how to do timelapse

How to do timelapse

Short presentation on Timelapse

The most important thing to remember is....

… I am not an expert :-)

26/06/2012 Pietro Giordano 1

Overview

●What is a “timelapse”?●What do you need?●Prepare a shot●Guidelines to perform a correct shot●Your enemies●Guidelines for post-production

● Practical example● Conclusions


What is a “timelapse”●Time-lapse photography is a technique whereby the frequency at which film frames are captured (the frame rate) is much lower than that used to view the sequence. When played at normal speed, time appears to be moving faster and thus lapsing. For example, an image of a scene may be captured once every second, then played back at 30 frames per second. The result is an apparent 30-times speed increase. Time-lapse photography can be considered the opposite of high speed photography or slow motion. (source Wikipedia)

●Why timelapse:● Long term changes compressed in few seconds (eg: stars

moving)● Higher quality video (DSLR can produce pictures with

very high resolution, normally up to 4 times full HD, 4K digital videos)


What do you needMandatory:●Digital camera, possibly shooting in raw at high resolution●Intervallometer (cheap in the web, original from nikon or canon are very expensive)●Stable tripod●ND (Neutral density) filters, for day shoots at least ND8, better more (I use Hoya x400), for transition day/night maybe better no more than ND16

● A lot of patience!!!!!!!

● Optional:● Little Bramber, bulb-ramping intervallometer● Slides with automatic movement synchronise with intervallometer● Moving head controlled by intervallometer, eg: merlin telescope head (with

MX2 controller on DP dolly)


Prepare a shot

●Timelapse is photography, so all the rule to prepare the shoots are valid, eg: clean the lens, clean the sensor, check the light and weather conditions, etc●It is very important to predict the conditions in the location we will be for shooting: you will be in one location for a period between 20 minutes and several hours.●Predict the changes in the light conditions, consider that you will shoot in manual so the exposure will be fix (see next slide)●The composition is as important as for normal photography!!!●Check your batteries in the camera and in the intervallometer●Empty your card (get a big card....)


Guidelines to perform a correct shot (1/2)

●The exposure in the full sequence has to be constant so the camera has to be in FULL MANUAL:

● Focus● Aperture● Shooter speed (see later for details)● Colour Temperature (!!!!)● Remove all the possible options in the camera for colour

correction or long exposure correction●The shutter speed has to be chosen greater than 1/100 s to avoid shutter flickering (see next slide) and as function of the interval.●Interval between pictures to be taken depending on the movement of the subject or elements in the scene:

● Fast moving clouds: 1 second● Slow moving clouds: 10 seconds● Sun moving across a clear sky: (wide) 20-30 seconds● Stars moving across the sky: (wide) between 20-60 seconds● Sunsets close up: 1-2 seconds● Crowds of people: 1-2 seconds


Guidelines to perform a correct shot (2/2)

●Rule of thumb: shutter speed should be between 1/3 and 2/3 of the interval. So for example if the interval is 3 seconds the shutter speed should be at least 1 seconds, maximum 2 seconds (you need to leave time to the camera to write the information in the card, so leave always at least 1 second free!!!)●Take some shots of the scene, check the exposure in the LCD using the ND filter that will be used for the shooting.●Try to predict the changes of the light, in particular due to clouds or sunset/sunrise●Try to predict how the scene can change during the shot●Think ahead: how long I need this sequence to be in video? How many frame per seconds? How many pictures I need to take?

● Normally every sequence in a timelapse should not last more than 15 seconds, otherwise is boring.

● I normally take sequences of 7 seconds, at 30 fps I normally need 210 pictures. Good approach is to take slightly more, but never fill your card with the same sequence!!!!!

● Never rush!!! Take your time before starting a sequence


Your enemies

●Flickering●Unpredictable changes in the scene●Wrong set-up of the camera (if you leave the camera with AWB you can basically through away the whole sequence)●Drain batteries


Your enemies - Flickering

●Aperture flicker - this occurs when the lens' diaphragm is contracted for each shot. This occurs with modern automatic lenses. In contrast, manual lenses may allow you to set the aperture once and for all. Try to avoid small aperture●Shutter flicker - Small mechanical errors also occur in the shutter mechanism.●Quick changes in scene light. Quick is relative to your shooting interval and shutter speed●SOLUTION:●Shot in manual●Use LRtimelapse with Lightroom or MSUDeflicker (see demo)


Guidelines for post-production (1/2)

● Always work with the maximum possible resolution and colour dept

● Exporting the files from 1 program to the other always use uncompressed formats with maximum rendering

● Get high performance computer and a lot of storage!!!● Patience, patience, patience.... :-)

● Plan a proper workflow and know the software tools you decide to use!!! It will save you a lot of time


Guidelines for post-production (2/2) – Simple workflow

● Load the pictures in Ligthroom● Set the crop to 16:9 (size of final video)● Process the first picture as for a normal picture in line with what you

prefer or you like (thinking that it will be a video)● Apply the changes to all the pictures (synchronise)● Save the metadata to file (create the xmp that goes with each RAW)● Load the folder in Lrtimelapse● Apply the de-flickering● Save the metadata to file● Load the Metadata in Lightroom● Export the Video

● See the demo....it is easier


Conclusions

● Timelapse is story-telling: try to have a story to tell with pictures, it is hard, but the best ones can tell stories. See https://vimeo.com/40005142

● Get the proper music, it is as important as the video!!!● Remember that you are taking hundreds or thousands of pictures, you

camera will get older quicker...It is your choise● Your friends and partner will hate you because you always want to

stop in the middle of everywhere to take 300 pictures... You will be alone quickly :-)

● It is a quite new technique so you can still invent something new!!!

● Additional techniques that can be used:● HDR timelapse● Hyper Timelapse


https://vimeo.com/40005142

how to do timelapse

Documents