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Stitch-Action Photography
Create the look of motion with photos and
a computer. BY PAURIC O’CALLAGHAN

It’s very rewarding to create a picture that conveys more
than what a single image can capture. Whether the picture
is of baby’s first steps or an Olympic gymnast’s somersault,
the process at work conveys motion in a static image.

Stitching multiple images together is a form of time-lapse photography. In traditional time-lapse the output is a video. But here we’ll place each frame on top of the other, allowing viewers to replay the action in their minds. Photo sequencing only works when the object moves across a static background. A dog performing a series of tricks at a show works well; a runner directly approaching the camera does not.

Subjects can be anything from a bird in flight to a snowboarder’s
jump — all you need is a camera with an Action Sequence
mode, a computer, and the patience to experiment.