iPhoto 5: The Missing Manual, Fourth Edition

Time-Lapse Photography

Time-lapse photography is an effective way to depict a subject changing from one state of being to another: a butterfly emerging from a cocoon, the unfurling of a rose bud, and so on. Obviously, the result you want is a movie, not a still picture—but that’s just fine with you. You’ve got a Mac, and the Mac has QuickTime.

The idea is that you’ll take a picture at regular intervals—once an hour, for example. At the end of eighteen hours, you’ll have eighteen images that you can upload to iPhoto for processing. (You’ll also be very tired, but that’s another story.)

You’ll then be able to use iPhoto’s Export to QuickTime command, which turns your still frames into a live-action movie at the frame rate you specify. Chapter 11 details this process.

When setting up for a time-lapse shoot, keep these things in mind:

• Use a tripod. You want every shot to have precisely the same angle, distance, and composition.

• You don’t want a lot of changing background activity in your sequence of shots, since it will distract from the main subject.

• Keep the camera plugged into a wall jack (an AC adapter is an extra purchase with most camera models). Changing the batteries once the time-lapse process has begun is sure to alter the camera’s original positioning.

• Focus manually (if your camera allows it) to ensure sharpness in every frame.

• Avoid the flash. Close-range flash shooting generally blows your subject into blinding white.

• Experiment with exposure intervals. Try one shot every fifteen ...