FlytrapCare Carnivorous Plant Forums

the biggest problem with making a timelapse is that you need to either keep the camera set up, or screw around with the pictures in post-production so they line up right. i remember someone mentioning on a forum a long time ago, if you get some masking tape, put 3 pieces on the floor exactly where the tripod legs are. ohhhh, youll need a tripod also. so mark where the legs are and anything else that needs to be adjusted, and then once you get the camera set up how you want it, put pieces of tape at the corners of the frame. not on the camera, but in the field so you can see it just barely on the corners through the view finder.

simply marking with tape where everything needs to be saves a ton of headache and frustration in the last step.

Your forgetting one thing, you need to have a program take the pics on a set schedule if you want to make a proper time lapse.

perhaps, perhaps not, but i should have addressed that issue. if you use software to automatically take the picture, then you kinda need to leave it set up 24/7. what i was trying to address was that this works where you can just set up each day when you ogle them. and, i believe it wouldnt be too hard to adjust for inconsistent exposure time by adjusting how many frames each image is shown for.

Really depends on your camera. A lot of point and shoots will do well with auto settings, though you may notice some flicker. If you use a dslr or something that gives you a greater control over your shot, you need to bring your A game... especially if you're including a night time series of shots as part of your time lapse. I too use the masking tape method for the tripod, but on the side of obsessive. I take it step further as well with marking my plant location within a cheap 1x2 frame that's clamped on the rack and lining up the pot again after waterings. 3 Marks, front and both sides... marked on the frame and container.

Do yourself a favor, and think of time lapse as a single shot and not to skip the details. Prepare, prepare, prepare. Think about your framing, and if you have the ability too, use RAW files and manual exposure. Try to avoid flicker as much as possible, as it can ruin your time lapse. In the matter of 1 hour, the subtle light variation can be a pain in the neck. Also, choose the right lapse for your project. The longer the interval the faster the motion the shorter the video, and vice versa. Also keep in mind the duration of your final project. At 30 fps, your 20 second video is going to need 600 frames!

I'll be starting one AGAIN, in the spring lasting through next spring. I missed quite a few weeks very early in my last attempt so I trashed it. Live and learn. I'll be doing several lapses over the course of the next few months.