Time-Lapse Photography

Time-lapse photography compresses time in a way that reveals change invisible to the naked eye — clouds building and dissolving, cities waking up, flowers opening. Creating a compelling time-lapse sequence takes planning, the right gear, and a post-production workflow that handles exposure ramping and smooth playback. This section covers all of it, from basic intervalometer setups to motion-controlled multi-day shoots.

Hello Tokyo: How the Edits Were Done

I recently came across this video by Christoph Galep and was very impressed by the editing thereof. The transitions between shots and the slowing down and speeding up of the time-lapse provided a good energy to the video, something a simple cut edit isn’t able to do. 

Galep notes: "It requires using motion blur, keyframe easing in/out and a lot of patience."

Aurorae From Space: NASA Just Won the Time-lapse Game

I've been feeling pretty cool lately. I've been making some time-lapses and doing a lot of aerial work. It's hard not to feel cool when you're taking shots from 300 feet in the air. Then, NASA came along and made a time-lapse 250 miles up in space. I no longer feel cool. 

New Intervalometer Allows for Auto-Ramping and Live Previews of Time-lapses

Capturing a good time-lapse requires patience and precision. Normalizing exposure in changing lighting conditions is an intricate task. Similarly, knowing how your final product is shaping up during the process is difficult. One company is seeking to solve both those problems with one device. 

Syrp's Genie Mini Is the Best Time-Lapse Motion Control Device That'll Always Be With You

Helped by great design, marketing, and a superb product to boot, Syrp’s motorized time-lapse aid, the Genie, became incredibly popular with photographers. As the product that launched the company on Kickstarter three years ago, it was a premium offering, though. And sometimes, it’s useful to have something fantastic in a “light” version. Enter the Genie Mini. 

'Skylight' Is a Whirlwind Video Tour of the World Above Us

Konrad Adenauer said: "We all live under the same sky, but we don't all have the same horizon." So ends this beautiful look at the sky we share around the world and how that sky changes depending on the location from which you view it. 

Five Incredible Timelapse Videos That Will Make You Want to Go Outside

For the past few hours, I've been on a timelapse video marathon. One video on Vimeo led to the next, and two hours later, I've probably skimmed through 60 videos. Most of these timelapse videos were pretty mediocre but five of them were so beautiful I had to share them. 

How to Create a Hyperlapse Video Tutorial

A few years ago, simple timelapse videos were all the rage. To spice things up, videographers started to add small camera movements to their timelapses using motorized sliders. Those small camera movements have become far more complex today as some of these camera movements are miles in length. These are called "hyperlapse" videos. 

World Renowned Timelapse Videographer Releases His Latest Work

You may have come across his videos on Vimeo or YouTube, or even stumbled upon his captivating landscape and astro work on popular sites like 500px. Photographer and Videographer, Michael Shainblum, has revealed his latest work after his recent hiatus in videography. And he did not disappoint. 

Eating Chicken Feet in Singapore with Elia Locardi P.T.W. Ep. 11

The behind-the-scenes series of our cityscape tutorial with Elia Locardi continues with episode 11. In this episode we fly on one of the longest flights in the world, from N.Y.C. to Singapore. We enjoy seeing the sights of this amazing city and we also try eating some chicken feet. Spoiler: they were awful. 

‘Exhale’ Is An Amazing Visual Experience of America’s Best Landscapes

In 2014, time-lapse photographer Jesse Attanasio set out on a two-year mission to shoot as much as he could possibly shoot, and explored some of the most beautiful and unique locations on earth. His stunning newly released video, “Exhale,” is the final product of intense planning, lengthy travels, and focused postproduction work. Prepare yourself, this one is a treat for the eyes. 

Two Years and Nearly 7,000 Photos of Canada's Northern Lights in Three Minutes

Sit back and relax with this one. It takes a lot of time and talent to create a final work of time-lapse art this breathtaking and impressive. It turns out it takes about two years of planning and dedication to achieve results like these. The Northern Lights have rarely been captured in this amount of splendor and beauty. 

1.5 Hours of Retouching in Seven Minutes

The more time I spend shooting portraits and beauty work, the more I love retouching. There is something about spending hours in front of a computer and paying meticulous attention, all while jamming out to great music that I find super meditative and enjoyable. When it comes to retouching, there really aren’t many shortcuts.

Exploring Fall Colors in Acadia National Park through Time-Lapse and Video

This is the fifth film created as part of the "More Than Just Parks" project by Will and Jim Pattiz, who we've featured before on past films. This new short takes place all the way out east, in Acadia National Park during the fall, where the changing colors of leaves dot the landscape alongside cliffs, hills, and bodies of water. 

How to Shoot and Edit a Day-To-Night Transition Time-Lapse With Your DSLR

If you have ever shot time-lapse, you know the struggles of dealing with hundreds, if not thousands of large files. While Lightroom and other post production programs can definitely make editing your time-lapse easier, LRTimelapse is a program that can further ease the editing process and improve your workflow.

How Gnarly Bay Brought 'SPACE' to Life

Gnarly Bay, who I wrote about a few months back, have just released their latest film, “SPACE.” It's a film that explorers the idea of space, but not in the conventional sense.

Breathtaking Time-Lapse of Arizona's Monsoon Season

Over the summer, photographer Mike Olbinski spent an astounding 48 days on the road chasing storms during the monsoon season in his home state of Arizona. His epic new video, “Monsoon II,” is a captivating collection of the best of the best time-lapse footage he captured during his extended time on the road witnessing these giant storm systems.

Fine Art Short Records Beautiful Black and White Subjects in Color

Freelance videomaker and visual artist Julianna Thomas did something unique recently: she shot an entire series of black and white subjects, but in color. As a response to one of her greatest pet peeves, Thomas created "Black & White In Color" as a "personal response to treating black and white as an editing afterthought." 

Amazing Hyperlapse Through Paris Is Pure Eye Candy

There are times when taking in something beautiful is good for the soul, such watching kittens attack shoelaces, bacon sizzle on a camping stove, "The Empire Strikes Back," or this ridiculous hyperlapse of Paris.

 

Reviewing the Dynamic Range and 4K Video Quality of the New iPhone 6s

Recently, PRO EDU posted video reviews of the new iPhone 6s, which is getting major attention for its new video capabilities, namely its ability to record 4K video. In these two video reviews, PRO EDU takes a look at the dynamic range and stabilization ability of the new phone, as well as its overall video quality.

Combining a Motion Time-lapse and Live Action Video In One Seamless Clip

Jay P. Morgan and the Slanted Lens have a new video out, this time showing how they are combining a video clip with a motion time-lapse for a music video project. It's a great watch if you've ever wondered how to approach getting this effect, or are still learning the craft of time-lapse shooting. 

These Time Lapses of Flowers Blooming Are Mesmerizing

Majo Chudy set up a small studio in his home using grow lights and some blankets to capture perfectly lit time-lapses of flowers blooming. As you might imagine, it wasn't quite as easy as it sounds.  

Using Marbles to Represent Planets, This Is the First Timelapse of the Solar System to Scale

If you Google the solar system, you will be shown images of all the planets in our solar system laid out in the order they rotate around the sun. The problem with these images is that each planet's respective distance to the sun is not shown to true scale. This leaves the viewer without a true understanding of just how far away each planet is from another.

Watch Every Episode Of Photographing The World Behind The Scenes Right Here

Over the last two months we have been releasing one episode a week of our Behind the Scenes series of our world tour with Elia Locardi. In this first season (Season 2 is currently being edited), we visit both Iceland and New Zealand to film our latest tutorial on all things landscape photography.  

Intense Dedication Led to the Creation of This North American Timelapse

When Ronald Soethje sent me the details of his timelapse project that spans the North American continent, I was simultaneously jealous of his experience and completely impressed by the outcome. Ronald spent three years giving up his vacation time to shoot over 108,000 raw images.

A Stunning Time-lapse of Seoul That Took Three Years to Complete

Seoul, the capital city of South Korea, along with its adjoining cities houses and employs approximately half of Korea's 51 million residents. With high-rise apartments being the norm for housing, and a three to four hour traffic jam twice a day, it's easy to see that Seoul is a city of epic proportions.

Tilt-Shift Time-Lapse Filmed from a Drone Makes Detroit Look Amazing

To say that time-lapse video and drone footage is everywhere would be an understatement. YouTube is chalk full of amateur aerial video with the recent abundance of inexpensive drones, and time-lapse clips are everywhere. If they are a fad remains to be seen but sometimes we get to see some really innovative videos showcasing some true creativity. 

Amazing Hyperlapse Video of Los Angeles Filmed with Simple Camera Setup

Hyperlapse has been around for a while now, and you can even film some pretty sweet stuff on your smartphone, but you have got to check this beautiful video out. Using a simple camera setup, Vadim Tereshchenko wants everyone to know if you want to do hyperlapse, you can! 

Fstoppers Visits New Zealand, Is Attacked By "Wingless Bird" P.T.W. BTS Ep 5

Photographing The World Behind The Scenes Episode 5 is here. In last weeks episode (episode 4) we spent our last day in Iceland, and our photography guide went on a rant about photographers that is so hilarious, his rant has more views than the entire episode. In episode 5 we leave Siggy behind and fly to the opposite side of the world, New Zealand.  

Check Out This Incredible Timelapse Footage Of Washington DC

I "met" Dan Dawley on craiglist over 5 years ago when Patrick and I were looking for an animator for our brand new website idea (Fstoppers). At the time, he was just getting into animation and none of us knew that Dan would become one of the top motion graphics animators in the country. Now, he's getting into video. 

Take Your Time-Lapse to the Next Level by Blending in Real-Time Video

With less expensive gear being introduced all the time, we have seen a boom in time-lapse films in recent years, making it easier for just about anyone to make their own time-lapse clips. But with the deluge of videos comes innovation and the need to differentiate yourself.

The Rhino Slider Evo Is the Best Slider We Have Ever Tested

A few months ago I got an email from Rhino Camera Gear asking if I would like to beta test their new slider. I didn't really know anything about this product and I quickly forgot about it until it showed up at our office a few days ago. I had no idea that this would be one of the most impressive products I've tested in years.  

Radian 2 Aims to Be All-In-One Solution for Motion Time-Lapse

The guys over at Alpine Labs have announced a new Kickstarter campaign to fund their follow-up time-lapse motion control system, the Radian 2. Packed with the same features as the Radian, this new version adds a wireless preview of your time-lapse and complete control of your camera via USB allowing you to change camera settings like aperture, shutter speed, and ISO while shooting.

Behind the Scenes of a Mind-Bending Time-Lapse From the World's Largest Salt Flat

The natural beauty contained within Enrique Pacheco’s latest time-lapse video “Reflections from Uyuni” is striking and remarkable. During South America’s rainy season, Pacheco journeyed through the Salar de Uyuni, the largest salt flat in the world, down to the Bolivian desert capturing surreal landscapes of these flooded lands.