A timeslice is a great way to represent a timelapse video into a single photo.
Check out the (very short) timeslice tutorial below or keep reading if you prefer the written version.
Before moving on: I’ve previously made a tutorial about how to make a timeslice video, which is way more complex. You can learn how to make a timeslice video right here.
What do you need for a timeslice photo
First up you need a holy grail aka sunset or sunrise timelapse sequence.
The holy grail used in the tutorial was shot on my Lumix S1 in the automatic exposure levelling mode. The Lumix S1 is still my favourite timelapse camera, you can check out my in depth review here.
Side note: your timelapse doesn't necessarily have to be a holy grail shot. Holy grail sequences do make the time slice photo look more interesting due to the change in colour and exposure of the sky and other elements.
Secondly you need timelapse editing software LRTimelapse. Download a free trial via this affiliate link here.
How to make a timeslice photo
- Open up LRTimelapse and navigate to your holy grail sequence.
- Click on File > Create Composition and navigate to the correct folder that holds the sequence. (LRTimelapse calls the timeslice a composition)
- Play around with the settings and click Create Preview to create a preview.
- The Horizontal, vertical and invert buttons as well as the 4 sliders are pretty self explanatory and their effects will change depending on your own sequence.
- Play around with the sliders until you get a result you like.
- Click the Create Composition button and LRTimelapse will render the composite photo aka your timeslice photo.
Here's a little video I made by exporting a bunch of composites or time slices and increasing the number of slices per photo. I then combined this and added some sound effects and other glitchy stuff to make this:
LRTimelapse is amazing timelapse software, it deflickers footage, helps you edit holy grail shots, renders high resolution sequences and so much more. Download a free version of LRTimelapse here and check out the video about the software down below.
Want to get better at timelapse photography? I've compiled my ten years of experience into these two e-books:
Get all the best tools and techniques to become a great timelapse photographer.
- Master the art of timelapse in no time with The Ultimate Timelapse Course.
- Get the e-book The Ultimate Timelapse Guide.
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