How to Create a Time Lapse Slideshow
- 1). Choose a digital still camera to use and check its features. There are many cameras equipped with a time-lapse shooting feature. In case your camera doesn't have this feature and you don't want to spend for an external device to add to your time-lapse setup, the most practical way is simply to control the camera manually. This can be quite challenging as the camera is always prone to small movements when having to press the shoot button. It also does not have the exact time interval done by an automated program. Nevertheless, with diligence and discipline, it is still possible to accurately shoot a time-lapse using the manual process.
- 2). Configure the settings for your time-lapse. While some cameras, especially consumer-type ones, only have fixed settings, there are those that also provide options to set the number of seconds, minutes or hours of interval for each shot. Some cameras make it possible to manually configure your intended image resolution, exposure and other shooting features.
- 3). Secure the camera on a tripod. Make sure the area is not prone to people accidentally bumping the camera. If shooting in a windy area, put sandbags or any additional weight to the tripod and camera. Having the camera locked in a permanent position is crucial in shooting a time-lapse.
- 4). Frame and focus your shot according to how you want the subject to look.
- 5). Press the camera's "Start" or "Record" button. The shoot typically takes a very long period, especially if intending to acquire footage that would take a number of minutes during the playback of the slide show. Some even require half a day, the whole day or even more. For instance, a time-lapse from sunrise to sunset would mean shooting more than 12 hours straight.
- 6). Press the camera's "Stop" button after a successful time-lapse shoot.
- 7). Transfer the time-lapse shots to the computer.
- 8). Open the photos sequentially using any image-editing software that can create a slide show. You even may use any image-previewing program and simply press the scroll button to manually play a slide show of the photos.
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