4 Less-Known Tricks for Shooting Time Lapse Photography
A time lapse video is made of numerous still photographs of a subject taken over a period of time and then blended together to create a compelling video. So far, so good and most of you probably knew this part already. You don't need a PhD to make cool time lapses, but there's a big difference between creating something average that most people are used to seeing, and creating something truly amazing. We've got 4 tips to help you create some awesome stuff. Check them out.
1. Do the math
Make sure you shoot enough frames for your video, and since most videos are created at 24p, you're going to need a lot of stills. For example, if you shoot at an interval of 12 seconds and you want a 25 second clip, you're going to have to keep shooting for about a half an hour. Do the math and remember that it's better to have more to choose from than not enough.
2. Use motorized motion
The difference between an average time lapse and a great one often lies in motion. Adding smooth motion will make a world of difference and the best way to do it is to use motorized gear. Our favorite choice comes from Revolve Camera. Their motorized products will create that smooth motion you want easily and effortlessly. You can see it in this time lapse video of Los Angeles at night:
or in this awesome nature footage:
Besides the durability and ease of use, Revolve products won't have you take out any bank loans.
Learn more about Revolve Automated Motion systems here.
3. Adapt the exposure mode
Normally, most serious photographers don't even consider using anything else but manual exposure. Indeed, it can be the best setting if the lighting conditions don't change drastically over the course of your shooting session. A good camera however, and most DSLRs for that matter, will do a good job of adapting to lighting conditions if you set them to aperture priority.
4. Stationary objects look best
The cool thing about time lapse videos is putting stationary objects in contrast with changing light conditions and camera motion. Try to shoot static subjects as much as possible, especially in the first attempts. Then add a little motion and see what happens. Again, the best part about time lapse videos is the contrast. That's why even a dull looking scene with some ugly buildings will come to life if you capture the cloud movements above and pan the camera a little, and that's just a quick example off the top of our heads. Have fun!