In the August issue of Mac|Life Magazine, I explain how to shoot a sequence of still photos to create a high-definition time-lapse animation for a video. In this video, I combined hundreds of photos from a Whistler ski trip into a demonstration of the technique.

I stuck mostly with the basics for this sequence, usually leaving the camera alone while letting a timer take photos every few seconds. However, in the chair-lift shot, I subtly zoomed out as I took pictures. And since the shot with clouds flying over the mountain wasn't as dynamic as I'd hoped, I took advantage of the high- resolution files by blowing up and panning across the view in Final Cut Pro.

These shots could establish the pace of a longer video or act as an interlude between scenes captured with a video camera. But however you end up using the footage, try to capture extra clips. It takes patience to set up creative time-lapse scenes, but any extra effort in the field makes a difference in editing.