DIY time-lapse photography
Time Travel

© Lead Image © 36clicks, 123RF.com
Using a few simple components and open source software, you can create impressive panoramic time-lapse photos. We guide you through the entire process, from building a simple panning rig to assembling photos into a time-lapse video.
Although time-lapse photography [1] is nothing new, it remains a popular genre with enthusiasts and amateur photographers alike. And it's easy to understand why: Time-lapse movies assembled from multiple photos can be beautiful and mesmerizing, offering a radically different view of the world around us.
Time-lapse photography is great as it is, but adding panning to the equation takes the concept to another level. The idea behind panoramic time-lapse photography is rather simple: Instead of remaining in a fixed position, the camera slowly pans in one direction (e.g., clockwise) while taking photos, which makes it possible to capture panoramic time-lapses of landscapes, city skylines, cityscapes, and so forth.
You may think that creating panoramic time-lapses requires expensive hardware and software. In fact, this type of photography is ideal for tinkering with hardware and putting open source software to creative use, so if you happen to have a Canon PowerShot compact camera or an Android smartphone, building a simple panning rig and creating time-lapse videos makes a perfect weekend project.
[...]
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.

News
-
Linux Mint 22.2 Beta Available for Testing
Some interesting new additions and improvements are coming to Linux Mint. Check out the Linux Mint 22.2 Beta to give it a test run.
-
Debian 13.0 Officially Released
After two years of development, the latest iteration of Debian is now available with plenty of under-the-hood improvements.
-
Upcoming Changes for MXLinux
MXLinux 25 has plenty in store to please all types of users.
-
A New Linux AI Assistant in Town
Newelle, a Linux AI assistant, works with different LLMs and includes document parsing and profiles.
-
Linux Kernel 6.16 Released with Minor Fixes
The latest Linux kernel doesn't really include any big-ticket features, just a lot of lines of code.
-
EU Sovereign Tech Fund Gains Traction
OpenForum Europe recently released a report regarding a sovereign tech fund with backing from several significant entities.
-
FreeBSD Promises a Full Desktop Installer
FreeBSD has lacked an option to include a full desktop environment during installation.
-
Linux Hits an Important Milestone
If you pay attention to the news in the Linux-sphere, you've probably heard that the open source operating system recently crashed through a ceiling no one thought possible.
-
Plasma Bigscreen Returns
A developer discovered that the Plasma Bigscreen feature had been sitting untouched, so he decided to do something about it.
-
CachyOS Now Lets Users Choose Their Shell
Imagine getting the opportunity to select which shell you want during the installation of your favorite Linux distribution. That's now a thing.