The importance of the interval in a timelapse

This article was translated from Dutch with the help of AI. Read the original.

Making a timelapse can be great fun. Choose an interval and start taking the photos for your timelapse. Simply choosing an interval does not always produce the desired result. So think carefully about which interval you set. PhotoPills can help you with this.

With a timelapse, you can show a long period of time in a short video. You do this by taking a photo regularly throughout that long period. It is important to choose the right amount of time between the different shots, the interval.

Simply choosing an interval does not work. You need to think about it carefully. Obviously, the period you want to capture in your timelapse plays a part, as does the length of your timelapse clip. But there is more to consider.

First of all, you need to decide which frame rate (fps) your timelapse video will have. Normally, you can choose between 25 frames per second and 50 frames per second. Which one you choose is very personal. I prefer the more cinematic 25 fps.

If you choose an interval suitable for 25 fps and play it back at 50 fps, the movement will be twice as fast. If you choose 25 fps but use an interval intended for 50 fps, the movement will be half as slow. This also affects the length of your timelapse, of course.

The most important thing is probably the speed of the movement. Are you making a timelapse of something that moves slowly, or of something that moves quickly? Choose the wrong interval and the movement may barely be visible, or it may be too fast.

You can work this out through trial and error by trying it out. It may be easier to follow some advice. I use the timelapse function in PhotoPills for this.

Have you ever made a timelapse? Or do you make timelapse recordings regularly? I invite you to post a link to your timelapse video in the comments below this article. I am curious about the interval and recording time you used.

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