Photographer Josh Owens and CNN set our sights on using time-lapse phography of Hillary Clinton’s speech, for a unique perspective on this history-filled election season after she became the Democratic Party’s presumptive nominee Tuesday.
We had a plan in place: Put a few cameras in different locations and just let it go. Key moments would be preparations, the Brooklyn Naval Yard venue filling with flags and people, and of course Clinton’s speech.
“The chaotic, fluid environment of presidential elections plays very well in time-lapse photography,” said Owens, who shot nearly 20,000 images in the course of five hours.
As in any assignment, unexpected logistical changes and workflow hiccups always sprout from nowhere. We adjusted our plans as we went along.
Owens set up a couple of cameras in front of the podium and on a riser to the side. We wanted to attach a third camera on a railing positioned from the back of the stage to show the candidate the crowds around there. Unfortunately, the campaign advance team denied our request.
Both cameras have Clinton in view, but the key to a successful time-lapse is the incorporation of various scenes. Otherwise, if there is not enough variety, people would tune out within seconds. Owens used a third camera by going tight on the crowds and looking for scenes that grab the eye, such as the last batch of the time-lapse that spells the word “history.”