I've spent many hours sitting next to my tripod as my camera clicked away, taking a timelapse, wondering how my timelapse projects could be given extra dimension if the camera were somehow moving. This led me to research complicated and prohibitively expensive camera rigs, which are usually chain or belt-driven and require an arresting amount of number crunching if they are to function as you intend them to. It all looked bleak, unless I summoned the patience to move my tripod ever so slightly for every frame, for hours. Even if I did have the patience to try such a technique, I'd find a way to trip over my own tripod or otherwise ruin the effort with my buffoonish sense of balance and coordination. Basically, I had to relegate my hopes for making epic moving timelapses to my mind's "future" shelf to gather dust.
Well, it looks as if I can dust that dream off fairly soon. Enter the Lil-Mule, a Kickstarter project that aims to make this type of photography much more accessible. By using a rollerblade-like setup and an electric motor, the rolling device can allow for some super-smooth timelapses and panning video. The project, which thankfully already has funding, is accepting donations that can make you one of the first people to receive your Lil-Mule, at a price discounted from what it will eventually cost when it goes into production. If you can't quite afford the first-in-line donation tier, you can donate a little less and still receive it about a month later. Either way, you'll be getting a fantastic new photography tool for a lot less than what you'd spend on a traditional rig.
Four controls. Nice and simple!
Quite possibly the best thing about the Lil-Mule is its simplicity. It looks as if it were made with the fewest possible moving parts in mind, which always equates to less problems down the line. The creator himself mentions his desire to make the simplest product possible: "The controller for the Lil-Mule is a single knob which allows you to variably control the speed you are moving in the forward and backward direction. No math equations, no menu settings, just set up your shot and twist a knob to start moving." I'm really looking forward to seeing how this project turns out. If it's successful, you might be seeing me in the nearest nature reserve or city center with a Lil-Mule puttering around me.