time lapse question

**niftydriftyprod** · 09-07-2011 04:54 PM

i am making a time lapse and it takes place outside my apartment on my patio. i have a tripod out there that never moves and every day i go outside with my camera. i mount it on the tripod and take a photo. then i dismount the camera and go back in. the problem i am having is that the camera does not sit in the exact same spot as the previous photo from the day before on the tripod. i am taking upclose photos so the slightest movements of the camera throws off the framing of the photograph. i can not keep the camera outside because it rains every afternoon. are there any things i can do to prevent this movement?

**TPF Sponsor** · 09-07-2011 04:54 PM

**480sparky** · 09-07-2011 04:56 PM

Align them manually in post.

**niftydriftyprod** · 09-07-2011 05:11 PM

Thanks! never even thought about that!! =]

**Overread** · 09-07-2011 05:14 PM

I'd keep hunting around - there is software out there which can link together different frames from common elements and do thus function automatically (not a problem doing it manually, but if you've got several dozen or more photos to do its a big job). Sadly the only software I use which uses this tech is focus stacking software, so its of no use for this specific application (and I'm not sure if any of them will output the aligned and auto cropped photos in a series).

**niftydriftyprod** · 09-07-2011 05:23 PM

i will be using window movie maker to be putting this all together. so i guess ill be cropping in paint and putting it in movie maker as i dont have any photo editing software. as long as i do the cropping and editing everytime i take a photo it shouldnt be bad. but i will for sure look around for a program because i really enjoy making time lapses. thanks for the input overread!

**Overread** · 09-07-2011 05:47 PM

If you've no photo editing software Photoshop elements is a good package for starting with without too much cost; or you can always try GIMP which is a totally free (legally!) editing package; more powerful than elements, though its interface is a little more tricky to get used to (there are of course, guides out there on using it).

**niftydriftyprod** · 09-07-2011 06:04 PM

i do have gimp. i do not use it because it keeps freezing. all my editing is done with the picture viewer on windows. i can do basic editing like contrast/ brightness, color, and cropping and thats about it. lol.