Have you ever wanted to watch a flower bloom? To us fast-moving humans, plants don't seem to move at all, but in reality, they are constantly in motion. Perhaps you would like to capture a flower blooming yourself. A variety of devices, including computer cameras, smartphones, and digital cameras, are capable of making time-lapse videos. Time-lapse videos are made by taking a sequence of photographs over a period of time. All of the photos are then condensed into a video lasting only a few minutes, which allows you to see the slow movement or changes of an object or scene at a faster pace - basically, time lapse-videos are like flip books.
With computer-controlled cameras, controlling the intervals between images is easy with software available online or as part of camera packages. The drawback to using a computer-controlled camera is that you are tethered to a computer; on the other hand, free-standing cameras allow you to set up anywhere, and many have built-in time-lapse capabilities. Once all the pictures are taken, software like QuickTime Pro or Photoshop will take a folder of photos and quickly turn them into a video.
When making a time-lapse video of plants, it is important to know your subject. For example, if you are making a time lapse-video of a flower blooming, you need to know when the flower comes into bloom and how long it takes to bloom. This is because you need to know the time interval needed between photos and how long to film it; for example, a rose that takes two weeks to bloom will need larger gaps between intervals than a morning glory that blooms within a few hours.
Time Lapse Photo by: Kelly DeLay
There is just something magical about seeing a flower move, whether it is blooming or wilting; watching it is like entering a secret world. Thanks to time-lapse videos, you don't have to wait days to see flowers in motion. I have compiled some of the most stunning time-lapse flower videos that I found to share with you. From the stinking corpse flower to the intoxicating rose, watch these blossoms explode and fade like fireworks!
Corpse Flower Life Cycle
Watch as “Perry†the stinking corpse flower blooms and dies. I think corpse flowers are fascinating. They have the largest unbranched inflorescence in the world; additionally, they are rare and bloom infrequently. People journey for miles to witness the bloom, and the stench, in person. Thanks to the internet, you can see a corpse flower bloom - without traveling and without having to smell it.
Wilting Flower
Even death appears to be beautiful when done by a delicate pink blossom. The artistic presentation and haunting music add to the beauty of this short time-lapse video.
Life of a Dragon Fruit Flower
Gaze upon this pink dragon fruit flower as its petals unfurl. Dragon fruit flowers bloom at night, and they produce a tasty, bright neon-pink fruit known as a pitaya. Want to grow one of your own? The green stalks of the commonly sold grafted moon cactus are actually dragon fruit plants. Just remove the neon moon cactus and you will be on your way to growing one of these beautiful flowers, although chances are good that the flower will be white.
Waltz of the Flowers
Lilies, lilacs, pansies, and more will bloom before your eyes in this enchanting compilation of blooming flowers. The way that these flowers move will make you believe that they have personalities just like people do. I think they truly do seem to waltz to the music!
Blooming Rose
Observe a red rose blooming before your eyes. This rose took two weeks to bloom from a small green bud, but you can see all of the action in a little more than a minute. I can almost feel the velvety petals and smell the sweet scent!
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