2

With my Canon SX210 IS and the ultra intervalometer script, now I'm able to capture take long time lapses with a series of photos. I have already tried shooting clouds in the sky, when the sun is setting down and the effect is very interesting, but I don't know any other situation where I could use the intervalometer.

Also, it would be good to know some tips about the use of intervalometers.

What ideas or hints do you have?

inkista
  • 52,065
  • 10
  • 88
  • 161
tomm89
  • 3,231
  • 3
  • 29
  • 35
  • I'm not sure I understand... Are you asking for different ideas of pictures to take using an intervalometer? – Jay Lance Photography Jan 30 '11 at 02:48
  • @tomm89: What problem are you trying to solve? Please see What types of questions should you avoid asking, especially this part: "You should only ask practical, answerable questions based on actual problems that you face. Chatty, open-ended questions diminish the usefulness of our site and push other questions off the front page." and "Your questions should be reasonably scoped. If you can imagine an entire book that answers your question, you’re asking too much." – TFuto Oct 03 '15 at 17:39

3 Answers3

5

Using intervalometers to create time-lapse photography is more of a research tool than it is for artistic expressions, but both can coincide, and often do. Time-lapse allows us to see things beyond the basic perspective of human perception. Much like the eye can only see visible light, but we all know that that range extends far beyond that, into the IR and UV areas of the spectrum. Time-lapse imagery allows us to see into the IR portion of the temporal (time) spectrum, conversely, ultra high-speed videography allows us to see into the UV portion of the temporal spectrum.

That being said, the uses for an intervalometer for photography are varied and many. Watch any nature special and you'll see how a seed sprouts into a mature plant; how a fungus fruits into a mushroom; how a slime-mold will crawl with its million of amoeba-like cells across a log and eventually form into fruiting stalks; or the most common time-lapse video clip, the opening of a flower. When watching video-clips of growing plants, you'll often see them swing side to side during any 24 hour period, this revealed the aspects of plant-growth and plant-behavior now known as phototropism and eventually the chemicals that cause this in plants.

Did you ever see something hours, days, or weeks later that has changed shape, position, color, size, or other attribute and wonder to yourself, "How did it do that?" Now you have a means of discovering the answers to that question.

If looking for possible subjects to capture for time-lapse video events, you need only ask yourself that simple question.

And who knows, the very most simplest thing that all others have always taken for granted, could just lead to a whole new branch of science. Just because you noticed something and became curious about it, enough to capture it in a time-lapse sequence. But if you do, please pay attention to composition as well. I wish more researchers would take artistic values into account.

"Discovery consists of seeing what everybody has seen and thinking what nobody has thought." - Albert von Szent-Gyorgyi

mattdm
  • 143,140
  • 52
  • 417
  • 741
Handy Andy
  • 587
  • 3
  • 3
  • 2
    I'd like to vote this one up, but, really, despise? Even with the smiley face, the hostile attitude brings so many of your answers down. – mattdm Apr 07 '11 at 04:06
  • 1
    Research is about careful observation, data collection, testing of hypotheses and careful reasoning. It is never judged on its artistic merit, with the possible exception of the humanities. While I largely agree with your earlier observations they would be made more valuable if you gave supporting references. – labnut Apr 07 '11 at 08:07
  • I decided to upvote inspite of @mattdm's justified point, due to the good ideas otherwise. – ysap Apr 07 '11 at 15:20
4

Essentially it is a nice feature if you don't want to hang around your camera. The camera snipes away for some hours and you don't have to care except for the sorting afterwards.

  • combine with long-time-exposure and try to create a nightsky-shot (circling around polar star in the norther hemisphere)
  • ... or even a 24h shot of an location, like this guy here: 24h above planet Sounio (below is the link to his "making of" - he had to control the process all the time)
  • if you only want to celebrate New Years eve and can live with the "chance"-shot: use it for fireworks
  • if you are into sports like skiing or sailing and do not have somebody like me [shutter-bugging you all the time], put it on the side of the slope/snowpark/sea (bonus: you know where to show the best tricks)
  • put it on a kite and take some aerial photos of your own (actually ... my A610 starts acting up ... that sounds like a nice option ... thanks for the idea)

Same as the "normal" photography: your imagination is the limit.

Leonidas
  • 3,376
  • 1
  • 20
  • 23
  • I specially like the idea of taking aerial photos with a kite, but I'm concerned about any damage to the camera caused by a fall. It seems I'll have to figure out how to make some kind of box to soften the hit, or a parachute could be also a good idea. Do you use any protection? – tomm89 Feb 06 '11 at 06:32
  • The idea is new for me too. I won't protect the camera, as it nears end-of-life anyway (sensor acting up) and took a lot of hits by me falling on top of it during snowboarding without any problems. I'd guess a big package of expanded polysterene around the camera should dampen an hard impact of kite and camera enough. – Leonidas Feb 07 '11 at 08:07
0

You could one of the ideas I've had concerning a wifi live-view feature:

Put it on a long stick (telescoping painter's pole) and use it to inspect the roof after a storm, if climbing is a problem. Actually, high-res photos will show more than streaming video, anyway.

See what your pet does all day while you're gone.

Watch the houseplants do the daily movement tracking the sun, perking up in the light and relaxing at dusk.

Before digital photography, I had a rug that moved by itself. I could shoot timelapse with an EOS 620 or 650, but only 36 exposures. I didn't bother, but if you have such a mystery it's no big deal today.

Watch a silly-putty sculpture melt.

Watch an icicle form.

I think there are forums for time-lapse.

JDługosz
  • 4,382
  • 1
  • 19
  • 38