A time-lapse is a series of photographs or a sped-up video clip that quickly condenses long passages of time. The technique is similar to stop motion animation.
We’ve used time-lapses to showcase a variety of different processes. From start-to-finish videos of multi-month construction projects, to short clips that demonstrate how much work happens in an office throughout a typical day.
Time-lapses work best with long, high-movement processes – the results can be very impressive!
There’s no set limit on how long a time-lapse can last, although we will use different equipment for different types of projects.
The main considerations with placing time-lapse cameras on a site are who has access to site, how much access there will be throughout the project, whether there is power on site, how long the cameras need to be on site for and how much data we can store on the cameras during that time.
For short time-lapses, where the camera is actively monitored by a member of our staff throughout, we will typically use high resolution DSLR style cameras for capturing beautiful 4K time-lapse footage.
These can be used with motorised equipment that moves the camera gradually throughout the duration of the time-lapse for added impact.
For longer time-lapses where the camera is left unattended in a secure environment, and can be operated on mains power, we will use either DSLR style cameras or smaller action cameras.
The cameras will be fixed in a set location and the image quality will usually be 1080p HD or higher. A member of our team will need to access the camera every week or two to offload the images.
For very long time-lapses, where the camera could be on site without power, or projects where the camera is placed in a location with limited access, we have several battery powered time-lapse cameras which can be placed discretely out of the way to capture activity.
The batteries in these cameras can last several months and they have plenty of storage for footage, albeit at lower 720p HD quality. They do not need to be accessed as frequently as our other cameras.
As qualified drone pilots, we can also capture time-lapses from up to 120m in the air. This can be useful for capturing progress photos of construction works, or can be captured as part of a promotional or training video.
Examples of recent projects that include Time-Lapse video
We were asked by Specialist Lining Services to produce a case study style video of the roof lining of a residential property.
We were asked by Specialist Lining Services to record a time-lapse of a swimming pool relining in the New Forest.
We were commissioned to record a 10-month time-lapse of the installation of an industrial battery system for grid energy.
We provide a flexible and affordable approach to time-lapse photography. We have experience with a wide range of time-lapse projects that span a variety of lengths, and we always deliver a finished piece that exceeds our clients’ expectations.
If you’d like to know more about how we can help you use time-lapse photography for your business, please get in touch.
