Six Simple Composition Tips to Improve Your Timelapse Photography

There are lots of things to consider when setting out to create an amazing timelapase. You have to think about gear, settings, location.   But even if you are at the right place at the right time and with all the best gear, you’ll still want to make sure you get the best composition possible.   
In fact, you might be taking hundreds of photographs for a single clip.  So yes, you want to make sure you have your composition absolutely nailed before hitting the start on that intervalometer.

Photography Composition Rules Apply

The most important point needs to be made right up front. Yes. The general rules of composition used by still photographers also apply for creating timelapses.  
In fact, you want to develop the same skill set used by photographers to create beautiful images.  You want to understand the rules of composition and how to use them.  The basic rules of composition include such things as: rule of thirds, eliminating distractions, filling the frame, proper framing, leading lines, negative space, foreground interest, etc.
In my humble opinion, timelapse photographers should always continue to work on and create beautiful still images in the areas they typically work in.
For example, the timelapse photographer Michael Shainblum does amazing landscape work. I am pretty sure there are very few timeslapses that he creates where he could not go through the individual photos and pick out a few stunners!
I also recommend checking out Mads Peter Iversen’s YouTube channel.  He is an amazing if understated photographer who has some great instructional video’s devoted to landscape photography composition.  

Use the Right Settings

Timelapse is not about creating a frozen moment in time like traditional photography. In fact, part of the ‘composition process’ is deciding how the moving objects in your scene are going to look as they move in, through and out of the clip. 
Basically, you need to ensure that you get the right shutter speed and interval between shots to get the most from the predicted movement in your project.  I likely need to write a full article on this specific topic but suffice it to say that different types of scenes will work best with different interval’s between shots and with different shutter speeds to create blur.    Basically, the faster the motion (think cars) the shorter the interval between shots. Although not always.  And the further the motion the shorter the shutter speed. For example, there is no real needs to drag the shutter when the subject of the timelapse is distant moving clouds.
Basically, the faster the motion (think cars) the shorter the interval between shots. Although not always.  And the further the motion the shorter the shutter speed. For example, there is no real needs to drag the shutter when the subject of the timelapse is distant moving clouds.

Decide what your Clip is About

Depending on your subject, there will be different types of objects moving in a scene. Sometimes that won’t be the case, for example in a simple landscape photography setting.
But sometimes it will be the case.  Each of these different moving objects could suggest different timelapse settings for getting the right timelapse composition.
For example, a cityscape timelapse may have moving clouds, cars, construction cranes, jets, pedestrians and boats.  In fact, these elements could all be found in a single urban scene. 
Arguably, making each of these elements look good in a timelapse would require different settings. To make things more complicated, changes in the amount of light during the period you’re shooting could also impact how these elements will look at various stages of a timelapse.
As a result, my view is that you really need to decide what your subject is and commit to that composition.  Is it amazing beautiful clouds over an urban skyline? Then commit to the right settings for that composition using the speed of your clouds to determine your interval. 
If there are pedestrians or cars that might cause distracting motion in the clip, you can always choose a different composition to minimize those distractions or use a longer shutter speed to blur them out of the project.  Longer shutter speeds also work well with removing birds.   
Below is an example of a timelapse that has no subject. It fails miserably.

Know your Crop

Very often, a processed and completed timelapse will end up being cropped differently than originally shot on the camera.  Whether you have a standard size sensor or a micro four-thirds sensor, you may be considering posting the finished product on YouTube or Vimeo in either a 16×9 or in an even more cinematic crop.
You need to be able to previsualize your composition with your ultimate intended cop in mind. This is even more important if you are a micro four-thirds shooter as you will be cropping even more of the image to get that cinematic feel.
A great way to previsualize your shot is using the camera function on your smartphone, which may already have a 16×9 screen.  Ultimately, however you just need to keep this in mind and keep enough distance between yourself and your subject to crop down later in post-production.
Below is an example of a project using a 2.35:1 cinematic crop.

Go a Little Wider with your Composition

I often shoot a little wider than the composition that I think will work best.  I do this for a number of reasons.  First, I get a little cushion to change the crop of the image if I have not done a great job framing the scene in the first place. 
I know some people don’t like cropping in post to fix a poorly considered composition, but blue collar timelapsers like me have to take whatever steps we can to get a good product at the end of the day.
Another important reason to back out and go a little wider is to give yourself the opportunity to adjust your image depending on how the scene unfolds during the shoot.  For example, the drama in your scene may occur in a way you didn’t expect.  Perhaps the clouds were way cooler than you thought they were going to be and so you shift the crop to emphasize that coolness.
As you become a more experienced timelapse photographer, you may also want to animate your clips inn post production. Particularly if you are working on an advance timelapse film like a flow motion timelapse.  You will want to be able to move in and out of your clip as part of the animation and give yourself some room to work can be pretty crucial to that workflow.

Moving or Static Composition

The last composition tip that I wanted to touch on is the impact of moving vs. static timelapses as a factor to creating a composition. 
There are many tools that move cameras during a timelapse. Have a look at Syrp, Rhino Camera Gear or edelkrone for just a few examples of motion control devices.
The important thing to remember when you are making a timelapse with a motion control device is to ensure that the composition works with the type of motion you want to use in the project.  For example, if you are adding a sideways or panning motion to your timelapse, you will likely need a foreground element in the frame that emphasizes the movement.  
If you have your camera move two feet but your subject is 20 miles away, then the movement will likely not be noticed by a viewer.


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