How can I automate a daily photo for a year to create an analemma?
Asked 2/26/2015
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I want to leave a camera setup in one place for a year and have it automatically take a photo, or a short series of photos, at the same time each day so I can combine them into an analemma showing the Sun’s changing position. I’m considering a weatherproof Raspberry Pi camera setup, but I’m also wondering if a regular camera with a remote release or intervalometer would be simpler. What kind of setup would work best, and are there any timing or weatherproofing considerations I should keep in mind?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
11y ago
2 Answers
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Nice idea.
In a tour of Dr. Phil Mason's lair, he we see cameras indoors at windows, covered with a box and black cloth. This Video includes three time-lapse views in different directions.
The weatherproofing enclosure is the house!
Since the point is to show the analemma which has the sun move left and right, you do want to expose at 24 hour intervals, not adjust for true noon. But, you can hedge your bets and take a group of pictures every 24 hours, not just 1. Say, 30 seconds apart for 5 minutes on either side of noon.
An off the shelf intervalometer worthy of the name (as opposed to just a timer cable release) should have two levels of interval. The generic Chinese imports are $10 as I recall. Get two, so you can immediatly replace if it dies.
A dedicated Linux server is overkill. You could just use an existing computer if you needed more complex control, unless it was physically isolated. But a custom intervalometer that has the specific custom schedule would be an Arduino, not a Raspberry Pi, I would think. Maybe you want 3 levels of looping, geometric time sequence instead of linear around the target time, sequences at different times in the same day, etc.
You'll want to check on it, probably maintain it, over the year, so you need some way to reproduce the position when you put the camera back. Sight-lines to reproduce the view would be most robust.
If you make a movie, you can see the changing seasons in the view, Rod Taylor style, with the sun moving back and forth. You can make a video showing several presentations of the data, first just the frames, then again leaving traces in the sky, looping faster and faster so the sun becomes a blur.
What about cloudy days, rain, etc?
Another thought: the exposure for ground, sky color, and sun would be different! Set the camera to a bracketing burst from one shutter press. The remote shutter timer can't change the exposure so the camera needs to handle this 3rd loop level, itself.
Ah, but cameras can be controlled in detail now over a cable, if that cable is USB. You can have your regular computer send complex commands via WiFi, and also download each day's raw files without you having to touch the camera.
Originally by user33948. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user33948
11y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
A practical solution is either:
- a regular camera with an intervalometer/remote shutter release, or
- a Raspberry Pi controlling a camera if you want more custom timing.
For an analemma, one answer suggests shooting at 24-hour intervals rather than adjusting for true noon, since the Sun’s left-right shift over the year is the point. To improve your odds, take a short sequence around the target time instead of only one frame—e.g. several shots spaced 30 seconds apart over a few minutes.
If you use a standard camera, an inexpensive intervalometer is the simplest off-the-shelf option. If you need more complex scheduling, a Raspberry Pi can trigger the camera through a modified shutter release cable.
For weather protection, the simplest enclosure may be to place the camera indoors shooting through a window, with shielding around it to reduce stray light. If it must stay outside, you’ll need a proper weatherproof housing.
Whichever route you choose, keep the camera position fixed for the entire year.
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