Time and Space

A still photograph is usually a section of space captured at a single instant of time. The photograph to the left breaks the paradigm in that it is a single image spanning multiple time periods. It is easier to appreciate the image if you click on the photograph which will cause your browser to display a larger copy of it.

The image was created with an ordinary digital camera attached to a tripod. The tripod collar is marked at 30 degree increments. A separate photograph is taken at each 30 degree increment. The tripod remains stationary, but the camera is pivoted into the next position. The photos are taken with the camera set on manual. The shutter speed and f/stop are constant, set to an average of each frame of the picture you plan to take.

Back at home the individual photographs are stitched together using Photoshop. Photoshop does a reasonably good job of matching the images up, but the final post-production work involves fine tuning of the joins, minor color corrections, and masking out seams between the photos when they are too harsh.

I have experimented with the technique over the last year on landscapes. This is the first time I included one of my models.