensitivity. It responds and adjusts to your every move.
Mikhail Minkov shoots “Mega Moments: Night over the city” with Xiaomi 12T Pro
Photo: Mikhail Minkov with Xiaomi 12T Pro
His favorite photo is the one of the tram passing at the right time. In the distance you can see TSUM and “Holy Sunday”. A somewhat ghostly tram, like a real night watch on the streets. The National Palace is also a stunning shot: the palace looking around in the rain puddle.
“I was surprised by the quality. I’m a fan of the Xiaomi brand and own my phone. I’ve taken pictures before, but this flagship performs very well. For night shots, at ISO 3200 (this shoots up to ISO 6400 between other) behaves perfectly. I did It’s an experiment to print a few frames, because I’m curious, but from the side of the matrix and optics – I have no complaints about the Xiaomi 12T Pro”.
Every shot of Mikhail Minkov is photoshopped, because night photography for him is an interpretation. Put your handwriting.
Mikhail Minkov shoots “Mega Moments: Night over the city” with Xiaomi 12T Pro
Photo: Mikhail Minkov with Xiaomi 12T Pro
Enhance color and contrast. Amplify the light.
“You can’t do without processing. The raw file must be touched. I haven’t used applications in the field with the exception of the LightRoom program, since I shoot in RAW to get maximum information in the frame and I use it for subsequent processing. The difference between JPEG and RAW files is huge!”.
The word for Minkov’s Mega Moments is Serenity!
If he could now escape with the Xiaomi 12T Pro, he would take the flagship to Socotra, Yemen, the mystical island or to Atacama, Chile, one of the darkest places in the world. On La Palma and where else…
“I have plans and there is indeed an opportunity to travel to Socotra soon, so… we will probably find a solution together with the Xiaomi 12T Pro!”
* The title is taken from the lyrics of the song “Hamlet” by the Crickets
**Special project from Xiaomi & #URBN
