Make a time-slice shot

James Paterson crafts a unique collage that shows the passage of time and teaches fundamental Photoshop layer skills

Craft a unique collage in Photoshop

This simple technique is a creative way to show off an entire time-lapse sequence in a single photograph. Perhaps you have a set of time-lapse images on your hard drive that could work for this, but if not then why not shoot a new sequence?

These sequences are a great way to show the passing day in a garden or elsewhere. All you need to do is set up your camera on a tripod and engage the interval shooting setting. If your camera does not have this feature, then you can buy an extra cable release with an inbuilt interval timer. Or simply press the shutter every 20 minutes or so, while you do household chores.

This method is a fantastic way of showing the transition between night and day, but you can also use the same technique for any sequence in which the subject changes over time, from melting ice cream to the gentle ebbing of the tide.

Piecing together the shots is a quick and simple process in Photoshop. We pick those that we want to use then load them into layers and use simple layer masks to create the changing strips for each image.

If you’re new to layer masks, then this will be a gentle introduction to one of Photoshop’s most powerful (and useful) features. We’ll also explore the grid options, which can be handy whenever you need to divide a photograph into segments like this. It takes a matter of minutes to put together, and the results offer a unique perspective on the world around you.