Getting my kit organised for the final sprint to the finish line of my SOLAR FARM time-lapse film

I have one month left on this construction site to pull out all the stops and REALLY show what I can do.

I have so many gadgets to play with now, all of which are here to bring life & diversity to this film, so that I may retire from this industry knowing I have given it my best shot.

Some of these gadgets I have had on my desk for the last 3 months (whilst busy perfecting other techniques) and only yesterday did I unbox them for the first time.

Here is my Zhiyun Smooth 4 (Gopro & alloy case not provided)

As a 3-axis gimbal it is great for stabilising hand held shots when walking or running with the camera. It can also be programmed to become a 3-axis motion control rig for time-lapse shots.

This is me figuring out how to use it yesterday!

It has been built to work with modern smartphones, though my intention is to use it with a Gopro Hero 7 on this project because unlike modern smartphones the Gopro can shoot slow motion at 4K resolution, which will provide some unique shooting opportunities during this final stage of the construction when the solar modules are fixed into position. At a pace of 4000 modules per day they tell me.

Take me higher!!!

Last week I shot some time-lapse tests at 10 meters with the drone but the results were not great as the shot needs to be 100% static for the entire day. Which it wasn't due to GPS inconsistencies and the occasional gust of wind.

Consequently I persuaded my boss to buy me one of these last week, elevating my shot to 7.3m.

It can be tethered via three points at the top making it much more stable than a drone, even in high winds.

So, now I am able to attach my Gopro and Zhiyun Smooth at the top of this pole, enabling motion control from a static point, high enough to get that sense of scale.

Adding a battery pack to my Gopro means the camera will shoot time-lapse all day long.

For £12.99 this ANKER power bank was perfect for the job.

The importance of ND filters

Time-lapse photography is greatly improved by adding ND filters (dark glass) to your lens.

What this means is that we can shoot much longer exposures which retain the sharpness of still objects, while creating a blur with any moving objects.

River water is commonly used to make the most of this awesome effect.

I shot this one in Bali with an ND filter and 1 second exposure.

To achieve the same effect with a drone time-lapse I need ND filters which fit the Hasselblad lens of the Mavic 2 pro.

I will be running tests this afternoon to see how this looks. Obviously I don't have running water on a solar farm but I do have lots of busy people.... who I am hoping will look like soft ghosts drifting around the site like water. Without the ND filter, the movement of people can appear harsh and jumpy.

Right. That's me for now.

Am still riding on the power of the full moon which has totally re-energised me over the last few days!

I have gone creative crazy 😍

Long may it last!!!

Who is @samstonehill?

He was a London based filmmaker until he sold everything and set out on a barefoot journey around the world, currently based in the south of France.

He is travelling with his partner & two children and with no bank account he has been living on STEEM & crypto for over two years.

Sam supports @naturalmedicine because they are seeking to help us in ways which go far beyond money. Please come and join us on Discord

All content created for this account is 100% original (unless otherwise stated), produced by @samstonehill who invites you to use & share freely as you wish.

All non original photo sources can be found by clicking on the image