“La Florida”:  Time-Lapse of Lake Jesup Sunflowers
Who says that there aren't any landscape photography locations in Florida?

“La Florida”: Time-Lapse of Lake Jesup Sunflowers

I’ve enjoyed the blooming sunflower fields near Lake Jesup every fall for a number of years.  Although its always glorious, I found that it was getting challenging to photograph the spectacle in new and exciting ways.  So this year, I set a new goal:  Capture the fields in a way that hasn’t been done before and help the viewer see and feel the experience of standing in a field of yellow flowers that stretch to the horizon.

My solution was to make a time-lapse.  Here is the result:

My website can’t handle the size of the video in high-resolution, so I apologize that this version isn’t HD.  However, to see the video in High-Resolution, click on this link and it will take you a HD version I put on You Tube.

To make this video, I used two cameras and recorded over 12 hours of images on two different days.  I took about 10 shots per minute, so I ended up with over 7,000 photos.  The amazing thing is that those 7,000 pictures amount to less than 3 1/2 minutes of video!

Twelve hours might sound like a lot of time to spend sitting in wildflower fields…and to be honest, I wasn’t sure if I’d have the patience…but it really wasn’t all that bad.  I just set up the cameras, put my camping stool down in a shady spot, lathered on the mosquito spray and pulled out my latest Jack Reacher novel.  Actually, not a bad way to enjoy a beautiful Florida afternoon.

I’m on the steep side of the learning curve when it comes to figuring out how to edit videos.  As a result, I won’t allow myself to figure out how many total hours I spent editing this 2 minute “film.”   It was certainly a learning experience but I think the result achieves my goal to help the viewer “see” the blooming fields in a new and more personal way.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it as well.
Jeff

 

 

“La Florida”:  Time-Lapse of Lake Jesup Sunflowers

“La Florida”:  Time-Lapse of Lake Jesup Sunflowers

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This Post Has 6 Comments

  1. Captivating…
    Excellent time lapse and such a beautiful place.

  2. Outstanding work Jeff. I have been thinking fleetingly of trying out some time-lapse photography but your work here has definitely inspired me to think more seriously about it.

    Wow! 7,000 photos. You must have had some serious storage capabilities.

    I really liked the panning too. Was that done on the tripod or in post production?

    Duane

    1. Hi Duane,
      I hope you give time-lapse photography a try. It is a way to create strikingly different images that tell a story.
      Yes, I have invested a lot in my computer…more than I spent on my first car!
      The panning was done post-production in photoshop. I used a wide angle lens and the software allows you to slowly pan/zoom within the image. I’ve just purchased a device that will actually pan the camera while taking photos (the Radian system). I’m looking forward to giving it a try in the Smokies this weekend!
      Jeff

  3. Very cool time lapse, Jeff. 12 hours in the middle of all those mosquitos – I’m in awe of your dedication!

    And by the way, I like Jack Reacher series too.

    Ed

    1. Thanks Ed…guess I don’t have to visit the Bloodmobile this year….I already gave all the blood I can spare when I was in the fields! Jeff

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