time-lapse, stop-action video ideas

[amy83]

I bought an iPhone app the other day called Babygrow Flipbook. I'm using it in the way the app developer meant -- to take a picture of my baby Samantha every day. The app turns the pictures into a kind of flip book video that I can upload to Facebook. Pretty simple and if I can only remember to keep up with it, I'll have an awesome video in a few years.

However, it occurred to me that I could use the app for other things. I've already started a new flip book with pictures of a plant that I'm rooting. The roots (in water in a glass vase) grow a lot faster than Samantha, and are really beautiful. I tried my hand at stop-action, with some old play dough, but the result was pretty lame.

I've never really been able to play around with time-lapse or stop action video before, but think it's really interesting (in a geeky way.)

Anyone have ideas for other cool flip books I could make?

 

[BradM73]

I've not tried flip booking myself or stop motion animation, but I'm VERY into time-lapse photography using my iPhone. Having recently purchased the 4S, I've been a little bit disappointed in the lack of time-lapse apps that take advantage of the 1080p exporting though. Most of the time I have to make videos in a different aspect ratio and then convert them to 1080p later.

Check out one of my videos using my older iPhone 4 on YouTube. Be sure to watch in 740p resolution. It's not the best video on the planet, but it was a little compilation I put together a while back of some random stuff I shot in early 2011.

iPhone 4 Time Lapse Compilation - YouTube

For growing babies, I would recommend buying a dedicated tripod for the task, and then setting it up in a specific location in your home where it will not be bothered by other family members, pets, closet monsters, etc. Then place your child (if an infant), or have your child stand in a predetermined location every day, or every few days and take a picture. There are several great time lapse videos of people taking pictures of their children growing up on YouTube, so search around and you might find them.