Time-Lapse Photography Art and Techniques by Mark Higgins

software that comes free with the camera. Most manufacturers provide software to transfer images
over quickly and easily.
LENSES
If you are a DSLR or advanced compact user, furthering your understanding of lenses is almost more
important than the camera knowledge itself because the lens is where the quality and look of the
image can be changed dramatically. In this section we will take a comprehensive look at lenses and
their role within time-lapse photography, and demonstrate how they can help to expand your
creativity. Use this as an opportunity to learn more about the lens that you have or what you may be
looking to purchase.
Your lens is the most important part of your camera. The camera itself is like a computer in many
ways: it does many things now that a computer is able to do and you can get a lot for your money; the
performance with most is incredible and many cameras do a lot more than you are likely to ever need.
Cameras get replaced in the marketplace quite frequently as new technologies are developed, and
accordingly can depreciate in value relatively quickly. The camera itself is proving to be a temporary
item in a photographer’s kit bag these days; a lens however, will stay with you for life, if it is chosen
wisely.
The beauty of DSLR lenses is that there is such a wide variety of lenses to choose from. Most
manufacturers have a massive range going back many years: the two big companies, Nikon and
Canon, have produced literally millions of lenses. This does of course make choosing a lens tricky,
and a good knowledge of them is needed in order to improve and understand our image-making.
An important point to make is that there is no such thing as one lens that does everything.
Manufacturers are only able to design lenses around the laws of the physics of light, and to do
different jobs we need different lens designs. Of the vast number of lenses out there, some are very
cheap and others are more expensive than your car, so the wrong decision could be costly as well as
creatively limiting. This chapter will de-mystify the language of lenses and make clear the practical
uses of the different types. It is hoped that your confidence with lenses will also grow, enabling your
image-making to progress.
Taking the correct lens for the job
When attending a shoot, the process will be much more efficient and enjoyable if you bring the most
appropriate lens for the job. If you have the wrong lens it’s quite likely that you will not achieve what
you anticipated and that you will have to come back to your shooting position another day with the
correct lens. Sometimes one lens will be sufficient, and at other times you will need more than one.
This section explores all aspects of lens selection, together with all the relevant terminology, so
that rather than being perplexed by the jargon, you can use it to your advantage.
Focal length
The focal length is written on the lens and this indicates how big or small the frame around your