Time-Lapse Photography Art and Techniques by Mark Higgins

Chapter 3
Equipment
In this chapter we will take a look at equipment that will help you with your time-lapse photography,
exploring ideas about what to take with you to a shoot and what can be used to make your set-up more
efficient. You can pick and choose the contents of your kitbag according to personal preference and
the job in hand. We will start by having a look at the camera itself, then other items in and around the
kit bag.
IMAGING DEVICE
An imaging device can be a mobile phone, tablet, compact camera, or a DSLR (Digital Single Lens
Reflex) camera, to name a few. We will look at different devices and discuss advantages and
disadvantages of each. It is becoming increasingly common for a photographer or videographer to use
at least two of the devices that we will talk about. Even a professional photographer who uses a highend
DSLR camera will always use a secondary device such as a mobile phone or a compact camera
for research purposes or to be more discreet in certain situations.
There can be some snobbery or elitism surrounding which device an individual chooses to use.
There is really no need for this, since image-making with any device should be embraced and all
technology should be evaluated as a potentially important tool for use in different situations. As
technology evolves, so does time-lapse photography and the surrounding areas; it would be foolish
not to investigate all that is available to us.
Mobile phones and tablets
Most people already use mobile devices to produce photos or video, whether or not they are a
photographer. They are simple and easy to use and whenever most people want to record a moment in
time, they will reach for the device that is closest to hand. More serious photographers don’t consider
using a phone or tablet as their main imaging device because the quality of the images and control of
the device is limited, but even so, explore your phone and see what it is capable of. Phones can be a
great tool for capturing initial ideas or making notes relating to your subject. If you see or think of
something that could make a great time-lapse video and you don’t have your main camera with you, a
device like this will record the idea so you can come back to it later, rather than forgetting about it. In
this way portable smart devices are invaluable to us.