Creating Professional Time-Lapse and Hyperlapse

Time-Lapse vs Hyperlapse

Time-Lapse: Camera stationary, shows time passing (clouds moving, sun setting). Hyperlapse: Camera moves through space while capturing time progression.

Planning Your Time-Lapse

Scout locations beforehand. Identify interesting subjects with movement: clouds, traffic, people, shadows, tides. Golden hour and blue hour offer dramatic light changes.

Camera Settings

Shoot in manual mode to prevent exposure flickering. Lock white balance, ISO, and shutter speed. Use aperture priority if light conditions change significantly.

Interval Calculation

Fast action (traffic): 1-2 second intervals. Medium action (clouds): 3-5 second intervals. Slow action (sun movement): 10-30 second intervals. Formula: (final video seconds × fps) ÷ 60 = shooting minutes.

Battery and Storage Planning

Time-lapses drain batteries—bring 3-4 fully charged batteries. Use high-capacity memory cards (64GB+). 300 photos = ~10 seconds of 30fps video.

Stabilization for Time-Lapse

Use Tripod mode for absolute stillness. Disable obstacle avoidance (can cause micro-movements). Turn off visual positioning system if indoors/low-light.

Hyperlapse Movement Planning

Plan your flight path: straight lines, orbits, or reveals. Use waypoint missions for precision. Smooth, consistent speed is critical—no sudden direction changes.

Post-Production Workflow

Import image sequence into editing software. Apply deflicker plugins if needed (LRTimelapse for Lightroom). Add motion blur (frame blending) for natural motion. Color grade consistently across all frames.

Advanced Techniques

Day-to-night transitions: shoot 2+ hours capturing sunset. Holy Grail time-lapse requires gradual exposure adjustment. Star trail time-lapses need 20+ second exposures and dark skies.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Shooting too short (need 3-5 minutes for 10-second final clip). Inconsistent framing (wind pushing drone). Wrong interval (too fast/slow for subject). Forgetting to check battery mid-sequence.