Category Archives: Time-lapse
Using Movement as Subject When Shooting Time-lapse
No matter what you are shooting–people, landscapes, weather, machines–your subject is essentially the movement of these elements within the frame. You really need to develop a talent for pre-visualizing how this movement will look in time-lapse mode.
This skill will guide you in determining that important interval setting. As you look up at the sky and watch the clouds barely moving, or try to imagine a stadium filling with people before its actually happened, you will (with experience, make increasingly educated decisions about that span between exposures.
We also want to remind you that postproduction is going to become your best friend. Sometimes its better to just shoot more frames and then speed up the action in post. This will take some of the guesswork out of trying to constantly answer the “how long” question. But, don’t get lazy… you still want to develop your time estimation skills!
Shooting Time-lapse? Get More Power.
Depending on the duration of your record time, you may run out of power with the standard in-camera batteries. Easy right… just swap ‘em. Oh wait, taking the camera of the tripod would screw up the consistency of the shot. Even if the batteries are accessible, you still want to avoid touching the camera. A subtle change in framing from a bumped camera will quickly destroy the illusion.
Try this instead:
- Get a Grip. You can extend the life of your camera’s power capacity by using a battery grip. These can attach to the bottom of your camera and allow you to use an additional battery (or even a higher capacity battery).
- Go Direct. The other option is to switch to AC power. You may need to pick up the adapter as most camera’s don’t include one. Just make sure you have a backup plan like a generator or extension cords.
Produce Time-lapse Animation on Your iPad
I wanted to share a recent find with you. At Macworld Expo I had the chance to speak with Boinx Software. They make several great apps for Mac and iOS devices.
They had just released their iStopMotion app for iPad… and it has a bunch of time-lapse features. The app ended up winning Macworld Best of Show award, so I thought I’d give it a whirl. The app is currently 50% off and selling for $4.99.
Let’s start with a sample of what can be done:
The Features
- Time Lapse – Record automatically or at an interval.
- Manual Controls – Control camera exposure and focus.
- Instant Playback – Tap a button to see it playback instantly.
- Remote Camera – Use the free iStopMotion Remote Camera app with an iPhone 4/4S, iPod touch (4th gen) or a second iPad 2. Connect via WiFi to each other.
- Share – Publish via email or on YouTube. You can also export your movies to a Mac or PC for further editing or archiving.
TechSpecs
- iPad 2 or later (any model)
- iOS 5.0 or later
- iStopMotion Back Camera: 1280×720
- iStopMotion Remote Camera: 1280×720
- Format PNG uncompressed 1280 x 720 pixels
- Frame Rate: 1 – 30 fps in 1 frame steps (default 12 fps)
- Export Video Format Video: H.264.
- Resolutions: Small (426×240), Medium (640×360), Large (854×480), HD/Full Size (1280×720)
A Test
I’m taking this app with me on the road and will post some test shots this week. I highly encourage you to check it out though. It’s a fun app.
The Golden Hour – Shooting at Sunrise or Sunset
When talking to a photographer or cinematographer, you may hear them talk longingly about the golden hour or magic hour. This time refers to the first and last hour of sunlight each day. This is often considered the best light by many, and really offers a unique look that can be very attractive.
©Richard Harrington | When shooting at sunrise, you’ll need to let some items fall into silhouette.
The lighting during sunrise and sunset tends to be softer and nicely diffused. The hue is often warmer with nice rich shadows as well. The best feature is how the skies can become quite dramatic with varied colors and nice glows. If you’re shooting landscapes, sty skylines, or nature, this is a great time
Position is Everything
So the question is, are you shooting to capture the sunrise and sunset (such as a beautiful shot of the sun cresting over the ocean’s edge) or are you just trying to shoot at a time where the sun is the only light you have. In either case you need to know where the sun is.
- Shooting a sunrise: A sunrise is much trickier to catch if you’re up early. The entire horizon may start to glow, but choosing exactly how to compose the shot is tricky. I rely on my compass and SunPath calculator to show me the sun’s path. This makes it easier to compose a good shot where the sun rises in my frame, I generally choose to center the sun.
- Shooting a sunset: With sunset, things are pretty easy. Just follow the sun as it goes down. If you’ve lost track of the sun setting, look west.
- Shooting a subject during this time: Try to keep the light in front of your subject (and to your back). You may need to turn or rotate as needed. Eventually, the light may become so diffused and soft that you’ll be able to let it backlight your subject.
Be Prepared for Fast Changes
©Richard Harrington
Keep in mind that the golden hour may not be an actual hour. This type of light is determined by the altitude of the sun. The closer you are towards the equator, the shorter the time will be. While the further away you get, the longer the time can last. In fact, during certain seasons (like Winter) you may have no golden hour at all.
Also, realize that the posted sunrise and sunset is when the sun actually crosses the horizon. This great light will often start before the technical sunrise and go slightly longer than the setting sun.
In all cases, I’d have a fast lens attached to the camera and be ready to change aperture settings. If you’re shooting a sunrise and don’t have much to focus on, make sure the lens is set to the infinity setting for focus distance.
Determine your golden hour and shoot in it. You can visit http://bit.ly/goldenhourcalc to help determine the best shooting time.
