How to Calculate a Time Lapse:

Time lapses have been among  the most visually stimulating elements of cinema since their introduction in the late 1800′s. To this day they are as popular as ever and as easy as ever to create, that is if you have all the right tools. One of the most commonly asked questions is “How many seconds between each shot?”, or “At what interval do I take photos?”. Usually you will get an answer from a friend or on a forum between 1 and 6 seconds. But how and why did they choose that interval other than past experience and/or guesswork? Below I will show you how to calculate that interval as well as all other aspects of your time lapse so you can be knowledgeable and prepared before even getting on location. Before I get much further here’s is a real word example of a video I made applying the equation outlined in this article.

There are a small number of other Time Lapse Calculators out there, but those just spit out the answer for you with the information you provide them. I will provide an actual equation which I have formulated so that you may solve for any variable based on each of your shots’ particular needs. Furthermore, this equation will not only enable you to proficiently time your shots so that you may perfectly elapse 8 hours into 30 seconds, but will give you the complete ability to transform any amount of hours into any amount of seconds by finding each shots specific interval (rounded to the nearest second).

As long as you’ve got a calculator this is very easy to tackle. Here’s what it means..

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