You’ve seen time-lapse video effects: A smooth sunset peacefully glides into the ocean, jittering traffic patterns swerve at night, and construction projects are instantly assembled. These effects are loaded with emotion, and can take their makers from amateurs to auteurs. We’ll show you how to shoot individual still photos and compile them into an HD video. You’ll need a tripod, still camera—a DSLR is ideal but not required—and QuickTime Pro. The results are much more cinematic than just turning up the playback speed for a video clip. (See our example video at 
www.maclife.com/time_lapse.)

What you need: DSLR or other digital camera, Tripod, QuickTime Pro, $29.99, www.apple.com

1. Pick a Subject

A gorgeous sunset or sunrise is a great subject for this project.

You can shoot a time-lapse video of anything, but the process works best with slow-moving subjects. First consider scenes that have a linear pattern. An opening flower clearly has a beginning and ending. A baking cake—or one being cut and served—progresses in an order too. Other effective time-lapse scenes show movement, but no significant progression. Random groups of people walk by on a busy street. Ducks splash around in a pond. The scenes that follow a natural progression are usually more serene, while the nonlinear movement in the second set of examples usually creates chaotic clips. Pick a subject that will look good in your current video project, or just go experiment.

2. Position the Camera

Steady now.

Place the tripod where it can stand for as long as you need. If the camera gets bumped, your work could be ruined. We like aiming from corners and walls, but if you can protect the tripod legs from being bumped by people walking by, you can shoot from anywhere. Frame the scene, and lock the camera on the tripod.

3. Set Manual Controls

Make sure to manually set the exposure and focus for your first shot.

If you’re shooting over hours—and in some cases, minutes—auto settings will change exposure levels based on moving light. This compensation can neutralize the adjustment, while the finished movie will usually look best with these soft changes. Set the camera’s exposure with fully manual controls. Also set the manual focus in the first shot and leave it alone for the rest. (If your point-and-shoot camera doesn’t offer manual settings, you can still create good videos, but you’ll have less influence over the outcome.)

These manual settings also embellish the time-lapse style far beyond the look of a speeded-up video. Keep the flash off, and set a small aperture and longer exposure. Moving subjects will come out blurred, while backgrounds will stay sharp. Car lights will stretch through the frame as they pass. A longer exposure amplifies the effect. Try experimenting with that setting so that faster subjects blur, while slow subjects stay sharp.