Timelapse videos are so mesmerizing and recently, I captured the blooming of a zinnia plant.
The Allure of Timelapse
I had always reveled at timelapse movies – from seeing the sunrises and sun setting to seeing long journeys. And I have done a few myself. A few years ago, I managed to do a short timelapse of an orange ton Asiatic lily blooming.
And during my Alaska cruise trip, I also did some timelapse movies of the dawn as well as the passage of time at various times.
This year, I wanted to do more, so when I got a trail camera I wanted to try my luck with a flower blooming. My plan was to capture a zinnia plant in my front yard blooming. The camera had a night mode so I thought this would work well.
The Dance of the Zinnia Timelapse
I set up the camera at appropriate lengths but I did some night photography to check the angle before fixing on what I thought would be the best spot.
And then the fun began.
For some reason I had to remove the camera before the flower bloomed but the footage, despite the shakiness, was amazing – it was incredible to see what I call the Dance of the Zinnia.
I had to cut out a lot of video footage because it was too long and often times too shaky but the outcome was still impressive.
As you can see from the video, the plant twisted and twirled, bent towards the earth and then stood up, turned sideways – it was a great dance of sorts.
Trail Camera for Timelapse?
I realized that a trail camera might not be the best option for time lapse photography.
Trail cameras are usually used for those on hiking or camping tours to capture wildlife and the sort. As I mentioned earlier, I needed a camera to do the timelapse and besides I wanted one with a good night vision capability. This was in the right price range.
But I realized that the trail camera can sometimes change the angle of view. Besides, I was also not too enthusiastic about the infrared sensor lights in the front. I had set up the camera in the front yard and did not want to attract too much attention.
There are some other timelapse projects I am currently working on and I am curious to know the outcome.
One of the challenges I have faced is how to make the movies smooth when the object is moving because of winds. I have tried adjusting the shooting time frame from lower to higher but I have not had any success so far.