

The drive mode doesn't matter much as your remote timer will tell the camera to take one photo at a time at your desired interval. It's therefore absolutely essential that your camera settings remain the same throughout the entire shoot, not suddenly glitching to a brighter camera setting etc.
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The goal is to blend together a series of similar still frames into a movie, with the only change frame to frame being the movement of your subject or the gradual evolution of light. However, I've included some essential non-negotiables below, as well as a few basic tips on selecting settings. The scene and the subject should ultimately determine which settings you use for your camera. That said, we all know rules are made to be broken and having a moving object such as a tree in the foreground can sometimes be used creatively to capture the concept of movement or breeze.
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Objects which move a lot, such as bushes or trees, don't often look as pleasing when sped up into a short movie as their jerky movement often distracts from the main focus. Buildings, structures and rocks are good options to include in the foreground. Having something solid in the foreground that will remain stationary for the entirety of the shoot will help contrast and accentuate the movement of the scene in the final video. Positioning the camera so that something forms a 'leading-line' entering from a corner of the shot, guiding the viewers eye into the scene also helps aesthetics. If shooting a landscape scene, align the horizon along one horizontal third and try and have your point of interest, such as a setting sun or a boat coming into port, moving across another third of the image. Good composition will ensure your final movie is pleasing to the eye. For example include something in the foreground to give the scene some depth and use helpful composition techniques like the 'rule of thirds'. In terms of composition and framing, try to construct your still image as you would if you were taking a stand-alone photograph of the scene. Think of all those creative time-lapses you could be out shooting in the time it takes you to fix crooked horizons! It's definitely worth taking an extra 30 seconds to level your tripod at the time! Since a time-lapse is a movie resulting from lots of (nearly) identical still frames, if your horizon isn't straight you will have to straighten hundreds of images on the computer. This will save you literally hours in post processing. Setting your camera on a tripod is therefore a must.Ĭomposition: Make sure you pay attention to basic composition considerations, like a straight horizon. This ensures your composition is absolutely identical frame by frame and the only movement captured is the movement that occurs over time within the scene itself. In order for a time-lapse to work, your camera must remain completely stationary for the entirety of the shoot.
