Stop motion photography, also called stop motion animation, is an exciting but challenging form of photography. Only a few professional photographers have learned how to do it successfully. In this article, you will learn how to do it like a pro!
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This article is going to be well-detailed. It would be able to guide you on how to do stop motion photography shoots anywhere with or without experience. You will also learn professional techniques, the best camera settings and lenses, types, and tricks for stop motion photography like a pro.
Quick Camera Settings For Stop Motion Photography
- Aperture- f/20-f/22
- ISO- 100 – 400
- Frame rate- 24 frames per second
- Shutter Speed – 1/60th 0r 1/30th of a second
- White balance – Daylight
- Focus- Manual
- Aspect Ration: 16:9
- Image size – 4.5 megapixels
Required Tools For Stop Motion Photography
- A camera or smartphone
- A sturdy tripod
- A shutter release
- Flashlight
- Editing apps or Software
- Animation props
What Is Stop Motion In Photography?
Stop motion in photography is a technique used to create the illusion of movement. Stop motion animation can be done by capturing a series of photos, moving the objects slightly between each shot, and then playing the images back as a sequence.
How To Do Stop Motion Photography Or Animation Like A Pro
The following steps will help you take stop motion animation like a pro!
1. Chose your subject
Skilled stop motion animator always pre-select their subjects and draw out the story to use before the shooting begins.
First and foremost, you need to decide on a topic or a theme for your stop motion animation or photography. Photography is all about telling stories through captured subjects. Choose your subject and pre-plan a story you’d like to reveal through it. A toy car or a small doll can be used as subjects for stop-motion animation. However, you can animate anything you want or something of utmost interest or relevance to you; but ensure to start with a simple object.
2. Choose your scene
You will need a well-lighted location or scene to shoot the best motion photographs. You can either do it outdoors or indoors ( in your home or studio). Some people often set their subjects on well-lighted table or floors of their homes or studios. Wherever you choose, ensure the place is bright enough.
3. Set up your camera
Mount up your digital camera in a place (preferably on a tripod) where it will be able to capture all the action you want in one frame. Setting the camera on a tripod will prevent shakes during the shooting process.
While setting up your camera, make sure it is set at eye level so that you don’t have to crouch down or stand on something too high to see what you are filming.
4. Sequentially introduce your subjects to the scene
You have your objects ready, the stage and camera are set, and it is time to start clicking! Unlike sun flare photography or the night sky and star trail photography or product photography, motion animation requires a sequential introduction of your subjects to the scene.
Here is a professional step-by-step procedure you can follow to get the best shots.
Step 1: Introduce your subject to the scene
Step 2: Capture and remove it
Step 3: Adjust your subject or the scene
Step 4: Reintroduce the subject ( or another subject (if you have more than one) to the scene
Step 5: Capture and remove it
Step 6: Repeat the process until you’re done.
Step 7: Transform the pictures together into a movie using a video editing app.
5. Transfer the images to your PC and import them to your video editor
Ensure to save the photographs on a secure storage device ( preferably on your PC) before importing them into the video editor for the post-processing phase.
How To Edit Your Stop Motion Images?
There are many different options for editing Stop Motion images. The first thing you need to do is decide what type of editing you want to carry out.
There are three main types of editing stop motion images
1. Basic Editing
This type of editing is the most basic and includes cropping, rotating, and adding text to the images.
2. Color Correction
This type of editing includes changing the color and saturation levels to make the picture look more appealing.
3. Advanced Editing
This type of editing can involve more work than basic or color correction edits because it involves changing the lighting or removing objects from the photos.
Some of the best and most advanced video editors you can use to edit your stop motion animation include Virtual Dub, iMovie, and Motionleap by Lightricks.
However, in this article, you will learn how to edit the stop motion images using the iMovie video editor.
How To Edit The Images With iMovie Video Editor:
Step 1: Download and install the application on your computer or smartphone.
Step 2: Import the images – make sure you are in time view, then click photos> and select the folder you saved the pictures.
Step 3: Select your preferred picture duration. For a smooth and fast running video, Use 3/100s of a second or a lower value for a jerky speed video.
Step 4: To add dialogue, click Audio > Record and select your preferred sound effect.
Stage 5: Play with other features on the app. You can enhance the color and even add special effects to the video.
Top 12 Best Professional Tips For Stop Motion Photography
Here are twelve professional tips to make good stop motion animations.
- Use a tripod to avoid a camera shake.
- Calculate the number of frames before starting.
- Do not change your camera setting until you have completed the entire shooting session.
- Do not forget to take test shots.
- Always shoot additional frames.
- Shoot at a frame rate of 24fps or higher to avoid jerky animation.
- Keep the camera still and avoid panning, tilting, and zooming too much during recording.
- Avoid shooting at an angle higher than 45 degrees to the ground plane to maintain a sense of depth and dimensionality in the image.
- Set your shutter speed between 1/60th of a second and 1/250th of a second for best results when shooting outdoors in bright light conditions without using ND filters or slow shutter speeds that will cause motion blur from fast-moving objects in the scene like cars, people, or animals running across the frame
- Use ND filters when you’re shooting outside in bright light conditions, and you can’t slow your shutter speed down enough to avoid motion blur from fast-moving objects in the scene.
- For best results when shooting video outdoors in natural light, make sure you’re recording at a frame rate of 24fps or higher.
- Ensure to keep your camera still throughout the shooting process. It’s alright if your camera moves a little, but make sure it doesn’t move or shake too much.
- Stop motion photography requires a lot of time and consistency, so you need to be patient throughout the shooting process.
You might be interested in our article ” Camera Settings For Milky Way Photography. How To Do It? “
How To Do Stop Motion Photography Shoot At Home With Your Smartphone?
It is possible to do stop motion animation at home without experience using your smartphone. However, you will need a little bit of creativity and some patience.
In addition to your smartphone, creativity, a video editor app, and time, you will also need the following:
- An idea for the video
You can use your imagination or look for inspiration online. You should also be aware that the more complicated the idea, the more time it will take to film it. So, start with a simple story if you cannot afford some extra hours.
- The right props to bring your idea to life
You can try using everyday items like food or toys and adding them in front of your phone as it takes pictures one by one.
- A good light source.
Your smartphone flashlight might not be sufficient. Therefore, ensure to have an additional light source.
Procedures
- Set up the scene.
- Set up your smartphone, either Andriod or iPhone.
- Take a photo
- Slightly adjust your scene
- Take another photograph
- Repeat the process until you are done.
- Convert the images into a video by using a video editor or stop motion apps.
Bonus tip: Duplicate your images before importing them into the editing app.
What Are The Four Major Types Of Stop Motion Photography?
The four major types of stop motion photography include:
- Object stop motion animation
It involves moving or animating objects. Object animation is the most common and simplest form of stop motion photography because it offers you the chance to create different stories using the inanimate things around you.
- Claymation stop motion animation
As the name implies, it involves the altering of clay objects in each frame.
- Pixilation stop motion animation
It involves using live actors or people as frame-by-frame subjects. Pixilation stop motion requires extra time, energy, and patience because it deals with the animation of people.
- Puppet stop motion animation:
This involves moving puppets. Puppet animation is also popular, although not as easy as object animation.
People Also Ask
What Are The Best Camera Lenses For Stop Motion Animation Photos?
The choice of camera lenses has nothing to do with stop-motion animation photos. However, most stop motion animators use camera lenses between 24mm to 85mm.
To discover the one that gives you the sort of perspective and depth of view you are looking for, we recommend that you experiment with different camera lenses. If you want a broad view, try a 35mm lens; for a closer view, try an 85mm lens. In stop motion photography, you decide the best lens based on your preference!
How Many Frames Per Second Is A Stop Motion?
Stop motion animation/photography is time-consuming: picture films or videos shot on digital cameras usually run at a frame rate of 24 frames per second (fps). A-frame goes for each picture!
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How Many Pictures Does It Take To Make A 1-Minute Stop Motion?
The number of pictures required to make a 1-minute stop motion animation depends on the frame rate. Most cinematic filmmakers and stop-motion animators or photographers often use 24 frames per second. So it would require 1,440 (24 X 60) pictures to make a minute stop motion.
To create a 30-second stop motion, you will need 720 (24 X 30 ) pictures.
From the calculations, you can see that stop motion animation is time-consuming and requires a significant amount of patience from you.
Why Is My Stop Motion Video Blurry?
Many factors are responsible for the production of blur stop motion videos. However, the three most frequent causes are:
Camera shakes:
Holding your camera with your hands during the shooting process can cause camera shakes, resulting in blur video. To prevent camera shakes, use a tripod and a remote trigger throughout the shooting process.
Zooming:
When you zoom in on footage larger than what you recorded, your video also gets blurred. Avoid over-zooming, especially during the capturing process.
Shooting at a low frame rate:
The best frame per second for a stop motion animation is 24 fps. Filming at other frame rates can result in blur animation videos.
How Do I Unblur A Stop Motion Video?
You can unblur your stop motion animation by using a video clearer, such as Flixier. With the app, you can change the brightness and contrast of your blurry video and make it more clear.