As a past of my work and research on the Raspberry Pi Zero W Time-Lapse Deck View Camera project, I have settled on the following:
Hardware
- An existing GoPro Hero 3+ Black Edition
- Tripod (I used a tiny 6″ freebie)
- Battery Pack (something that outputs at least an amp at 5v to keep camera alive)
- Cell phone
Software
- Install GoPro camera control software on your phone
- I used Adobe Photoshop (I have a Creative Cloud license) to assemble the individual photos into a movie
Process
The frames per second really drives every decision here.
- Fast Motion (like head-mounted ski capture). 60 fps minimum
- Regular Video: 30 fps
- “Cinematic” feel 24/25 fps (NOTE: I used 25 fps here)
Then, how fast is the sky going to change?
- Dramatic, fast, storms rolling in? Go with 1 shot every 2 second
- Fast moving PNW clouds? Go with 1 shot ever 5 seconds (NOTE: That’s what I used here)
- More “serene” day? Go with 1 shot ever 10-15 seconds
- Sunrise/Sunset: Not sure. Thinking 1 fps. (NOTE: I can always delete in post!)