Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Flight Canceled = DEN Timelapse!



Settings
These are multiple timelapses taken while stuck in the DEN airport for the entire day.  They were taken with various ND Filters combined with the Nikkor 18-55, Nikkor 55-300, and Sigma 10-20mm lenses.

Technique
In these videos I was really working on focal points and frames of reference.  I wanted deep depth of field that captured much of the action at DEN.  Of all timelapses I've done so far this was hands down the most enjoyable.  Never was I rushed by lighting, pressed by time, or was cold as I was setting it up.  I actually had some time to work through various settings, try new ones and retake the shots.  This was an incredible learning opportunity of which I hope to spend time timelapsing like this again.

Putting the video together I really wanted to showcase how retiming videos can be a engaging tool that is very easy.  Throughout the video you will notice timelapses speed up, slow down, play in reverse, and even stop at times.  Nothing was done during the shoot other than "overshooting".  If my goal is to get 10-12 second timelapses I will try to capture 15-20 seconds worth of timelapse so that I can speed up, slow down or even pick my favorite section.

Retiming is something that most editing programs will have, some are robust and some are preset speeds.  Either way it is very clear how interesting retiming is.  From reading various blogs and articles they say that retiming is captivating because as you watch a timelapse for a few seconds your brain and eyes start to predict things.  For example: clouds moving across the screen at a constant speed, will trick the brain into predicting that the clouds will move to "X" spot before it actually happens.  All of the sudden the direction of the clouds reverse and your eyes are instantly drawn to the most apparent change.  This is a tactic that I believe can be the easiest yet most impactful effect for beginning editors.  Be creative, don't just stick to the norm.  Retiming can even be taking a few seconds out of a clip as someone walks.  Something this small will be surprisingly catchy!

Thoughts and What's Next?
Like I stated before, these timelapses were a blast to capture and easily the most educational as I was able to spend a long amount of uninterrupted time with the camera.  I need to make it a point to do this more often however the weather unfortunately can be a large determinant of how much time I can spend. Hopefully spring gets here soon!

Most times I hate canceled flights, in this case it worked out...that is until I was re-routed to Chicago and stuck driving home at 4:30am.

What's next, well I'm currently working through Photoshop and Lightroom on a really cool driving sequence.  It may leave you slightly dizzy but the streaks of light at night are pretty awesome, see you next week!

Still balding but not bald,
-Kyle

Twitter & Instagram: @kylelawso
Timelapse Vimeo Channel
The Kyle Life Vimeo Channel


No comments:

Post a Comment