As the sun began to drop out of the sky last night, I dashed down the road with my tripod and set up my camera to create a time lapse. Taking a shot every 2 seconds this one is made up of over 700 frames. The card was full when I returned from my amble up the road which provided another lesson in timelapsing; make sure your memory card is empty before you start. Luckily I got most of the best part of the sunset. Next time I’ll hope for some cows or sheep in the field which would add a bit of additional interest and the lack of cars on the road during the lockdown didn’t help; although as a cyclist I’m not complaining about that!
Time lapses are an interesting challenge, I guess they are a midpoint between photography and film making; It’s important to compose the shot as you would a good photograph with elements combining to make an interesting frame but there’s also the movement of those elements to consider. This one could have done with some more action but I like the movement in the leaves in the foreground and the sun dropping into the clouds. I don’t have a fancy tracking device by the way, the panning effect is just added when making the video. It’s possible to get devices that will gradually pan the camera or move it along a rail for more versatility but they are expensive and not something I really need!
One factor that photographers and film makers both desire is good quality of light and it almost always makes the difference between an average and a good piece of work. I like the glow in the sky with this one and the sunlight through the leaves.