Time Lapse Photography - Sedona with Bob Coates

2/24/2016

Intro by Skip Cohen

This may be the record-setter for the most content in one blog post over the last three years here at SCU. But just like the old "Have it your way," Burger King commercials from years back, you've got the ability to choose the level of detail you want on time lapse photography. It's all thanks to Panasonic Luminary and my very good buddy, Bob Coates.

That's Bob and me, captured in a screen shot from a frame when he video-bombed my Shutter Magazine editorial video two years ago. We're definitely two knuckleheads who have been friends for a long time. We were playing with a GH3 for the recording.

Technology is constantly changing and in imaging we've got the most number of creative tools in the history of photography! I've spent a lot of time hanging out with Bob over the years and he never sits still. If there's something new to add more creativity to his skill set, you can be sure he's going to check it out.

The link to each video's background story is below the video. So, watch the short clip, then check out what Bob's doing, how he's doing it and the backstory from one of the most beautiful places on the planet, his home town of Sedona.

You can follow Bob through his Successful-Photographer blog and in the LUMIX Lounge. Check out more of Bob's work and also the other members of the Luminary team. This is an incredibly talented group of artists, all different in the way they capture, create and see the world around us. You'll never be disappointed in what they have to share!

by Bob Coates

I was never one much for creating video until I started to work with Lumix cameras. Being able to get solid looking video straight out of the camera is pretty easy with a little practice.

But the video story I want to share with you today has to do with creating time lapse imagery. It used to be very difficult to create time lapses as you had to buy and use an extra piece of equipment called an intervalometer to set the timing and control the camera. This meant having an extra piece of equipment to secure and different batteries to worry about. In essence, one more thing to possibly go wrong. In addition, if you wanted additional Ken Burns type movement in your finished video a motorized rail system was necessary at additional expense.

Enter Lumix cameras. The time lapse settings are built in to the camera. The processing is built into the camera. And when processed to 4K video you can add the Ken Burns movements in post production using Adobe’s Premiere Pro or other video editing program because the file is processed so large. Here are some links to time lapse videos i’ve been playing with in capturing the red rocks of Sedona, Arizona a place I’m fortunate enough to call home.

I’ll bet wherever you call home can be wonderful subject matter for your time lapse movies too!