Camera - Time Lapse Creative

While I’ve been making my Time Lapses, I’ve also noticed some interesting creative aspects.

These are those, that I’ve understood so far –

 

Using the Camera - Panasonic Lumix DMC - FT30 Automatic Digital Compact

 

 

How to create the illusion of the “flash” of a ghost passing close to the camera, in a Time Lapse

                          -  Have a person walk directly in front of, and past the camera, in between frames being taken.

                         

                             The camera’s sensors seem to detect a “darkness” falling on it, and possibly widen the aperture to

                             adjust to it.

    But, in this camera, the aperture doesn’t adjust back fast enough to the normal view, after the      

    person has passed by, in time for the next frame to be taken.

                             So, effectively, the next frame is overexposed to some degree depending on when exactly the person

                             passes by.

                             This creates individual frames which appear as lighter “flashes”.

 

                           eg.  “A Ghost at Dusk”

          

                           How to Balance slow action and fast action in a Time Lapse

                           -  25  fps  video / film  rate  seems to be a reasonable basic speed to capture the change in slow                                          moving objects, such as clouds or sunset, which are in the background of my Time Lapses.

                           -  But, as with the Time Lapses that I have done so far, faster moving objects have been in the                                              foreground, such as waves and people, and at   25  fps    their motion has appeared stilted.

 

                           eg. In    “Clouds Over Wedding Cake Island”    25  fps

                                                            The wave motion is stilted.

 

                           -  This is ok if the focus is on the slow moving objects,

                              and the area where the fast action is happening is minimised,

  

                           eg.  “Rain Clouds Over Coogee”    25  fps

  

                           Or, you are happy with that effect,

 

                           eg.  “Evening Soccer”   25 fps

                           But, if you want to balance slow and fast action,

 

                                     -  then a slower    video / film rate  (speed)    such as    5  fps    can do that

                           I have chosen    5  fps    because that is the next lowest speed that my software can produce. 

                           But, it is quite reasonable for this purpose.

                           eg.  “Clouds Over Wedding Cake Island”    5 fps

 

                                                           Balancing cloud movement  

                                                           with the waves breaking on the island.

           

                                                           The wave motion appears more natural 

                                                           while maintaining a level 

                                                           of increased cloud movement.

 

 

                           Or, if you want to include the fast action, because something interesting is happening there, 

                           and you want to be able to see it more clearly,

                                      -  then a slower    video / film rate  (speed)    such as    5  fps    can also do that

 

                           eg.  “Senteniel 1”    25 fps 

                                  “Senteniel 1”      5  fps

                                                          Balancing the sunset, 

                                                          with the activity of the people in the foreground.

   

                                                          The actions of the people, 

                                                          and also the change in lighting, in the foreground,

                                                          can be seen more clearly. 

                                                          While making the wave action more natural, 

                                                          and maintaining a level of increased speed 

                                                          of the sunset occurring.

                        (c) Katherine Stuart 2023

                        Dochas Books Film