Photography involves immense creativity, fun, and innovation. Photographers constantly seek new ways to showcase uniqueness, which led to the technique of ‘Time-lapse’ photography. While many videos demonstrate the time-lapse effect, applying it in photography is quite straightforward nowadays.
Modern cameras often feature built-in intervalometers or time-lapse video processing. Whether your camera has these capabilities or not, following six foolproof time-lapse photography tips will add excitement and quality to your shots.
- Fully Charged Battery
Though it may seem obvious, sometimes the obvious gets overlooked. Besides charging your camera battery, always carry spares. Alternatively, bring a portable charger if your device supports USB charging. Remember, in this case, time lapse should be for photography, not for charging.
- Interval setting
A common technical question in time-lapse photography is: what should be the interval between captured images? The rule of thumb is to use short intervals (1 to 2 seconds) for fast-moving subjects like clouds, running horses, or traffic. For slow-moving subjects like a blooming flower, longer intervals—measured in minutes or even hours—are more suitable.
- Set Music before carrying out time-lapse
Don’t aim for complete silence. Adding music to your time-lapse photos can really enhance the whole experience. Choose music that matches the action to create the perfect harmony.
- Go for Manual mode
Flicker can be a major issue in time-lapse photography that may ruin an otherwise great shoot. The best way to prevent flicker is to shoot in manual mode, keeping exposure, shutter speed, and ISO settings constant throughout. Ensure there are no significant changes in lighting during the shoot. Using a slower shutter speed and locking the white balance can also help reduce flicker. For natural lighting conditions like sunrise or sunset, some adjustments may be needed, but consistent manual settings remain key to minimising flicker.
- Lockdown focus
It is crucial that exposure and focus stay consistent throughout a time-lapse shoot. To maintain steady focus during the entire sequence, first set your desired focus point manually or with autofocus, then switch the lens or camera to manual focus. Daytime and night lighting present different challenges, with night focusing being more difficult. Using manual focus with patience—often via Live View—and techniques like setting focus on a bright star for night shots helps ensure sharp images throughout the time-lapse.
- Use RAW format
For saving storage, shooting in JPEG format is common since time-lapse involves capturing many images. JPEG files are smaller as the camera processes and compresses them, often discarding some image data. However, if possible, shooting in RAW provides greater flexibility for post-processing, allowing you to adjust exposure, colour, and details to suit your preferences.
Time-lapse photography demands patience and preparation—remain comfortable and bring suitable gear for all weather conditions.
By applying these tips, you can elevate your photography and add a standout piece to your portfolio.