Simple Time Lapse Photos

Not long ago, I was pleasantly surprised to find an interval timer feature in one of the cameras that I was using. With this feature, you can record the progress of an “event” with a series of photos taken at a set time between each capture. It’s commonly referred to as time lapse photography. An example of time lapse is the way that a flower seems to magically grow before your eyes as it blossoms.

Since I was curious about using this feature, I looked for an appropriate subject. It just so happens that we had recently returned from a trip out west and brought back a small collection of “Mexican jumping beans“.
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This is the first “Fun Tip” that I’ve written. It has no purpose whatsoever except that it’s a fun thing to do.

What does a fish see? A fish views the world differently than we do. A fisheye lens attempts to duplicate that view, but the cost of one can set you back $600 to $1000. Some cameras including the Nikon D3100 and D5000 let you reproduce this fisheye effect for FREE.
This is the “before” photo. To get the most from this effect, you should compose the photo so that it is centered. Also leave empty space around the main subject (not too close to the edges)	Using the Retouch Menu on the Nikon D3100 and D5000, I’ve turned this shot into a pseudo-fisheye photo. Experiment and you may encounter just plain fun!