Help!! On Time Lapse

May 26, 2005

I want to do some time lapse stuff of the sun going down on the city and the cars streaking as the rush through the streets. I know I need an intervalometer but what are the best settings to use for this effect and what do I have to do to compensate for the day turning to night as far as adjusting my T-Stop? I know I sound retarded, but I have never done time lapse and It will be an expensive mistake if I screw it up.

May 26, 2005

Where to begin?????

First off if you nail the shot on your first try you will be very lucky. Some DPs dedicated their lives to mastering time lapse. Having said that.

You are describing a VERY complex shot. If you want to do just the sun going down, or just the cars lights streaking fine, I'm not sure from the way you typed your post if you want both in the same shot or not?

For the sunset, 1 frame every two seconds will give you a good result. The sun sets very fast so I would not go to a longer intervol. Do not adjust your f-stop on this shot. You want it to get darker, and you would need some very advanced gear to do a full day to night shot. Not to mention the film stock issues.

As for the f-stop well it's a bit of a guess, I use f-11 with 50ASA for a bright sunset. Should get you in the ball park, maybe try f-8 on another day to have a back up.

As for car lights, you need an intervolometer that will hold the camera shutter open for at least two seconds then advance. This will give you the streaking effect. You can use 50ASA film for this shot as well to save some cash. As a two second exposure on say f-2.8 will give you plenty of light for the neg. At night there will be no danger of over exposure.

At night you can shoot a variety of takes, bracket your shots, try different f-stops and exposure times, keep detailed notes of the setting for each shot.

One might work out.

R,

May 26, 2005

One continuos shot. I want to use a wide lens and catch the sun going behind the city, then after the sun goes down get the lights and cars streaking in the distance if possible?

May 26, 2005

"One continuos shot. I want to use a wide lens and catch the sun going behind the city, then after the sun goes down get the lights and cars streaking in the distance if possible?"

That will be very difficult without some high end gear.

You'll have to switch from very short exposures for the sun, to very long exposures for the traffic, all within the same shot.

Maybe a rental house has a piece of gear for this?

R,

You could always fake it. Lock off the camera, shoot two shots like I explained before, then slow dissolve between the two.