Because of its special effect, the evolution of the world of cinema has taken off with the appearance of the time lapse. The most magnificent and amazing things in life are movements that are difficult to observe at real speed. This is the case of the movement of the stars and the sunset which are extremely slow actions.  Time lapse is an accelerated effect of a series of photographs that allows us to show these phenomena that took place at different times in just a few seconds.  In order for time lapse photos to be satisfactory, how do you take these photos?  Several elements are taken into account for this.

Useful tips for taking time lapse photos

What are time lapse photos?

Time lapse photos can be defined as the accelerated effect of photos taken in series at different times and at a fixed shot to be presented as a time lapse video animation. This last result is called "Time lapse video".  The interest of Time lapse is to visualize in video form images taken in regular time interval to see its evolution or its motion. The phenomena susceptible of Time lapse photography are the night sky effect, the blooming of a flower or the growth of a plant, the scrolling of stars, the movement of people on a square or cars, the construction of a building site, the melting of ice.

The cameras needed to take time lapse photos

A good time lapse requires preparation, patience and especially well adapted materials. The materials needed to make a time lapse are: a camera, a tripod, an intervalometer and a computer and software. 

First of all, the camera must be disengageable and manual mode, preferably a hybrid or SLR type camera that integrates a large sensor such as Micro 4/3, APS-C or 24x36 mm or compact expert. We have as example of camera: a canon or nikon or specialized time lapse camera. A smartphone like the iPhone can also be sufficient provided that the battery is well charged and the memory card has a large capacity at least 32 GB. You just need to download the web applications or app for smartphone.

Then, the tripod is to ensure the stability of your camera and the assured frame of the photos. On the other hand, the intervalometer is optional because today the determination of the time interval between each photo, the number of images to be captured is programmable in the different cameras.

Finally, to do the editing, you need a computer and a software. Preferably, to edit your video, adobe lightroom or photoshop is essential. Otherwise, a software can do the trick. Here are some examples of software to create easily a Time Lapse: LR Time lapse, filmora, Imovie, VirtualDu, shotcut.

What are the steps to get time lapse photos?

Having the complete materials, we proceed now to the parameters. To create Time lapse, there are several steps to make from photo to will video.

-          Identifying the number and frequency of shots

For quality time lapse photos, these parameters are essential. They consist in setting the interval of time chosen according to the number of images desired and the speed of movement. The interest of determining the number of photos is to deduce the duration of the film when it will be in exposure. For example, for a 30 second video, if in one second there should be 24 photos, the result is 720 photos. While the frequency of shooting is a way to determine the speed of the film.

-          The shooting time

After having chosen the scene to photograph, this step consists in programming a frame rate with a fixed point of view taken at regular intervals.  Before launching the video, it is necessary to place and stabilize the camera in order to create fluid movements, and frame your photo.  Then finish the manual focus which is done by setting the white balance, by selecting a low ISO sensitivity, the aperture by choosing a medium value (5.6 - 6.3) and the shutter speed of the camera. Finally, it is necessary to choose the format of the photo and the exposure time to shot the recording.

-          The editing itself

After the shooting, several cameras have the ability to recover directly a time lapse in video. Otherwise, once the assembly is done, you can immediately import the photogrophy lapse in a video editing software. Then the video is ready for exposure time.

-          Things to avoid for successful time lapse photography

Nevertheless, there are some mistakes to avoid. You should avoid leaving the camera settings in automatic mode to avoid the effect of motion blur with the variation of the luminosity. To avoid a jerky effect, you should never choose the wrong time interval. In addition, never let the automatic focus or the photo taken will change and never hold the camera in your hand so that it does not destabilize. And finally, never take the pictures at least because the final video should be played at 24 or 25 frames per second for a 10 second video. Thus, it will be necessary to take 240 to 250 time lapse images.

-          Examples of famous time lapse photos

Time-lapses are not easy to execute but when done correctly, unlimited emotions come out. Here are some admirable projects done by professionals: Mike Oblinski's vorticity which broadcasts storms, especially tornadoes in the United States. A taste of Vienna by the Viennese production company in its Film Spektakel shows the most emblematic places of the city. Justin Tierney in In Praise of Shadows films the rhythm of urban Japan and its inhabitants. The images of the Norwegian wilderness and the Northern Lights are explored by Jose Hervas in Lofoten Eternal Lights. Dimid Vazhnik impressed by Queens, Brooklyn and Manhattan produced New York, New York.