In the beautiful city of San Francisco, where the hustle and bustle of society is a tourist draw … with cable cars clanging their way up and down the streets and fog pouring over the Golden Gate Bridge … the condensed scene of daily life in Time Lapse Photography becomes mesmerizing.

Some of the predetermined, scouted locations workshop participants will have the opportunity to shoot:

GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE:
From multiple iconic angles, featuring sunset, city lights and (weather permitting) fog rolling across the deck of the bridge.

CABLE CARS:
From several strategic locations, providing excellent time-lapse opportunities of this San Francisco treasure as they course up and down the hills, and are turned by end at the five terminus points.

THE TRANSAMERICA PYRAMID:
A landmark in the San Francisco skyline, photographed from several vantage points along Columbus Street.

GHIRARDELLI SQUARE:
Home of the chocolate maker and a tourist hot-spot, adjacent to the Aquatic Park, a large grassy expanse popular with kite flyers.

PIER 39 & FISHERMAN’S WHARF:
Another tourist hot-spot and local icon, where the bustle of the fish markets afford excellent time lapse opportunities.

ALCATRAZ ISLAND:
The former federal penitentiary and now open for tours.

THE PALACE OF FINE ARTS:
Former site of the World’s Fair and its stunning architecture front a large lagoon with plenty foot paths.

MARKET STREET:
he “Main Street” of San Francisco, available from several vantage points, with heavy traffic, antique street cars and a long downhill slope to the Ferry Building at the foot of San Francisco Bay.

GOLDEN GATE PARK:
A local favorite for lazy weekend days wandering through the park’s 1,000 acres of greens, paths and museums.

THE HAIGHT/ASHBURY DISTRICT:
This was ground central for the 60s revolution, and it still carries the energy and architecture of the time.

Additional locations are included on the detailed location shot list provided to all workshop participants.

The workshop schedule for this three-day workshop is a different than typical technical workshops in that much of the instruction takes place in the field, in order to fully “read” the scene in order to learn how to calculate the correct sequence methods.

We start the workshop at 9:00am in the classroom, extensively studying the technique of time lapse photography, addressing the three pivotal timing control points that make up the time lapse process. Case study films are presented that visually show the effects each timing control point as on the process. Following a review of the accessory equipment used in time lapse photography, we go directly into the field to begin practical testing and assessments – in real time – of time lapse sequence settings and the steps to ascertain rate vs. speed of motion. Following a lunch break, technical instruction in the sequencing of images is performed before a mid-afternoon shooting session block for each workshop attendee at two of the predetermined locations on the shot list. Prior to the dinner discussion, all attendees regroup to sequence and assess their two time lapse locations during a group critique. Following dinner, set-up and parameters of sunset procedures are reviewed prior to group outing to sunset location for a long-form time lapse.

Following a morning group review in the classroom of the previous evening’s sunset time lapse sequences and sunrise sequences, we address the concept of story boarding and sequencing, before heading out for a full day of time lapse photography. We return to the classroom late in the afternoon for a video editing workflow and techniques for post-production modifications of sequences. Following dinner, student’s head out for set-up of sunset location time-lapse, along with visual alternate options for sunrise locations.

Following a morning group review in the classroom of the previous evening’s sunset time lapse sequences and sunrise sequences, final editing techniques are reviewed before the last mid-day individual shooting block, followed by late-afternoon sequencing and editing for our evening time lapse final showings at the conclusion of this packed 3-day workshop.

All workshop participants receive the “Workshop Guide”, which includes the workshop itinerary, reference material, shooting location list and maps for San Francisco, as well as the always-popular “Timelapse Check List” for the camera bag!

As with all High Sierra Workshops, this workshop focuses not only on the ‘where’ to take the pictures, but also on the ‘how’ to take pictures, incorporating photographic education throughout the workshop at each location.

Key to understanding how to photograph time-lapse is understanding how the finished product will look before one even starts the picture sequence. Several of the topics that are involved in timelapse, and will be thoroughly explored and exhausted, are:

HD VIDEO TECHNICAL:
Technical training in the HD video format, including aspect ratios, frame rates, terminology, digital movie formats and more.

COMPOSITION:
Techniques, methods and approaches used with Pre-Visualization.

THE FOUR DESIGN ELEMENTS:
Sought by professional photographers to craft the powerful, final image.

“THE PAINTER’S PRINCIPLE”:
Based on the concepts by the master’s of photography.

 CALCULATING EXPOSURE & TIMING:
Instruction in how to properly assess the motion and calculate timing intervals to ensure the smoothest, fluid sequence.

 EXPOSURE CONTROLS:
Technical instruction in gradual exposure controls during the photographic sequence to accommodate changes in ambient light so as to not reveal stepped exposure changes or a visual ‘flicker’.

CAMERA OPTIONS:
A look at the different camera options available for time lapse photography, from the diminutive GoPro to the large DSLR cameras.

 HIGH-DYNAMIC RANGE TIMELAPSE:
A look at how to integrate two photographic techniques into one dramatic sequence.

 ACCESSORY EQUIPMENT:
Hands-on demo and application of accessory equipment, including motorized sliders, that add an additional visual element to a timelapse sequence.

VIDEO PRODUCTION:
Brief instruction in video production on your choice of Final Cut Pro or Adobe Premiere (Mac or Windows), culminating in the production of your own short time lapse photography film to be shown at the end of the workshop.