DAY 13 CHALLENGE

TIME-LAPSE PHOTOGRAPHY

This is the last of three DIY Challenges that will invite you and your family to creatively problem-solve. This third challenge will ask you patiently wait as you capture several hours within the day to be viewed over just a few moments. Let's see where your exploration will lead you and what you will capture for this challenge!

What is Time-Lapse Photography?

A technique whereby the frequency at which film frames are captured (the frame rate) is much more spread out than the frequency used to view the sequence. When played at normal speed, time appears to be moving faster and thus lapsing.

"You don't take a photograph, you make it." Ansel Adams

GOAL: Observe your surroundings and the changing times. Document that process in a way that reflects a duration of time.

CHALLENGE: Find a space to observe over an extended period of time and capture the way light and shadows change throughout the day. Observe the change in color throughout the day and the way objects look when cast in different lights.

THINGS TO CONSIDER:

Is this a space that is frequently interrupted by people or other moving objects?
Will you be capturing time as a series of still images or one lapsed video?
How long will you choose to capture a particular space? How can you stage your camera to capture the greatest transition throughout time?

TIME-LAPSE TIPS & TRICKS

DSLR (Digital Single-Lens Reflex)

1. Choose the Subject to Shoot

The time-lapse technique is used to artificially speed up the time out of proportion, so choose a subject – and the resulting framing – that can be considered interesting and especially that tells a story that would hardly be noticeable by the naked eye in natural conditions. For example: photographing moving clouds is very academic, and that’s great for your first attempt at time-lapse. But this could be rather boring to watch if you do not compose a shot with items that stand out against the background.

2. Place the Camera on a Tripod, and Level It

Now that you’ve chosen your subject and the framing of the scene, you can set up the tripod. If you own a quite recent and not-so-entry level DSLR, exploit the fact that you have available a leveling system by pressing the INFO button repeatedly. You can then proceed to adjusting the tripod legs in order to realize a straight and beautiful shot.

3. Get Ready for the Shooting Session

The first thing to do is to format the memory card: taking so many pictures quickly fills the Memory Card, so don’t leave room for such problems. Choose the right format of shooting. If you shoot in RAW your camera produces high-quality images, which takes up a lot of space on the memory card. The JPG format instead will save more than 60% of the occupied space, so in practice you can take many more pictures on the same card, compared to the amount you’d be able to save in RAW.

4. Set the Interval: How Many Pictures to Take, and How Often

Depending upon the subject that you want to shoot, you will need to use different times and intervals. There is no golden rule to apply, but only suggestions dictated by common sense and experience that you may have carried out in the field. In time-lapse, one frame is equivalent to a photograph. For a video of just 10 seconds, you will need 250 photographs. One minute of time-lapse takes approximately 1,500 shots. That said, it is also easy to calculate how long it takes to achieve the desired sequence. Assuming you take 1 frame every 4 seconds, it will take 250 x 4 = 1000 seconds = 16.6 minutes to process our 10 seconds time-lapse video.

5. Press START & Relax

Take a couple of test shots to see if you’ve fixed everything and the framing is as perfect as you wanted. Use the Time-lapse Calculator to figure out how long you’ll be there to relax, press START and enjoy the atmosphere and the tranquillity around you! Making a time-lapse is in fact something relaxing, which allows you to express your creativity while you enjoy a moment of relaxation, perhaps alone in the mountains, accompanied by the sound of the shutter that snaps.

6.Go Home & Create Your Own Videos

Once back at home with your hundreds of photos in sequence, you will want to create the video and see your time-lapse video come to life.

Full Time-Lapse Tutorial

Quick Capture Cards - For Mobile.pdf

Cell Phone (iOS/Android)

1. First Thing First: Android or iOS?

Regardless of which side of the smartphone arms race you fall on, there are a ton of fantastic cameras to be had on nearly all of today’s top devices. Chances are, the phone in your pocket is more than enough to get started taking some seriously compelling sequences.

2. Essential Mobile Time-Lapse Accessories

One of the key components that go into making quality mobile time-lapse videos is your ability to keep the phone steady for a long period of time. Many newer models have advanced stabilization software built into them which makes your life much easier, but if you’re looking to take things to the next level, consider propping your phone up against something or use a tripod.

3. Don’t Neglect the Basics

Regardless of what devices you use to capture time-lapse videos with, it’s important to keep in mind the essentials like exposure, framing, and subject matter. Each of these represents a crucial pillar that is needed to make your shots interesting to your viewers, which is ideally what you want.

4. Use an Older Phone if You Have One

If you have an older device laying around that you don’t use anymore, turning it into a dedicated time-lapse camera may be a great way to breathe new life into it. That said, if you upgraded to a fancy new model that features an even better camera, you may be tempted to just stick with that, and we don’t blame you.

5. Get Creative with Your Framing

By nature of their size alone, you can get a smartphone into positions and spaces that a bulky DSLR simply wouldn’t be able to go.

6. Experiment with Hyperlapse Videos

You don’t have to stand still all of the time when capturing your shots. Hyperlapse videos involve camera motion, and apps like Hyperlapse for iOS and Microsoft Hyperlapse for Android make creating these surreal, ghostly sequences easier than ever before.

DID YOU KNOW?

This photograph of Boulevard du Temple in Paris was made in 1838 by Louis Daguerre, the brilliant guy that invented the daguerreotype process of photography. Aside from its distinction of being a super early photograph, it’s also the first photograph to ever include a human being. Because the image required an exposure time of over ten minutes, all the people, carriages, and other moving things disappear from the scene. However, in the bottom left hand corner is a man who just so happened to stay somewhat still during the shot — he was having his shoes shined. It’s interesting how sheer luck earned the guy a place in the history of photography. Too bad we’ll probably never know his identity.

Time-Lapse Gallery

Reflect & Share Online

Time-Lapse PhotographyDay 13 - DIY Part 3

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