TIME LAPSE PHOTOGRAPHY

[Music] [Music] um here is a picture of an iris the blooming of this flower has been accelerated many times faster than normal by the use of time lapse photography function of the time lapse camera let's compare it with a standard slow motion picture this action has been slowed down approximately five times this particular scene may not illustrate the best technique in swinging a golf club but it does serve the purpose for demonstrating slow motion photography ah that's this stuff quite unlike action slowed down five times is a picture showing navigation on the chicago river speeded up 50 times faster than normal [Music] through skillful use of the motion picture camera the photographer can produce the effect of being able to control the passage of time he can speed it up or slow it down often with startling effects in a sense the cameraman makes the world move at any pace he desires [Music] it is with animated drawings the movie maker can give the most free reign to his imagination in animation the movement is drawn or painted on sheets of celluloid and then photographed in proper sequence each time the picture is changed on the platen a fixed area in front of the camera a corresponding picture is taken on the film we see here a strip of film after it has been removed from the animation camera this plainly illustrates that movie film is simply a series of still pictures each still showing an advance in movement when the drawings are shown on the screen at the standard rate of 24 each second we have a perfect illusion of movement here in the creation sequence from the film our changing world things are really speeded up when the story of the earth's creation is reduced to a matter of seconds the operation of the time lapse camera is basically the same as that of the animation camera but here instead of pictures painted on celluloid we have a living plant of the subject if the motion of the plant is to be shown the plant must be given time to grow between the taking of each picture the pictures on this strip of film were taken at five minute intervals [Music] here is the perfect illusion of motion as still pictures like those we have just seen are projected at the normal speed of 24 a second just how often a time-lapse camera takes a picture is dependent upon the rate of growth the particular plant being photographed the time interval could vary from one minute to one hour the mere clicking of the camera shutter at the right moment is by no means the only problem in making time-lapse pictures since sunlight is so important for normal plant growth the plants are placed under a glass roof unfortunately sunlight is too varying in intensity for consistent photographic exposures therefore carefully controlled artificial light is supplied to maintain an even illumination at the time a picture is to be made automatic devices close the large overhead shutters which cut out the sunlight turn on the lights snap the picture turn off the lights and reopen the shutters [Music] the plants are placed in pots or boxes and arranged in a row on a photographic table the cameras are on wheels and move forward or backward on a small track when everything is adjusted and ready the automatic device closes the overhead shutter turns on the light and takes another picture this main control panel automatically controls the cameras lights and other equipment it can operate the cameras at different time intervals and move them to correct positions as the plants grow it even waters the plants periodically even though everything works automatically a daily check of each camera is made complete records are kept to film footage and other pertinent information on the stage of development of each subject since it would be a little troublesome to move trees or other large objects into the time lapse studio it is necessary to bring time lapse to them in such instances a large box is placed on stilts out in the tree this box has a large glass window over the subject and a curtain which closes each time a picture is taken all operations are just the same as in the main time lapse studio in this case only one branch is being studied but the remainder of the tree must be tied down so the wind cannot sway it too much it must be remembered that the movement of the plants in these time lapse pictures is caused only by natural growth processes any motion caused by the wind would be relatively so fast compared to the speed of the plant growing that the result would be just a blur like this through time-lapse photography see in a few seconds will grace and beauty of the entire life cycle of a plant only recently has science begun to realize the tremendous research possibilities of time-lapse microphotography when all the equipment has been properly checked the chamber containing tiny bits of living tissue is placed beneath the microscope in this time lapse scene the process of cell division can be carefully studied for the camera is able to discern the slightest movements in the tissues under surveillance the completed picture we see on the screen isn't just taken from the camera and projected it first must be edited to fit time music and narration requirements once the film has been edited to the desired scene lengths the conformist must then see that all the required elements fit together this is done with a synchronizer a machine which measures film scene by scene one of the most important contributions to a finished picture is made by the film editor it is his job to examine every scene shot and select those which he feels will blend into a polished production editing is done most effectively on a special machine which enables the editor to watch the picture and listen to narration music and sound effects simultaneously here we see the time lapse rose pictures reviewed by the editor [Applause] the revelation of the hidden beauty and grace of movement of blooming flowers and the full brilliance of their natural color has been captured and preserved through time-lapse photography you