Five Female Timelapse Photographers You Should Know
#guides #inspiration #astrophotography #hyperlapse #landscapetimelapse #longtermtimelapse #mattiabicchi #timelapse #timelapsephotography #womenphotographers #womentimelapsers
Explore a Photographer’s Ongoing 6-Year Timelapse of New York City
Photographer Joseph DiGiovanna is in the midst of a project to timelapse the New York City skyline continuously for 30 years. Six and a half years in, he has launched a website that allows visitors to pinpoint and explore any day since he started.
PetaPixel featured DiGiovanna's project in 2019 as part of photographer Emeric Le Bars's documentary series about timelapse photographers and their stories. DiGiovanna is originally from Pennsylvania, but after moving to New York, he became obsessed with his view.
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“I wanted to film everything,” DiGiovanna says. “I wanted to film boats going by. I wanted to film the sunrise and the sunset and the clouds and a storm and a rainbow. And I wanted to film buildings being built and things changing.”
The photos are captured every 30 seconds from a camera mounted to his window. The photos are sent to his tethered computer that is always on and receiving photos. Below is a photo of his setup and view:
Of note, during a blackout in July of 2019, DiGiovanna was one of the few who managed to capture a timelapse of it thanks to his setup.
Now, six and a half years into his 30-year project, DiGiovanna has launched a website that allows anyone to see the New York City skyline from any time between July 11, 2015 and the present. DiGiovanna says the newly-launched website is the result of months of collaboration with developer Matthijs Tempels, and successfully meets the challenge of providing instant access to 12 million images and making the cameras automatically upload images to the website in real-time.
Additionally, the project now has three New York City camera locations: Midtown, Downtown/World Trade Center, and Hudson Yards. Each of the three cameras shoots one photo every 30 seconds: that is 2,880 photos per day and just over one million images per year.
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All three cameras shoot 36 gigabytes per day which adds up to 13 terabytes per year. DiGiovanna adds that there are several other cameras for this project not yet incorporated into the website. With all the cameras running this project creates over 100 terabytes of data per year.
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At the time of publication, DiGiovanna had captured a total of 6,655,882 photos, and that number keeps growing.
Browsing the images is free but DiGiovanna is also offering the ability to purchase any image from any moment -- right down to the second -- over the past six and a half years. The photos can be downloaded digitally, but prints are available as well. The browsing experience can be found on NYCTimescape.com.
#news #spotlight #websites #ambitious #cityscape #cityscapephotography #josephdigiovanna #landscapephotography #longtermtimelapse #newyorkcity #nyc #passageoftime #project #timelapse
Long-Term Timelapse Photographer Shares Tips on Mastering the Craft
Although timelapse -- and especially long-term timelapse -- might appear intimidating to beginners, photographer and filmmaker Casper Rolsted has shared simple tips that anyone can follow to get started even with basic equipment.
Rolsted, based in Denmark, has spent several years perfecting his timelapse technique, which has resulted in numerous short films, such as his "Seasons of Denmark" series, that use this method to showcase the beauty of nature and the changes that occur in the landscape over time.
He tells PetaPixel that he does not use what he would consider very expensive equipment and his cameras of choice are two mirrorless APS-C cameras -- two Sony Alpha 6300 and one Sony Alpha 6000. The RAW photos shot with these cameras offer plenty of resolution and quality for timelapses, while at the same time the camera bodies are small in size and easy to carry on long hikes, which is helpful.
For optics, Rolsted mainly uses manual focus lenses from Samyang, such as the 12mm, 21mm, 50mm, and 100mm. Most timelapse photographers don't use autofocus anyway because it can result in inconsistent focus through a shot. To add movement in his projects, he uses a motorized slider from Edelkrone -- SliderPlus Medium with Action and Target Module, while for aerial timelapse shots he works with a DJI Phantom 4 Pro drone.
However, looking back to his own start into timelapse work, Rolsted points out that he shot his first timelapse with a smartphone, and recommends others -- who might not have access to a suitable camera -- to do the same.
"I think it's more important to focus on finding some interesting landscapes and building experience than buying expensive equipment," says Rolsted. "If you become more interested, then you can always buy a camera, but there is no need to invest in an expensive full-frame camera. An inexpensive APS-C camera would be just fine for timelapse."
Similarly, camera sliders and pan and tilt heads can add another dimension to the footage but it is not a necessary piece of equipment and it can be expensive and heavy to carry around. First and foremost, a timelapse photographer has to ensure that the camera is stable to avoid shaky footage, which means it's more practical to invest in a good sturdy tripod instead. A neutral density filter is another useful piece of equipment, Rolsted says.
It helps limit the light that passes through the lens to the image sensor and makes it possible to use a longer shutter speed to create motion blur on fast-moving objects.
"For the best result the shutter speed should be half of the shooting interval, for example, if an interval of two seconds is selected, then the shutter speed should be one second," he adds.
If Rolsted was starting today, based on his current experience, he would pick the following as his timelapse kit: Sony a6400 combined with Tamron 17-70mm f/2.8. He'd also add a Manfrotto MT190 XPRO4 190 aluminum tripod with Manfrotto 496 Compact ball head and a selection of ND filters, like Haida Slim ND filter set: ND8x, ND64x, and ND1000x.
The process of shooting timelapses is not a difficult task, he says, but the editing can be challenging. The workflow is very different from editing photos or videos and can definitely be a time-consuming process. For those who are new to timelapses, Rolsted recommends choosing a specific topic first and to apply the same composition considerations as one would taking a regular photograph. After that, the photographer has to consider changes over time because "a timelapse where nothing changes is not very interesting."
For example, in the short film from Scottish Highlands, Rolsted has captured moving clouds, that are also reflected on the surface of the water, the wind shaking trees, people hiking in the mountain trails, waterfall creating soft movement, and more. All of these differently composed motions add interest to the footage and showcase a location or a theme from diverse angles.
A few simple guidelines to try timelapses for the first time include using a sturdy tripod to avoid shaky footage, turning off autofocus on the camera, selecting a manual program to ensure uniform lighting, and choosing a fixed white balance which further helps make the footage consistent.
Rolsted then recommends shooting the photos in JPEG format -- even though RAW files offer a number of benefits, it makes the overall process more complicated and time-consuming -- and setting the interval to start the shoot.
The chosen interval will depend on the situation and the shooter's personal taste. For example, for people-based work, one second is suitable, two to four seconds for shooting with clouds, and 10 to 30 seconds for shooting the night sky. In Rolsted's short film, "Seasons of Denmark: Spring", where he captured blooming spring flowers, he selected 40 minutes between each photo.
"Seasons of Denmark: Spring"
For those whose cameras do not have a built-in timelapse function, an intervalometer can be purchased and connected to the camera to then set the desired time interval. Finally, once all photos have been taken, they need to be put together into a timelapse either using the camera's own timelapse function or external editing programs, such as Adobe Lightroom or LRTimelapse.
More of Rolsted’s timelapses can be found on his YouTube and Vimeo page, while his portfolio can be seen on his website and Instagram.
Image credits: All images by Casper Rolsted and used with permission.
#educational #equipment #tips #biolapse #casperrolsted #changingseasons #denmark #landscape #landscapetimelapse #longtermtimelapse #seasons #timelapse #timelapsefilm #timelapsephotography #timelapseproject
Timelapse Reveals Unseen Changes Brought by the Coming of Spring
A Denmark-based photographer has released his final short film from the series "Seasons of Denmark," which chronicles his home country's changing seasons through cinematic timelapses that show the beauty of nature as it comes alive in spring.
A self-described timelapse photographer, aerial filmmaker, and visual effects artist, Casper Rolsted grew up in a picturesque area in Denmark, surrounded by rivers, lakes, forests, and wide-open spaces. As someone who has always found nature a source of regeneration and inspiration, Rolsted added photography to the mix -- first with film photography and later with digital photography and filmmaking when he first acquired a Sony Alpha 6300 and a drone.
"Very fast I fell in love with the challenge of making timelapses and aerial filmmaking," says Rolsted. "In summer 2016 I drove from my home in Denmark to the North Cape in Northern Norway with the purpose of shooting footage for a few short films about nature in Norway. It became five successful short films and the beginning of a new career."
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The timelapse technique, such as the one featured in his short film, is something that Rolsted particularly enjoys because he says that it makes it possible in a few seconds to follow the evolution of an event or object over time, which is normally invisible to the eye. In the last two years, Rolsted has explored another area within this genre -- long-term timelapse.
This allows him to shoot timelapses of growing plants, blooming flowers, and mushrooms breaking through the forest floor. Although challenging, Rolsted tells PetaPixel that he has spent a lot of time developing new techniques to get the best possible result.
As with many creatives this and last year, due to travel restrictions Rolsted turned his sight towards what's directly in his vicinity, which is how his short film originated. He notes that Denmark does not have much wild nature, however with some research, it is still possible to find beautiful places. This has been made easier now due to the growing interest in rewilding Denmark -- a term that describes how many areas return to a wild state every year.
The goal of the "Seasons of Denmark" project is to share the wonders of nature with the audience and help viewers fall back in love with it.
"It is only when we fall in love with something, we truly want to protect it," says Rolsted. "I focus on presenting nature at its most natural. To fully capture the authentic atmosphere of the places I have combined the visuals with detailed soundscapes. I use songs from nature’s own sound library and supplement these with gentle background music to create a captivating atmosphere."
The spring season appeals to Rolsted because nature is blooming and it is an inspiring time that "reminds us to embrace joy and love." In the short film, Rolsted explores Skjoldungernes Land National Park, Ise Fjord, and West Zealand, Denmark.
More of Rolsted's timelapses, including the other films from his "Seasons of Denmark" project can be found on his YouTube and Vimeo page, while his portfolio can be seen on his website and Instagram.
#features #inspiration #biolapse #casperrolsted #changingseasons #denmark #landscape #landscapetimelapse #longtermtimelapse #seasons #timelapse #timelapsefilm #timelapsephotography #timelapseproject
EarthCam Collabs with Sony in New All-Weather High-Res Timelapse Rigs
EarthCam, which recently made waves when it took the largest photo ever captured of New York City, has launched two additional high-resolution timelapse camera rigs that use a Sony Alpha 7R Mark IV at their core.
Following the launch of the EarthCam GigapixelCam X80 in May, the company has announced two more high-resolution timelapse camera rigs: a wide-angle 61 MegapixelCam and the 61 MegapixelCam Robotic, which adds a precision 360-degree pan and tilt base.
The non-robotic wide-angle camera features a Sony 20mm f/1.8 prime lens mounted to the Alpha 7R Mark IV to offer wide, high-resolution files. The lens on the robotic version isn't specified may be user-customizable, but PetaPixel has reached out to EarthCam to confirm.
EarthCam may use the Sony camera system at its core and therefore the image quality is well documented, but thanks to the Sony Camera Remote SDK, the company is able to build significant functionality around the camera. The EarthCam enclosure protects from the elements and comes equipped with what the company bills as a "maintenance-free" wiper, battery, and data backup. The camera can be controlled remotely and tasked with documenting ongoing progress or specific milestones.
Most of EarthCam's clients are commercial or industrial, but because of the advanced software features, the system has several creative applications as well. EarthCam doesn't publish how much each of its enclosures costs, but it's likely to be more expensive than most creators would be willing to afford. And while competitors like PhotoSentinal allow for several of the same features and comes much more affordably priced for the average small business owner, EarthCam takes performance to a different level.
Both of the new 61-megapixel systems use an industrial solid-state embedded Linus OS platform with an ARM9 CPU and 64-gigabytes of onboard backup storage. It can be connected via either ethernet or a wireless 4G or 5G connection and powered by a standard wall outlet or outfitted with solar if it is placed in an area where traditional power is not available. EarthCam also provides custom software that can be used to monitor and adjust the camera from a computer or mobile device.
Earlier this month, EarthCam published a video that shows the kinds of projects that can be made with its products and why high-resolution is of particular value. Beyond timelapses like the one below, EarthCam rigs outfitted with a robotic base (like the new 61-megapixel Robotic) can also produce extremely high-resolution gigapixel images by stitching together a large number of photos.
These camera rigs can also be used for live streaming, which EarthCam demonstrates with a camera that is currently live over Times Square in New York and is broadcasting in 4K.
While as mentioned EarthCam doesn't publish exact pricing, it does say that these new models are "mid-priced" and are designed to make it easier for small or midsize businesses to afford. Long-term timelapse production is a niche art, but it's still highly valuable for commercial photography businesses and if EarthCam can bring its pricing down to the point where it is at least comparable to cheaper options like PhotoSentinal, higher quality long term projects are likely to come as a result.
#equipment #news #earthcam #earthcam61megapixelcam #earthcam61megapixelcamrobotic #gigapixel #longtermtimelapse #panoramic #roboticcamera #timelapse
Powering a camera for a month-long 24/7 timelapse
#diy #battery #derekchisum #longtermtimelapse #power #timelapse
Long term timelapses are a lot of fun to shoot, but they can come with a lot of challenges. What happens if your gear gets stolen or damaged? What if it simply moves and you lose your framing? Or stops shooting entirely? It’s a constant learning experience of challenges that we have to figure out […]
Mike Torr
petapixel (unofficial)
diyphotography (unofficial)