So recently, I decided to jump on the time-lapse photography bandwagon and to just see how difficult it is to actually capture slow-moving moments eg. flowers blooming at the break of dawn, cloud movements, sunrises and sunsets, even fireworks and play them back at a faster speed.
So incase you’re wondering what time-lapse photography is, it is a technique whereby the frequency at which film frames are captured is much lower than that used to view the sequence.
Huh, what is that supposed to mean?!?!
Haha, it’s not the most straightforward concept, many would agree. But to make things simpler, do you remember watching clips of city cars zooming across the streets like in a Formula One race or how people walk at breakneck speed in the hullabaloo of a bustling city?
Well, if that still doesn’t help, you can watch this!
The art of capturing a process that spans a good long 4 hours and squeezing it into a matter of 40 seconds seems like a simple task when I first learnt of time-lapse photography. Especially when I realised I could just film the entire process and play it back, 20 times faster! (now that’s easy… BUT THAT’S ALSO CHEATING HAHA)
Well, everyone has their own starting point so if you’re not comfortable doing a time-lapse by taking pictures, you can try the video method first. Anyways, coming back to my time-lapse experience, I decided to head for Sunset Walk, a secluded, hardly known of boardwalk along Changi Beach. It is actually just behind Changi Beach Club. (2 Andover Rd, Singapore 509984) You can hop onto buses 2,9 and talk a stroll past The Coastal Settlement Restaurant or you can take 29 and alight just outside the Commando camp and walk in. It’s about a 20, 15 minute walk respectively.
Changi Beach Club |Photo Credits: Flikr
Sunset Walk Boardwalk |Photo Credits: Today Online
Doesn’t this place look ABSOLUTELY STUNNING. On first impression, I would have never guess of such a quaint part of Singapore to be such an amazing location to view sunsets. That being said, I was rearing to go. So I packed my supplies, which included (2 tripods, 2 cameras, my Mac which I regretted bringing HAHA and a book to keep me company for the trip)
Tried emulating Herschel on Instagram but failed HAHA
The walk there was TIRING. Especially since my leg was still recovering. But eventually, all was worth the toil as I got my cameras set up and filming began.
So I waited, waited and waited for time to go by as the sun mercilessly chided me with its rays. (Silently, I begged for the sun to stop raining me with its golden arrows but how could I when I needed it to shine its brightest) unfortunately or fortunately for my face (before it got burnt) thick pillows of clouds whisked into the path between my camera lenses and the sun.
The sudden release from the heat sprang me from my seat to check on the cameras and see how I could alter the settings. But you can never beat Mother Nature at her game and all I could do was sit back and wait. Dampened, and deflated my worse fears turned into reality as the clouds thickened and darkened. Persistent to get as many shots as I could I didn’t heed the warning signs of what seemed to be imminent.
And then drop of raindrops became waterfalls.
In a frenzy I dismantled my cameras from the tripods, and BECAUSE I COULDN’T RUN, I walked pitifully to the pavilion nearby. Just like that my plans were ruined unfortunately, but I guess it’s all in the name of adventure to expect the unexpected.
As I waited for the sky’s pee to die off, in the far distance, obscured by the clouds was the sun setting gradually, turning the sky into a subtle but pretty pinkish hue. My heart wrenched further as the sky became saturated in pink. The soaked wooden planks creaked under my weight as I made my way out, clothes drenched from the madness a couple of minutes ago.
“Here to catch fish or watch sunset ah boy?” A Malay Uncle in a raincoat asked when his eyes finally landed on my tripod,” Aiya, so saiyang (wasted), today rain big big, cannot take photo.”
“Ya Uncle very sad, of all days, today rain, but nevermind Uncle, I will come back.” I replied the old man who was getting ready to throw his rod out.
It wasn’t the best of road trips (not that I’ve been on many to begin with) but it’s a beginning to more solo adventures with my camera and my tripod and me.
Excited to get my gopro in future cause there’s really much more one can do with it. For now, I shall just leave you with the video I made from whatever I had, it isn’t much but decent for a first attempt I presume. Till then, Darren 🙂
P.s if you do time-lapse photography, do help me out and leave me some tips on it as well as nice locations for the capturing of future works, much appreciated!
Frame Interval (time between each picture taken): 3 Seconds
Frame Rate: 30 frames per second
Filming Duration: ~45 minutes
deecee-who 