The plan was to create a time lapse video of a group of volunteers decorating holiday wreaths that are sold as a fundraiser for a high school marching band. I knew what I wanted the finished video to look like but I had one concern: battery power. The total duration of image capture in real time was 7 hours, and the iphone would not have enough power on its own take the thousands of images that would be captured. Here is how I solved that challenge.
The iOS app is called iMotionHD. It is an intervalometer that controls the iPhone camera with exposure frequency control ranging from one second to one day. After capture, the app converts the images to a Quicktime movie that can be exported and shared. So, how to keep this system snapping for a seven hour duration without connecting an extension cord to the USB charger? I used a Lenmar PowerPort Wave rigged to a Gitzo tripod, with lots of Velcro to connect everything together. Alternating pieces of hook and loop Velcro applied to the tripod head, next to the quick release plate, both sides of the Lenmar, and the back side of the iPhone result in this makeshift rig with the USB cord neatly secured with a rubber band.
The result? While the Lenmar was fully drained (as expected), there was plenty of power left on the iPhone after snapping 4,218 photos. Setting the app to export at 28 frames per second, the resulting movie compressed the duration to 2:21. I enjoy creating time lapse photography and will use this setup again, although I am looking forward to using the Lumix GH3 with built in intervalometer so I can make full resolution 1080p movies.
