Tips For Using A Time-Lapse Camera

Using a time-lapse camera is a great way to get amazing photography that can be turned into beautiful pieces of video and art. But, if you are not very experienced using a time lapse camera you might struggle at first to figure out how to get the best images with the camera. Even experienced photographers can have some trouble perfecting the art of time lapse photography.

So if you want to start experimenting with time lapse photography here are some tips that will help you use a time-lapse camera like a pro:

Turn off the Auto Settings: Every camera comes with a set of automatic settings to make photography easier. But the settings that work well for still photographs don’t work well for time lapse photography. When you are taking time lapse photos everything needs to remain exactly the same in order for the time lapse effect to work correctly. The automatic settings will adjust the camera based on light exposure and other factors. But if you are taking time lapse photos you want to capture all those changes as part of the effect. So immediately disable all automatic setting on the camera if you are taking time lapse photos.

Focus the Camera Manually: Just like you need to get rid of the automatic settings in order to preserve the continuity of the photos you need to focus manually so that the camera is always focused the same in each shot. Even though it’s tempting to let the camera auto focus to get the best possible shot you need to manually focus the camera on whatever you want to get time lapse footage of. If you don’t have a lot of experience with manual focusing take some time to practice before starting a time lapse piece.

Anticipate What the Subject Will Do: In order to make a beautiful piece of time-lapse photography you need to know what your subject is going to do so that you can set the focus to capture the right elements of the subject. For example if you want to use a time-lapse camera to take photos of an eclipse you need to know what the approximate path of the sun or moon will be and how long the process will take. If you are taking time lapse photos of an animal you should know what that animal’s daily routine is. The more you know about your subject the easier it will be to set up the camera in just the right way to capture the subject perfectly over the course of a period of time.

Buy the Best Quality You Can: Just because there’s an app for almost everything doesn’t mean that your cell phone will function well as a time-lapse camera. If you want to get high quality time lapse photos use an actual camera and buy the best one you can afford. Quality really does matter when you’re taking time lapse photos. If you want a great finished product you need to start with a great camera.