STEP BY STEP TIMESLICES EXPLAINED

Use layers and masks to divide a timelapse sequence into thin strips for a creative collage

01 SHOOT A SEQUENCE

Set your camera up on a tripod. For the exposure mode, pick Aperture Priority and engage the interval timer (if your camera doesn’t have it, you could use an external cable release timer, or fire the shutter yourself). Shoot to capture a day-to-night sequence.

03 MAKE A GRID

Go to Image>image Size and set the width to the same number of inches as there are layers in your stack. So for 10 shots set it to 10 inches (uncheck Resample Image). Go to Preferences>guides, Grids and Slices. Set the Gridline: Every 1 inches, hit OK.

05 ADD MASKS

Highlight the layer below, then drag a rectangular selection over the next column, then click the Add Layer Mask icon again. Continue working down through the stack adding masks to all but the bottom layer, so each shot has its own space in the composite.

02 LOAD INTO LAYERS

Choose your favourite shots using Adobe Bridge, then select them, right-click them and choose ‘Open in Camera Raw’. Use the tonal tools to enhance the images, then hit Done. Select them all again and go to Tools>photoshop>load Files into Photoshop Layers.

04 DRAG A SELECTION

Go to View>show>grid, then View>snap to, and make sure Grid is turned on. Highlight the top layer, grab the Rectangular Marquee tool, then drag a selection over the left-most column. Click the Add Layer Mask icon to convert the selection into a layer mask.

06 TONE THE COLLAGE

Highlight the top layer, then hit Cmd/ctrl+shift+alt+e to merge a copy of all the layers below. Go to Filter> Camera Raw Filter to boost the tones and contrast. Finally, to emphasize the changing colours of our composite, we boosted Vibrance and Saturation.