Tobias Baumgaertner on Shooting Macro Timelapses with the Irix Cine Lens 150mm T3.0 Macro
My name is Tobias Baumgaertner, and I am a professional, multi-award-winning photographer and filmmaker from Germany with a background in Marine Science. I maintain a deep interest in the natural world and the human societies that still survive in the Earth's wild places. I work to capture the incredible scale of the planet's remaining wildernesses, from the minuscule beauty of tiny flowers and invertebrates all the way to the spectacular star-scapes that still convey the campfire stories of many human societies. I have worked with Australia's Indigenous peoples and have spent long weeks in remote areas of Outback Australia and other countries, capturing people's stories as well as the country's unique natural processes, often at a tiny scale. Thus, a reliable macro lens is a must in my set of tools.
Macro timelapse photography combines the intricate details of macro photography with the passage of time captured in a timelapse sequence. This technique requires good planning and precision to achieve the best results. Here are some essential tips and tricks to help you create breathtaking macro timelapses:
Always shoot RAW (if available) for the best image quality
Shooting in RAW format is crucial for photographers (and filmmakers) seeking the highest image quality and post-processing flexibility. Unlike JPEG, which compresses and discards some image data, shooting in RAW retains even non-visible information. This makes all the data captured by your camera's sensor available for post-processing. The main benefits are a wider dynamic range, greater details, and more colour depth. This allows for significant adjustments in post-processing without degrading the image quality of your frame. RAW files enable precise control over exposure, white balance, and contrast, providing photographers with the creative freedom to achieve their desired look.
Use manual mode
Manual mode is crucial in timelapse photography because it ensures consistency across the entire sequence of images. It also allows you to make controlled and intentional adjustments when necessary or desired.
Depending on the automatic mode you use, the camera settings such as exposure, white balance, ISO, and even the focus (depth of field) can change dynamically based on the varying lighting conditions. This leads to exposure fluctuations/flicker, noticeable and undesirable colour/focus shifts, and degraded image quality in the final timelapse video, or even worse, leading your subject to be out of focus. Even though some mistakes are fixable in post-production, others such as your aperture control (depth of field) or focus are not. By using manual mode, you can lock these settings, maintaining uniformity, image quality as well as smoothness, which is essential for creating a seamless and professional-looking timelapse sequence. Manual control will help you in accurately capturing gradual changes over time. This is especially useful when capturing scenes with changing light conditions such as sunsets (day to night), cityscapes, or even blooming flowers, all without the interference of automated adjustments.
Set correct white balance
Making sure the white balance of your camera is set correctly before each shoot is an important, crucial part of timelapse photography and should become a habit.
Yes, you can adjust the white balance later in post-production, but as previously mentioned, there are limits. It is always better to get it right in camera and avoid annoying colour shifts. How to set your white balance before each shoot varies with the camera you have.
Note: As mentioned earlier, automatic white balance can change in response to varying light conditions, causing fluctuations in colour tones throughout the timelapse sequence. Avoid at all costs!
Use an intervalometer
Using an intervalometer is essential in timelapse photography for precise and consistent timing between shots. While many cameras come with built-in intervalometers, external intervalometers often offer more advanced features and flexibility. They can also avoid camera shake when there is a need for, e.g., exposure adjustment.
An intervalometer allows you to set specific intervals and durations for capturing images, ensuring that the timing between each frame is exact, preventing time jumps caused by uneven time intervals between each picture. This precision is crucial for creating smooth and seamless timelapse sequences, particularly for scenes that evolve gradually over time, such as sunsets, star movements, or blooming flowers. An intervalometer helps automate the process, allowing you to focus on composition and other creative aspects.
Use manual lenses
If available, try using a manual lens with manual aperture control. This ensures that the aperture blades stay exactly in the same position (unless intentionally adjusted) throughout your entire sequence. Electronically controlled lenses tend to set their aperture before each shot, resulting in a minute variation of their previous position. This can introduce slight flickering due to the exposure variations caused by the differences in the size of the iris (lens opening).
A cine lens such as the Irix 150mm T3.0 gives you this ability. It also gives you the benefits of a clickless aperture control. Unlike a standard photo lens, which has larger interval jumps between aperture adjustments, a cine lens allows you to make seamless adjustments over time, avoiding unwanted flicker during adjustments.
Study your subject and the natural process
Understanding your subject or the natural process you are attempting to capture is crucial in timelapse photography. Knowing how your subject changes over time allows you to set the appropriate framing, focus, intervals, and durations for shooting. For example, the speed at which a flower blooms, insects work, clouds move, or traffic flows will dictate the framing, focus, and timing between shots. This understanding ensures that you can effectively capture the desired transformation, resulting in a compelling and coherent timelapse sequence.
Thorough knowledge of your subject helps in planning and executing a timelapse that truly represents the passage of time in a visually engaging manner. Furthermore, when capturing natural processes, e.g., opening flowers, you have to make sure you understand that flowers tend to bend towards the light source (not all), and you have to predict where the flower is going to be, to not lose framing or focus on your subject.
Pro tip: When shooting in a controlled environment, place the flower ahead of time in the desired composition in front of your light source. This gives the flowers time to undertake most of their adjustment before you start shooting the sequence, giving you the chance for reframing and focus adjustments.
If no information exists on your subject and you can't figure it out, the rule of thumb is: if possible, better too many than too little. You can always delete every second or every third frame of your timelapse if you have overdone it. Too long and you might end up capturing an insufficient amount of images of the actual action.
Shoot in a controlled environment
Shooting in a controlled environment is a bonus in timelapse photography to minimise unexpected changes and maintain consistency. This is obviously not always possible, but when it is, it is advised to do so. In a controlled setting, you can manage variables such as lighting (sun & clouds), weather, and movement (rain and wildlife), ensuring that each frame matches the next. You'd be surprised about the number of insects visiting and feeding on a plant over the course of time. This control helps prevent disruptions that can cause flickering or uneven sequences in the final timelapse video. By eliminating unpredictable elements, you can focus on capturing the intended progression of your subject, resulting in a smoother and more professional-looking timelapse.
Try using motion control sliders (especially in a studio setting)
Using motion control sliders is another bonus in timelapse photography for adding dynamic movement to your shots. These sliders enable smooth and precise camera movements, such as panning or sliding, which can enhance the visual interest of your timelapse sequence. By programming the slider to move at a consistent pace, you can create a sense of motion that complements the passage of time being captured. This added layer of movement can make your timelapse more engaging and professional, highlighting changes in your subject from different perspectives and adding depth to the overall composition.
It is important that the camera is not moving during the exposure of your images. If it does move, the camera shake can lead to blurry pictures, especially with long exposures.
Budget Tip: Instead of moving your camera through space, you can start by placing your subject on a household item, such as a slow spinning egg-timer.
Understand where your field of focus starts and where it ends
Understanding your depth of field is crucial in timelapse photography to ensure that your subject remains in sharp focus throughout the sequence. By carefully choosing the appropriate aperture, you can control the depth of field to keep key elements of your scene clear and well-defined, while potentially allowing the background to blur artistically. This knowledge helps in highlighting the subject and maintaining visual consistency, making the final timelapse more professional and visually appealing. Accurate depth of field management is essential for achieving the desired aesthetic effect and ensuring that the important details of your scene are captured crisply.
Pro tip: Do not forget that some subjects, such as blooming flowers, move and expand in size. Your aperture and focus must be set or adjusted accordingly for these possibilities.
Why was using the Irix Cine 150mm T3.0 Macro lens the right choice for the task?
Using the Irix Cine T3.0 Macro lens was the right choice for the task due to its optical quality and macro capabilities for a very competitive price. This lens offers a fast T3.0 manual aperture, allowing for excellent low-light performance and precise depth of field control, which is crucial for detailed timelapse photography.
Its macro functionality enables close-up shots with stunning clarity, capturing intricate details which are often essential in timelapse photography. Additionally, the lens's robust build and smooth focus ring make it ideal for professional use, providing reliability and ease of operation. At no point did I have any concerns about damaging the lens and I would not hesitate to take it to more extreme environments.
In order to achieve perfect focus during macro timelapses, the focus-throw on the lens needs to be long (especially at the macro end), to assure smooth and fine focus adjustment during motion timelapses. The Irix lens allows for more precise adjustments and in turn prevents focus jumps. It worked well with my Edelkrone focus motor setup.
When it comes to capturing wildlife (e.g. insects), the Irix 150mm can keep a respectable distance in situations where it is needed. It helps to not scare wildlife away or interfere with their natural behaviour.
One of the main reasons for choosing a cine lens for my project was the ability to accurately adjust focus using a remote focus system. It does have a slight unique look/character, which I like and which you expect of cine glass.
The magnetic snap-on filter system is a great bonus. It saves a lot of time and reduces the risk of fingerprints on the lens elements, which are often left behind when unscrewing filters in a hurry.
All these features combined make the Irix Cine T3.0 Macro lens a perfect fit for achieving high-quality, detailed macro timelapse footage!
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