25 time-lapse videos reeking of awesomeness

I've recently done a lot of work on the Kickstarter-funded gadget I invented; the Triggertrap. Among other things, it does timelapses. I'll be honest; before I started work on the Triggertrap, I never really saw the appeal of them, but in order to create a good project, I spent a lot of time on the Interwebs, scouring for good Timelapse projects.

Let's just say that I've found out what the appeal of timelapse photography is. It's hard to put into words without using superlatives, so I'm not going to try - instead, I'm going to introduce you to twenty-five of the most incredible Timelapse videos I've found...

Enjoy!

1. Landscapes: Volume Two

Dustin Farrell's "Landscapes: Volume Two" is one of the most breathtaking timelapse videos you will ever watch. Shot in Arizona and Utah with his Canon DSLR, it is a magical masterpiece which captures every detail and holds your attention.

Landscapes: Volume Two from Dustin Farrell on Vimeo.

2. Hero

Miguel Endara's "Hero" is an enchanting timelapse of the photographer drawing a portrait of his father. Over 3.2 million ink dots were used and the video records each one as he draws.

Hero from Miguel Endara on Vimeo.

3. The Mountain

Filmed on Spain's highest mountain, "El Teide", this is a stunning look at the Milky Way. Rich colours, boiling clouds and a vibrant soundtrack help make this one you should watch.

The Mountain from TSO Photography on Vimeo.

4. The Aurora

This is a timelapse video of the Aurora Borealis shot in Russia. This is incredible viewing and the shimmering colours are beautifully realised. The brooding soundtrack taken from the film "Gladiator" compliments it perfectly.

The Aurora from TSO Photography on Vimeo.

5. Earth from Space

This is a stunning video of the Earth made from photos taken from the International Space Station. Watch the Aurora Borealis pass over the United States at night, views of California, the Phillipines and Middle East. Amazing stuff.

Earth | Time Lapse View from Space, Fly Over | NASA, ISS from Michael König on Vimeo.

6. San Francisco to Paris in Two Minutes

This is an incredible timelapse of a plane flight from San Francisco to Paris. The changing landscape is amazing to watch and it has to be seen to be believed.

On Vimeo

7. Iceland, Eyjafjallajökull - - May 1st and 2nd, 2010

This is a cinematic timelapse of the Icelandic volcano which erupted in May 2010. The swift transformation from placid to eruption looks like something out of a Hollywood movie and makes for must-see viewing.

On Vimeo

8. Winter Solstice Lunar Eclipse

This is a timelapse of the lunar eclipse in December 2010, taken in Florida. The blood-red moon is a sight to behold and the event was captured brilliantly.

On Vimeo

9. El Cielo de Canarias / Canary sky - Tenerife

This timelapse is a fascinating look at the Tenerife sky from Daniel López. There are some beautiful scenes of clouds crossing the mountains and of the night sky. Enchanting.

On Vimeo

10. The Longest Way

This is a funny and original timelapse video from Christoph Rehage, a man who spent a year on foot. Watch how he goes from clean-shaven to a shaggy beard.

The Longest Way 1.0 - one year walk/beard grow time lapse from Christoph Rehage on Vimeo.

11. Bathtub IV

This timelapse is one for anyone who has fond memories of Thunderbirds. Watch a dramatic oil rig rescue and be amazed at how similar it is to the show. Was Gerry Anderson around?

On Vimeo

12. Traffic in Frenetic HCMC, Vietnam

This is a mind-boggling look at traffic in Vietnam. If you thought your morning commute was bad, look at this. Brilliant stuff.

On Vimeo

13. Compressed 02

Kim Pimmel's "Compressed 02" is an enchanting, eerie timelapse of soap bubbles combined with ferroliquid. The haunting soundtrack will give you the shivers.

On Vimeo

14. A Day in California

This is a fascinating look at a day in California. Made from over 10,000 photos, this is a wondrous timelapse for you to enjoy.

On Vimeo

15. Light Writing Proposal

This is a sweet, touching timelapse of an engagement proposal created in lights. It just makes you want to go awww.

Light Writing Proposal from Derick Childress on Vimeo.

16. The Water

Filmed during August 2011 in Norway, this is a great capture of a Norwegian fjord. You'll love the contrasting textures and colours. The photographer has done a fantastic job here.

On Vimeo

17. A Day at A Walmart Store

This is a fascinating look at a day in a Walmart store. Watch the store erupt into a hive of activity and then die down again. Brilliant stuff, and a timelapse which makes you think.

On Vimeo

18. "Freedom Gundam" - 4 foot papercraft

This is an interesting look at the creation of a 4 foot gundam, a character from Japanese anime. Made with paper, this is something no one taught you in school.

On Vimeo

19. December 2010 Blizzard

If you thought snowstorms were just a minor nuisance, you haven't seen anything like this. This is an amazing look at a blizzard seen from one man's garden.

On Vimeo

20. The Arctic Light

This is a magnificent capture of a light show seen in the Arctic. The powerful soundtrack is a great accompaniment to the bold colours that emerge onto the scene. Wonderful stuff.

The Arctic Light from TSO Photography on Vimeo.

21. Manhattan in Motion

This is an exciting and fast-pace timelapse of busy New York, taken from all over the city. Fans of the urban should watch this.

On Vimeo

22. New Meadowlands Stadium

This is a great look at a changeover from the Jets to the Giants (two American Football teams). Watching the stadium slowly fill up and then empty just as quickly as it began is a sight to behold.

On Vimeo

23. MÖBIUS

A collaborative sculpture in Melbourne, Australia, this is a quirky and cartoon-like timelapse for you to enjoy.

MÖBIUS from ENESS on Vimeo.

24. Virgin Atlantic Livery

This is a fun look at one of Virgin Atlantic's Boeing 747's being repainted. Thirteen days of work are compressed into a three-and- a half minute timelapse video. Amazing to watch.

On Vimeo

25. Bryant Park

This is an amazing timelapse video of an American park. Watch how quickly the park fills up before disappearing back again. Lovely to look at.

On Vimeo

Your turn... Got any other gems that I've missed? That's what the comments are for!

Fun with high-speed photography

An early attempt at getting it right

Some of you know that I've spent the past six months or so creating an awesome photography gadget - the Triggertrap. We're currently in our very last phase of testing (exciting!!), and as part of that, I've been doing some really cool high-speed photography stuff:

Awesome, eh?

I did a little video explaining how everything works, too:

If you'd like even more info, check out the in-depth article over on Triggertrap.com.

Triggertrap is go!

Woo-hoo! After Haje launched his Kickstarter appeal to get the universally awesome universal camera trigger, Triggertrap, going, over 720 of them have been snapped up by gadget-hungry photographers the world over. Yep, that groovy little device that’ll let you control your camera by just about any means you can think of will hit production later this year.

How does it work?

The device comes with a light sensor built in, which doubles as a laser sensor: point a laser-pointer at the Triggertrap to trigger your camera, or set it up so the camera triggers when a laser beam is broken – much like the laser maze in Hollywood blockbuster Entrapment. It also has an audio sensor, enabling you to trigger the camera when it registers a sound – like clapping your hands, the sound of a bowling ball hitting the pins, or somebody slamming a door.

Triggertrap also has a built in time-lapse photography functionality. This means that you can take a series of photos over a long period of time. When these photos are shown in quick succession in a video, it makes events that normally take hours or days (such as a flower wilting, or the sun coming up) appear to happen in minutes.

In addition to normal time-lapse photography, Triggertrap has a nifty trick up its sleeve: non-linear time-lapses. Instead of, say, five minutes between every shot, the Triggertrap can be configured to increase or decrease the interval between the shots. When you play the resulting video, this makes it look as if the scene you are photographing speeds up or slows down.

The Auxiliary port on the Triggertrap makes it possible to trigger the camera using external sensors, paving the way for many other creative photography projects. Suggestions so far include mounting a camera in a car and triggering it when you press the car horn; placing a camera in the fridge and take a photo every time you open the fridge; automatically take a picture of everyone who walks down the red carpet at a movie premiere; or police completely automatically taking a photo of people coming and going at a suspicious address.

From idea to reality

It’s taken Haje 18 months to get Triggertrap this far, from the simple idea of a laser trigger, to a fully developed product, with the help of lots of the lovely photographers via the Kickstarter website.

The project was launched with a goal of US$25,000 on 29 June 2011. Three weeks later, with only a week left to go until the funding is complete, Triggertrap completely destroyed its funding goal: 708 fans have pledged more than $60,587 (£37,100), in return for more than 700 Triggertrap devices.

Dozens of e-mails with great customer suggestions have already arrived with the Triggertrap team. Functionality like using the Triggertrap with flashes instead of a camera; the ability to trigger when a sound stops (as opposed to when it starts), and a feature that lets the user trigger the camera manually are all the result of suggestions and feedback.

Because the Triggertrap is open-source and built on the Arduino platform, it is easy to implement additional functionality through a software update, even after the Triggertraps have shipped to the customers.

They’re shipping in October

The Triggertrap is shipping in October, and can be pre-ordered for $75 + $5 shipping via Kickstarter until 31 July 2011. After that, the price increases to $125.

For more information about Triggertrap see http://Triggertrap.com

Triggertrap - the universally awesome universal camera trigger

Haje describes himself as a technonaut and geek – amongst other things – and he also has boundless energy and enthusiasm. This means that he’s constantly inspired to try crazy photography-inspired experiments (who else would think to build a macro lens from a Pringles can?) and they invariably work (I’ve the Pringles macro thingy in my box of photography tricks). This is why I’m bouncing up and down at the prospect of his newest project: Triggertrap.

Triggertrap? What the hell is a Triggertrap? Ah, good question. It’s a universal camera trigger.

That is, a properly universal camera trigger. Yep, it’ll make your common-or-garden time lapse, you can trigger it with a laser beam or with sound, and it can make non-linear time-lapses, too, to give your animation the illusion of speeding up or slowing down. But it has something else far more groovy going for it. It has an Aux input. You can connect your camera to just about anything you like to trigger your camera’s shutter.

From ringing doorbells to boiling kettles to rising suns, anything can be used to take a photo. This baby is eminently hackable.

Haje’s already been working on the design. Doesn’t it look shiny, with its display, touch-sensitive buttons, and water-resistant-ness?

But in order to make it actually happen, he needs to raise a few fist-fulls of cash, for things like prototypes and to ensure that it really is the affordable gadget that he wants it to be. This is where Kickstarter, and hopefully you, come in.

If you’ve not encountered Kickstarter yet, it’s a crowd-sourced funding platform where anyone with a project that they’re desperate to unleash on the world, but don’t quite have the capital to realise it, can appeal to like-minded dudes to help them out. Here’s how it works:

Kickstarter. Here's how it works.

It’s small-scale, socially-oriented venture-capitalism with a creative bent. Reckon you can help? Here’s the page for Triggertrap on Kickstarter.

And if you want to know more about the project from Haje, he’s even made a video to help explain what it’s all about. It’ll only take two minutes to take a peek, so rock on:

Triggertrap has its own website on the surprisingly-named Triggertrap.com. You can find Triggertrap scattered about other bits of the internerds as well; it’s on Flickr and Facebook, and project updates will be tweeted via @Photocritic.

But dammit, let’s make this universal camera trigger properly universal, yes?