Make a time-slice

James Paterson crafts a unique collage that shows the passage of time and teaches fundamental Photoshop layer skills

- James Paterson

The Mission

– Slice up a time-lapse sequence into thin strips

Time

– 10 minutes

Skill level

– Beginner

Kit needed

– Photoshop CC

This simple technique is a creative way to show off an entire time-lapse sequence in a single photograph. Perhaps you have a set of time-lapse images on your hard drive that could work for this, but if not then why not shoot a new sequence?

These sequences are a great way to show the passing day in a garden or elsewhere. All you need to do is set up your camera on a tripod and engage the interval shooting setting. If your camera does not have this feature, then you can buy an extra cable release with an inbuilt interval timer. Or simply press the shutter every 20 minutes or so, while you do household chores.

This method is a fantastic way of showing the transition between night and day, but you can also use the same technique for any sequence in which the subject changes over time, from melting ice cream to the gentle ebbing of the tide.

Piecing together the shots is a quick and simple process in Photoshop. We pick those that we want to use then load them into layers and use simple layer masks to create the changing strips for each image.