Time-lapse photography is a filming technique used to capture a series of pictures of a similar frame at regular intervals. These photos are often used to document a continuous process. It can be a short-duration activity like the growth of a flower or a long-term project like building construction. Once all images are collected, they’re compiled into a video clip showing all changes that have occurred at high speed.
How To Pick A Time-Lapse Camera For A Construction Site
There are various devices used for time-lapse photography. In some cases, people use regular cameras or a phone with excellent capabilities. However, it’s advisable to use digital single-lens reflex (DSLR) or mirrorless cameras for long-term time-lapse projects.
These two devices are more recommendable because they offer more customization settings and better picture quality than other photography gadgets. Besides that, with these cameras, you have different focal lengths to work with. This means you’ll have great flexibility since you can capture subjects both farther and nearer.
If you’re looking for such devices, you can buy them from a local merchant or order them online. Regardless of where you’d prefer to buy your gadget, ensure you purchase it from a reputable time-lapse equipment seller. This way, you’ll get quality products and more value for your money.
Often, construction projects take several months or years to complete. Therefore, if you need a camera to record time-lapse photos, you must carefully choose your device. In this article, you’ll find out what makes a time-lapse camera sufficient for a long-term construction project. Below are three factors to consider when buying one:
Choose A Camera That’s Power Efficient
Since construction projects take a long time, you’ll need a reliable power supply source for your camera. In this case, you might choose electricity or solar energy. However, the camera you use has to be power efficient.
A device with higher energy consumption will use more electricity or a costly sunlight power system to sustain it. For long-term time-lapse projects, such gadgets will make capturing images expensive.
Therefore, when buying your camera, ensure you check its power requirements. If you find a lower consumption device, it’ll be suitable for a construction time-lapse photography project. For instance, a solar-powered device that can run on a 20 watts panel can be convenient. Also, a camera that can sustain electric power for a day is sufficient.
Pick A Device With Cloud Connectivity
When choosing a camera for a construction site time-lapse photography project, you also have to ensure that the device allows cloud connectivity. This way, you can check the photos captured remotely, saving you several trips to the building under development.
When selecting a cloud-connected camera for your project, certain features are vital. For instance, a gallery holding all captured pictures is an excellent tool. It helps preserve your images and allows you to access them whenever necessary.
Status reporting is another essential feature. This allows you to check your camera battery level, storage card usage, and photo count. An image search tool is also crucial as it’ll help you find a specific picture you might be looking for.
If you find a cloud-connected camera with the above features, consider getting it for your construction site time-lapse photography project because it’s more efficient.
Buy Your Camera From A Supportive Manufacturer
Your camera is likely to experience various problems like poor photo quality or a blank LCD. Even though some camera issues are easy to fix, some might require a professional to handle. Without reliable technical help, major camera issues can make you miss important shots.
To avoid this, ensure you buy your gadget from a supportive manufacturer. They should be reliable in offering technical help at any time to ensure no issue hinders you from capturing any critical milestones.
Tips For Efficient Use Of A Construction Site Time-Lapse Camera
Having considered the provided factors, you might have identified a good camera for your construction site time-lapse photography project. You have to know which is best to use for excellent results. For this reason, below are some helpful tips:
Use Manual Settings
When shooting a long-term time-lapse project, it’s recommendable to have white balance, focus, shutter speed, and other settings in manual mode. This way, you’ll avoid flickering—an effect caused by irregular light changes that happen over time—which causes partials discoloration of pictures.
Capture Images At Sufficient Time Intervals
To correctly choose your time-lapse intervals, consider how fast changes in your subject occur. On a construction site, developments happen at a slower speed. Therefore, you’ll have to set your camera to capture images at longer intervals. However, make sure the photos aren’t too spaced out. A 30 seconds gap is recommendable to ensure the video clip you create doesn’t seem jumpy.
Take Many Photos
When shooting time-lapse images on a construction site, it’s essential to have as many pictures as you can. Sometimes there may be delays in the work site, even then, ensure that your camera is still running. This way, you’ll have more photos in case some aren’t sufficient.
Conclusion
A construction site time-lapse photography project requires a good camera that will save time and money. For this reason, it’s advisable to consider devices that are power efficient and cloud-connected. Besides that, the camera must also be sufficient enough to capture all milestones. One from a company that offers reliable technical support will be adequate.
After selecting an excellent long-term time-lapse camera, you also have to use it in the best way to ensure superior results. In this article, you’ll find three tips that could help you achieve this. As provided above, choose manual settings, capture images at sufficient time intervals and lastly, take as many photos as you can.
