3
WHAT IS TIME-LAPSE?
Time-lapse photography is the process of capturing an event that happens
over a long period of time and playing it back as a video of much shorter
duration. While DSLR cameras are great, they are not specifically designed
to take time-lapse videos. For this reason it is important to understand
some basic concepts of time-lapse photography and its potential pitfalls in
order to achieve the best results.
Frames per Second
Frames per Second is sometimes abbreviated as FPS. Frames per seconds
indicates the number of pictures that fit into a second of video footage.
Most videos are either 24 or 30 FPS.
Recorded FPS
This is the number of pictures taken per second. Since time-lapse
photography requires taking pictures one or more seconds apart, it is more
practical to call it Interval. A long interval means that photos will be taken
further apart; while, a short interval captures images in quick succession.
For reference, traditional movies are recorded at 24 FPS which means each
picture is taken at an interval of 1/24 seconds. In contrast, taking pictures in
2 second intervals would be .5 FPS.
Playback FPS
This refers to the speed at which individual pictures/frames will be played
back. Since a video is essentially a collection of photos, Playback FPS means
how many pictures will be shown in one second. Most videos play back at
24 or 30 FPS.
With a traditional video, the Recorded FPS and the Playback FPS are the
same; and thus, you don’t have to worry about it. In time-lapse
photography you control the Recorded FPS (interval between photos) to
achieve your desired results. Time-lapse photography works by taking
pictures at long intervals and playing them back much faster, usually at 24
or 30 FPS.
Example: If photos are taken using a 15 second interval and played back at
30 FPS, the video will playback 450 times faster than real-time, and 12 hours
will be compressed into just 96 seconds.
