The following YouTube video includes three time lapse video clips that show the sky over Fairfax County, Virginia USA during the afternoon on 09 June 2026. Three photo sets were captured using a Fujifilm X-T3, 18-55mm kit lens, and Viltrox DC-A1 camera monitor. Each photo set was rendered to video using Apple "QuickTime Player"; each movie clip was edited using Apple "Photos." The final video was created using DaVinci Resolve.
09 June 2026 | Fairfax County, Virginia USA
The sky was overcast to mostly cloudy, covered by high level cirroform clouds at 25,000 feet. Notice the cirrocumulus clouds visible in all three video clips.
A "Viltrox DC-A1 2800 Nits 7-Inch Camera Monitor" enabled me to see the camera display clearly, even in direct afternoon sunlight. The monitor sells for $278.00 MSRP; I bought it on sale for $236.30 from B&H Photo. The DC-A1 comes with a snap-on/off Sun Hood, L-series/NP-F550 battery, HDMI Type-A cable, HDMI Type-A to Mini-HDMI cable, and USB-C power cable (USB-C to USB-A), among other accessories.
My Fujifilm X-T3 connects to the Viltrox DC-A1 via a micro-HDMI to full-size HDMI cable, not included with the monitor. (My Fujifilm X-T1 features a mini-HDMI connector, but HDMI Output works only during Playback.)
The Viltrox DC-A1 can be used to show the display of my Apple iPad mini 6 by connecting the iPad to a CalDigit SOHO Dock via a USB-C cable, then connecting the SOHO to the Viltrox DC-A1 via a full-size HDMI cable. Although the display size of the Apple iPad mini and Viltrox DC-A1 is similar, the DC-A1 is much brighter than the iPad (as shown below).
It's all about "nits."
"nits" is a quantitative measure of screen brightness. The following bulleted list shows the brightness (in nits) for many of the cameras and devices I own.
Viltrox DC-A1 Camera Monitor = 2800 nits
Apple iPad mini 6 = 500 nits
Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+ = 480 nits
Fujifilm X-T3 = estimated 300-400 nits
Fujifilm X-T1 = no official rating (seems to be dimmer than X-T3)
Panasonic DMC-FZ300 = estimated 400-500 nits
Canon EOS 5D Mark II = estimated 350-400 nits
GoPro HERO4 Black action camera = There is no viewfinder screen on the back of the HERO4 Black, only a small "Camera Status Screen" on the front of the camera. (GoPro "Quik" app runs on Apple iPad mini 6, therefore 500 nits.)
Skyflow (iOS app) = Runs on Apple iPad mini 6, therefore 500 nits.
In contrast with the Viltrox DC-A1, the highly rated Atomos Ninja 5.2" 4K HDMI Recording Monitor has a smaller screen, isn't as bright (1,000 nits), and sells for a higher price ($589.00 MSRP). Yes, the Atomos can record video, but so can my cameras.
Simple video editing is as easy as drag-and-drop using Apple "QuickTime Player," as shown in the following example.
"Fisheye on the Sky" | 13 May 2026 | Fairfax County, Virginia USA
The entire dome of the sky is shown in the 190° circular field of view: the zenith is located in the center of the image; the horizon is located around the outer rim of the circle.
The video was created by following these simple steps.
Open the first video clip using Apple "QuickTime Player."
Drag-and-drop the next video clip on top of the open "QuickTime Player" window.
Repeat as often as necessary to add more video clips.
Click the "Done" button on the video timeline.
Drag-and-drop a music track on top of the open "QuickTime Player" window.
Click the "Done" button on the video timeline.
Save the edited movie using a new filename.
Video segments are separated by a "jump cut" -- smooth transitions aren't supported by QuickTime. So far I haven't experimented with adding a title screen at the beginning of the movie and a credits screen at the end, but I know it is possible.
The following panoramic time lapse video shows an arching view across the sky above Fairfax County, Virginia USA on 27 April 2026. The video was recorded using my GoPro HERO4 Black action camera mounted on an inexpensive "Orbit" two-hour mechanical hose watering timer. The camera was set for "Video" mode / "Time Lapse Video" submode at a resolution of 4K and an interval of two (2) seconds.
The camera pans from the western horizon to the southern horizon, passing near the zenith at the apex of the arc.
I thought the camera view would auto-rotate after the camera passed the apex of the arc. It didn't, as you can see in the video. I was fooled because the camera view auto-rotates during Preview, as expected. As it turns out the GoPro locks the camera orientation at the beginning of a time lapse video, as well as regular video.
GoPro "Sky Arch" rig, in situ.
Did you notice part of the mount for the "Orbit" timer is visible at the end of the video? I was concerned that might be a problem. Perhaps it would have helped to mount the "Sky Arch" camera rig vertically, as shown in the following photo.
GoPro "Sky Arch" rig, mounted vertically.
The following screenshots from the GoPro "Quik" app show the settings I selected for Auto-Rotation.
The following panoramic time lapse video shows the sky over Fairfax County, Virginia USA during the afternoon on 20 April 2026. The camera pans counterclockwise from east-northeast to south-southwest.
Two video segments were recorded using my GoPro HERO4 Black action camera mounted on an inexpensive one-hour mechanical kitchen timer (available from Amazon): the first video segment is 14:11 seconds of "raw" video; the second segment is 36:19 seconds.
The camera was set for "Video" mode / "Time Lapse Video" submode at a resolution of 4K and an interval of one (1) second. This is the first time I've used a one (1) second interval for "sky lapses." I think the resulting video looks a little "smoother" than my go-to interval setting of two (2) seconds.
There is no viewfinder screen on the back of the HERO4 Black, only a small "Camera Status Screen" on the front of the camera. Although it’s possible to operate the HERO4 Black manually using only the small screen on the front of the camera, it’s less than ideal for navigating menus and making settings.
In my opinion, it’s much easier to pair the camera with either a smart phone or tablet running the GoPro “Quik” app and use one of those devices to control the camera remotely. In this case I used the GoPro "Quik" app [Version 13.20.2 (18532)] -- running on an Apple iPad mini 6 -- to compose the scene.
You go, GoPro!
The GoPro HERO4 Black is easy to use for creating time lapse videos and works well. Under ideal conditions (primarily good light) the GoPro works as well or better than more expensive photography gear I own. For example, compare/contrast the GoPro time lapse video (shown above) with the time lapse video output from my Fujifilm X-T3, shot a little earlier the same day.
And it's worth mentioning the mechanical one-hour kitchen timer works as well as sliders that cost hundreds of dollars. That's why I refer to it fondly as "the little kitchen timer that could."
Related Resources
"CommerciaLapse" is a blog post by Walter Sanford that provides detailed information about how the kitchen timer can be mounted on a tripod.
[Gotta get] Back In Time - another blog post by Walter Sanford that features time lapse video from 20 April 2026 created using my Fujifilm X-T3 camera.
Post update: If you look closely at the second video clip, then you will see slight camera "jitter" that's noticeable when looking at the top of the concrete wall shown in the foreground. Don't blame the one-hour kitchen timer -- the "jitter" was caused by my failure to lock in position all of the adjustment knobs on my tripod/ball head. That isn't a problem when the wind is calm. Problem is I wasn't expecting the 30 mph wind gusts that began after I started the time lapse. From now on my new mantra is "Hope for the best; prepare for the worst."
"Wind (mph)," "Weather" and "Sky Cond." are highlighted by red rectangles in the following excerpt from a table of three-day weather observations for KDCA on 20 April 2026 nearest the time when I recorded the time lapse video. Wind was ~15 mph, gusting 25-30 mph as a cold front passed.
My Fujifilm X-T3 camera was used to shoot four photo sets of the sky over Fairfax County, Virginia USA during the afternoon on 20 April 2026. The four scenes are shown in reverse chronological order in the following time lapse video.
Did you catch the music/movie reference in the title of this blog post? "Back In Time" is a song by Huey Lewis & The News from the soundtrack of the movie "Back to the Future."
Wind (mph), Weather and Sky Condition
"Wind (mph)," "Weather" and "Sky Cond." are highlighted by red rectangles in the following excerpt from a table of three-day weather observations for KDCA on 20 April 2026 nearest the times when I recorded the photos used to create the time lapse video.
Low level cumuliform clouds were reported at 4,000 to 7,000 feet. Wind was ~15 mph, gusting 25-30 mph as a cold front passed.
Tech Tips
My Fujifilm X-T3 camera was set for manual exposure and manual focus. Aperture was set for f/8.Shutter Speed was 1/500 second. ISO was set for 160. White Balance was set for "Daylight." The focal length of the 18-55mm kit lens was set for 18mm (27mm, 35mm equivalent). Aspect Ratio was set for 16:9 (6240 x 3512 pixels). Image Quality was set for Fine JPEG + RAW.
The ELECTRONIC LEVEL (green line) was turned on. The manual focus DEPTH-OF-FIELD SCALE (blue bar), set for "FILM FORMAT BASIS," indicated everything from slightly more than five (5) feet to infinity was acceptably in focus, as shown in the following HDMI screenshot of the X-T3 LCD.
ELECTRONIC LEVEL (green line) | DEPTH OF FIELD SCALE (blue bar)
The camera was set for a two (2) second interval between photos.
Scene 1 = 343 photos
Scene 2 = 310 photos
Scene 3 = 319 photos
Scene 4 = 467 photos
Scene 4 ended when the camera turned off because the battery was dead. But hey, I was able to shoot 1,439 photos on a single charge -- that's fairly good!
Adobe Photoshop 2026 was used to render Scene 1; Apple "QuickTime" was used to render Scene 2-4. Apple "Photos" was used to post-process all four scenes. Titles, transitions, credits, and a music track were added using Apple "iMovie."
Related Resource: Blog posts with label "Fujifilm X-T3."
The following panoramic time lapse video shows the view from the parking lot of a Giant Food grocery store located in Fairfax County, Virginia USA. The camera pans counterclockwise from north-northeast to south-southwest.
11 April 2026.
The video was recorded using my GoPro HERO4 Black action camera mounted on an inexpensive one-hour mechanical kitchen timer (available from Amazon). The camera was set for "Video" mode / "Time Lapse Video" submode at a resolution of 4K and an interval of one (1) second. Approximately 18 minutes of actual recording time resulted in 35 seconds of "raw" time lapse video, given the recording settings I used.
A sequence of three photos shows my latest magnet-free rig for mounting the mechanical kitchen timer on a tripod.
Side view of the rig.
The component parts, numbered in the preceding photo, are listed below.
The SmallRig Mount Plate (4) is optional; the SmallRig Universal Power Bank Holder (5) is essential. The latter is so secure I feel comfortable using the rig upside-down for clockwise rotation.
The one-hour mechanical kitchen timer has a flat top and bottom: the top is metal; the bottom is magnetic. Naturally I thought the best way to mount the kitchen timer on a camera tripod would be to use some type of magnetic mount. The following list shows all the magnet mounts I tested. Spoiler alert: Every magnet mount I tried failed, for one reason or another.
The Ulanzi MagSafe tripod mount (1) is too weak for me to feel comfortable using it without a safety strap for the camera. The SmallRig Mount Plate (2) is a little stronger than the Ulanzi, but still not strong enough to be completely secure.
In contrast, the Master Magnet 65 lb. heavy duty magnet (3) is too strong -- the magnet is so strong it caused the metal kitchen timer to stop rotating unexpectedly, and the bell doesn't ring when time is up.
Finally the Master Magnet 25 lb. magnet (4) is better but still disabled the bell inside the timer, making me wonder whether the timer itself actually works properly. Buyer beware: The "Questions & Answers" section on the Home Depot product page for the 25 lb. magnet says the hole "will pass a 1/4" bolt." That's incorrect. A paper insert inside the plastic package says the hole is ".197 inch," not ≧ 0.25 inches. I would have known that if I hadn't ordered the item online. My "no tools necessary" design idealogy for repurposing inexpensive mechanical timers uses off-the-shelf, ready-to-use parts available at most hardware stores -- a hole that's too small for a 1/4-20" tripod mount breaks the "ready-to-use" clause.
So there it is, after trying and failing (four times) to make a magnet mount work I decided to try using some type of clamp for the kitchen timer. I repurposed a battery clamp that I bought for my Anker PowerCore+ 26800 PD 45W (recommended by Fujifilm for use with my X-T Series cameras). I'm pleased to report the new rig performed well during field testing.
What are the take-aways?
Now I have two panoramic rigs that I can use with my GoPro HERO4 Black -- either a one-hour kitchen timer or two-hour "Orbit" timer -- mounted either right-side-up for counterclockwise rotation or upside-down for clockwise rotation. Cool, huh? Almost worth the wasted time and expense trying to make a magnet mount work. Almost. Anyway, trial and error is the best teacher, right?
The following panoramic time lapse video shows the view from the corner of Richmond Highway (U.S. Route 1) and Groveton Street in Fairfax County, Virginia USA during the afternoon of 11 April 2026.
The video was recorded using my GoPro HERO4 Black action camera mounted on an inexpensive one-hour mechanical kitchen timer (available from Amazon). The camera was set for "Video" mode / "Time Lapse Video" submode at a resolution of 4K and an interval of one (1) second. Approximately 18 minutes of actual recording time resulted in 35 seconds of "raw" time lapse video, given the recording settings I used.
I recommend aligning the front of the action camera with the pointer/zero mark on the kitchen timer. I don't worry about setting the kitchen timer for a specific amount of time. I just turn the dial clockwise until it's set for one hour. Then I compose the shot and start recording for as long as I need/want.
The following time lapse videos show the sky over Fairfax County, Virginia USA during the afternoon on 11 March 2026.
My Panasonic LUMIX DMC-FZ150 superzoom camera was set to record Standard JPG plus RAW (RW2) files using an interval of two (2) seconds. [Note: I should have set the camera to record Fine JPG plus RAW. Oops!] 215 photos of each file type were recorded. Each photo is 4000 x 3000 pixels. Approximately 11 minutes of actual recording time resulted in 7 seconds of time lapse video, given the recording settings I used.
Apple "QuickTime" was used to quickly convert the JPG files into a .mov file.
launch "QuickTime"
select File / Open Image Sequence...
set Resolution: Actual Size
set Frame Rate: 30 frames per second
Encode For: Greater Compatibility (H.264)
click "Open" button
select File / Save...
Apple "Photos" was used to post-process the resulting .mov file.
11 March 2026. Facing north-northwest.
Here's the same video clip showing the output from Apple "QuickTime" before it was edited using Apple "Photos."
11 March 2026. Facing north-northwest.
Camera Settings
The photos were intentionally slightly underexposed in order to preserve/recover highlights in the clouds. My camera was set for manual exposure (aperture f/7.1, shutter speed 1/800 s) and manual focus [~2 feet to infinity (∞) was acceptably in focus using the hyperfocal distance for f/7.1]. ISO was set for 100. White Balance was set for "Daylight." The focal length was 4.5mm (25mm, 35mm equivalent).
Each Standard JPG is 2.1 MB; each RAW (RW2) is 14.8 MB.
I tried to shoot another time lapse, but there was a write error after only 16 photos were recorded to the memory card. I speculate the recording settings I used were too demanding for my older camera/memory card. For more information about the type of memory card I used, see the section entitled Tech Tips (below).
Decisions, decisions.
I own two Panasonic LUMIX superzoom cameras: an older DMC-FZ150; and a newer DMC-FZ300. The FZ150 can be used to shoot time lapses using an external intervalometer; the resulting time-series of photos must be post-processed to convert the photos to video. The FZ300 features both a built-in intervalometer and in-camera processing of time lapse videos.
So you might be wondering why I decided to use my older superzoom camera for the first time lapse field test. In my strong opinion, the FZ150 features a much better implementation of manual focus than the FZ300. Newer isn't always better! Hey Panasonic – are you listening?Please bring back the old way of setting manual focus using a colored bar that represents the range of distances that are in focus, as shown in the following photo.
Yellow manual focus bar indicates range of distances (feet) in focus.
INT (Interval): 2 s ← 3-5 s might have been better for my older camera/memory card.]
N (Number): set for "--" (two dashes) ← This setting means the camera will continue shooting photos until the START/STOP button on the intervalometer is pressed.
Memory card used with my Panasonic LUMIX DMC-FZ150.
Weather and Sky Condition (shown in my videos)
"Weather" and "Sky Cond." are highlighted by a red rectangle in the following excerpt from a table of three-day weather observations for KDCA on 11 March 2026 nearest the times when I recorded the photos used to create the time lapse video shown above (2:11 - 2:22 pm). At 13:52 (1:52 pm) the Sky Condition was reported as "FEW" at 8,500 feet, "SCT" at 11,000 feet, and "BKN" at 16,000 feet. At 14:52 (2:52 pm) the Sky Condition was essentially the same as an hour earlier: "FEW" at 8,000 feet; "FEW" at 11,000 feet; and "BKN" at 14,000 feet. At both times, there was a mix of middle- and high level clouds in the sky.
Remember FEW = Few = 1/8 to 2/8 of sky coverage, SCT - Scattered = 3/8 to 4/8 of sky coverage, and BKN = Broken = 5/8 to 7/8 of sky coverage. See my blog post entitled "Cloud identification" for more information about how to use "levels" to make cloud identification a little easier.
What's next?
First, I need experiment with using RAW (RW2) photo files to create time lapse video. Whenever possible, I like to use free applications like Apple "QuickTime" and Apple "iMovie" to create relatively high quality time lapse video content. That being said, working with RAW photo files almost certainly means I will need to use Adobe Lightroom and Adobe Photoshop – applications that are available only by subscription. I have both Adobe applications; there are many ways they can be used to create time lapse videos and I need to experiment to see which process works best for me.
Next, I need to do a time lapse field test using my Panasonic LUMIX DMC-FZ300. "I bought a SUPERZOOM timelapse camera - Lumix FZ82" (12:22) – a YouTube video by time lapse expert Matthew Vandeputte – inspired me to try using my FZ150 and FZ300 superzoom cameras for creating time lapse video. As I mentioned earlier in this blog post, the FZ300 features both a built-in intervalometer and in-camera processing of time lapse videos so I should use the FZ300 for my next field test.
How to make a timelapse with iMovie (7:17) - a YouTube video by Matthew Vandeputte [Note: Matthew demonstrates how to use Apple "QuickTime" to make a time lapse video, beginning at the ~4:50 s mark.]
The following brief time lapse video segments were captured and created using "Skyflow," an Apple iOS app running on my Apple iPad mini 6. My goal was simple: Capture a time lapse using the "RAW+JPEG" photo setting that could be used for testing purposes. In particular, I wanted to experiment with in-app editing of RAW files.
Here's the JPEG version of the time lapse video exported "as is" from "Skyflow."
27 February 2026. Video created using JPEG files.
Here's the JPEG version of the time lapse video exported from "Skyflow" and edited using Apple "Photos."
27 February 2026. Video created using JPEG files, edited using Apple "Photos."
And here's the version created using RAW files (negatives/DNGs) post-processed using the "Skyflow" in-app editor. My objective was to make the RAW version look as good or better than the JPEG version edited using Apple "Photos."
27 February 2026. Video created using RAW files.
Looking at the JPEG and RAW versions of the same video side-by-side, I think the JPEG version looks slightly better, and the JPEG version edited with "Photos" looks the best of all three. That tells me my "recipe" for in-app editing of RAW files probably needs to be tweaked for better results.
The following photo shows the first frame of the RAW files before it was edited. Notice the RAW image looks "flat" and washed out. The RAW files have much more dynamic range than the JPEGs shot at the same time, so it should be possible to edit them to look better than the JPEGs.
HEIC image saved from RAW video before editing.
Finally, here's the "recipe" I used to edit the RAW files using the in-app editor.
Brightness = +/-0
Contrast = +14
Gamma = +/-0
Shadows = +14
Highlights = -14
Black Point = +/-0
Saturation = +26
Vibrancy = +14
Noise Reduction + 0
Sharpness = 8
Vignette = 0
Please comment on this blog post if you have suggestions for improving my "recipe." Thanks!
Tech Tips
The Apple "Camera" app on iPad mini 6 IS NOT CAPABLE of shooting RAW files (negatives/DNGs). Yet "Skyflow" can, and it uses the iPad camera. What's wrong with this picture? Hey Apple -- are you listening? This problem needs to be fixed STAT!
Among many nice features in "Skyflow," lots of useful information is available by tapping on a recording to open in "project view" (my name for the screen) and tapping the "i" button shown in the upper-left corner. In this case, I am reminded the app was set for Focus = Locked, Exposure = Auto, and White Balance = Locked.
"Skyflow" (i)nfo.
Nothing But Blue Skies ... well, almost
In my last blog post, I described how to interpret the "Sky Cond." shown in a table of three-day weather observations for KDCA on 27 February 2026 nearest the time when I recorded the time lapse video (shown above). The low level clouds shown in the video are fair weather cumulus (Cu).
The following panoramic time lapse video shows the sky over Fairfax County, Virginia USA during the afternoon of 27 February 2026. The sky is most mostly clear except for a few low level cumuliform clouds.
The video was recorded using my GoPro HERO4 Black action camera mounted on an inexpensive "Orbit" two-hour mechanical hose watering timer. The camera was set for "Video" mode / "Time Lapse Video" submode at a resolution of 4K and an interval of two (2) seconds. Approximately 26 minutes of actual recording time resulted in 26 seconds of "raw" time lapse video, given the recording settings I used.
27 February 2026.
"Sky Condition" - cloud amount and height
The following graphic shows an excerpt from the table of three-day weather observations for KDCA on 27 February 2026 nearest the time when I recorded the time lapse video (shown above). The columns labeled "Weather" and "Sky Cond." are highlighted by a red rectangle.
On 27 February, the "Sky Condition" was reported as "FEW030" and "FEW040" for the two times shown in the table of observations for KDCA, meaning the cloud amount was "FEW" (1/8 to 2/8 of sky coverage) and the cloud height was "3,000" to "4,000" feet. These low level clouds are fair weather cumulus (Cu).
A well defined aircraft condensation trail (contrail) is also visible beginning at the 18 s mark and continuing until near the end of the video. The contrail is much higher than the cumulus clouds.
Average air pressure at sea level is 1013.25 millibars (hPa), or 29.92 inches of mercury (inHg). Cloud formation was suppressed by the relatively high air pressures of 1019.0 and 1018.4 millibars observed at KDCA on 27 February 2026. Hence the mostly clear skies at the time I recorded my video.
Tech Tips
Notice the "lens flare" that appears from the 26 second mark to the end of video. This was caused as the camera rotated counterclockwise toward the Sun in the sky. Please comment on this blog post if you can suggest how to avoid lens flare.
Three time lapse video segments were captured and created using "Skyflow," an Apple iOS app running on my Apple iPad mini 6. The first video clip was created from 427 frames (~14 s), the second clip from 151 frames (~5 s), and the third clip from 433 frames (~14 s). Each video clip was edited individually using Apple "Photos" and all three video clips were combined using Apple "iMovie."
Each video segment shows mostly high level cirroform clouds moving across the sky over Fairfax County, Virginia USA during the afternoon of 17 February 2026.
17 February 2026.
I feel like the lack of complete documentation for the app is preventing me from getting the best results possible. I've figured out how to use many of the major features, although I'm still not sure how to use the controls for focus and exposure most effectively. A few questions follow. Please comment on this blog post if you can answer any of my questions.
Using the in-app editor, trimming video is a destructive edit [personal communication with developer]. Is cropping a destructive or non-destructive edit? And what about speed ramping (either up or down)?
What is the recommended workflow for in-app editing of RAW files (negatives/DNGs)?
Can "Skyflow" be used with external storage devices such as a USB memory stick or SSD? Backup, of course, but what about about deleting projects (to save disc space on my iOS device) and restoring them later for more editing?
Camera (iOS app) > "Pano" mode
Before working with "Skyflow," the following panoramic composite image was taken using the "Camera" app on my Apple iPad mini 6, set for "Pano" mode. The camera panned ~270° from west-northwest to south-southeast.
17 February 2026. Wider panoramic view. (14913 x 3694 pixels)
Have I mentioned how much I like the look and feel of the panoramic composite images created using the "Camera" app? I do. Easy to use. Excellent output. Good job by you, Apple!
The following panoramic time lapse video shows the sky over Fairfax County, Virginia USA during the afternoon of 17 February 2026. A variety of mostly high level cirroform clouds can be seen moving across the sky.
The video was recorded using my GoPro HERO4 Black action camera mounted on an inexpensive "Orbit" two-hour mechanical hose watering timer. The camera was set for "Video" mode / "Time Lapse Video" submode at a resolution of 4K and an interval of two (2) seconds. Approximately 46 minutes of actual recording time resulted in 46 seconds of "raw" time lapse video, given the recording settings I used.
17 February 2026. Panoramic view from north to south.
The rig was turned upside-down so the action camera would rotate clockwise (rather than counterclockwise), as shown in the following photo.
Clockwise "Orbit" rig.
Notice the homemade safety strap used to tether the action camera to the tripod. Better safe than sorry, right? There is enough slack in the strap so the camera can rotate freely. For more information about my safety strap, see the "Tech Tips" section in one of my earlier blog posts entitled "Atmospheric Motion."
Tech Tips
Set your GoPro action camera so the image is automatically right-side-up even when the camera is upside-down. Go to Settings/Camera Preferences/Setup. Set the camera for "Auto Rotation." [There are three options: Up; Down; and Auto.]
GoPro Quik | Camera Preferences for GoPro HERO4 Black.
I don't worry about setting the "Orbit" timer for a specific amount of time. I just turn the dial clockwise until it's set for two hours. Then I compose the shot and start recording for as long as I need/want.
The following time lapse video was captured and created using "Skyflow," an Apple iOS app running on my Apple iPad mini 6. The video (~5 seconds long) was created from 151 frames stored in the "Files" app (Files/On My iPad/Skyflow/Projects). The photos were recorded from ~2:09 p.m. (14:09) to ~2:14 p.m. (14:14) using a two-second interval; each photo is 1.4 MB.
The video shows the sky over Fairfax County, Virginia USA during the afternoon of 17 February 2026. Can you identify the small, white puffy cottonball-like clouds shown in the video?
17 February 2026. Facing south-southwest.
Levels
Begin by trying to determine the "level" of the clouds. According to the International Cloud Atlas, there are three levels of clouds in the atmosphere (as shown in the following table): high; middle; and low. [Note: "Clouds with vertical development" is a fourth level used by some experts.] Since my home is located in the northern mid-latitudes, the column labeled "Temperate region" is highlighted by a red rectangle.
Source Credit: Levels | International Cloud Atlas.
"Sky Condition" - cloud amount and height
OK, let's assume you think the level of the clouds shown in the video is "High." Is there information available to confirm your inference?
When the height of a particular cloud is known, the concept of levels may be of some help to the observer in identifying the cloud. Source Credit: Levels | International Cloud Atlas.
Weather observations, sometimes automated, are available online (updated every hour) for select locations (often major airports) in the United States of America. For example Weather observations for the past three days for Washington/Reagan National Airport, DC is available for KDCA, the airport nearest my home. The following graphic shows the weather observations for KDCA on 17 February 2026 nearest the times when I recorded the time lapse video (shown above). The column labeled "Sky Cond." is highlighted by a red rectangle.
"Sky Condition" is reported for cloud amount and height.
Sky condition shall be coded in the format XXXYYY where XXX is the cloud amount code (e.g. FEW or BKN) and YYY its height above surface using 3 figures. Source Credit: METAR explanation.
The following table shows the codes used to estimate the cloud amount.
On 17 February, the "Sky Condition" is reported as "BKN210" for both times shown in the excerpt from the table of three-day observations for KDCA, meaning the cloud amount was "Broken" (5/8 to 7/8 of sky coverage) and the cloud height was "21,000" feet. At a height of 21,000 feet the cloud level is "High," meaning your inference is correct.
Now ask yourself, which High cloud "Genera" most closely matches the clouds shown in the video — Cirrus, Cirrocumulus, or Cirrostratus? That's right, the small, white puffy cottonball-like clouds shown in the video are Cirrocumulus clouds (Cc).
Tech Tips
How can you find near-real-time weather observations for your location? Use a table of three-letter LOCIDs (location identifiers) to find the nearest airport. For example, LAX is one of the airports near Los Angeles, California USA. Add the letter "K" in front of LAX and you get "KLAX." Take the Web address I provided for KDCA and change it as follows ...
Did you notice the jet airplane that's visible in the last six frames of the video, moving from right to left across the screen beginning near the middle-right edge of the frame? That reminds me of "Sub-sensory imagery," a blog post I published in early January 2026.
My good friend Luis Acosta commented on aircraft condensation trails (contrails) that are also visible in the video. The contrails are probably higher than the cirrocumulus clouds.
I introduced the "Orbit" panoramic time lapse timer in my last blog post. The obvious follow up question is "Does it work?" After the first field test my enthusiastic answer is "It works well. Very well." Same time lapse deliciousness as my other time lapse timers at a slower rate of rotation because the "Orbit" is a two-hour timer rather than a one-hour timer (see "Related Resources," below). I think slower is better in this case.
A panoramic time lapse video was taken using my GoPro HERO4 Black action camera mounted on the "Orbit" rig. The camera was set for "Video" mode / "Time Lapse Video" submode at a resolution of 4K and an interval of two (2) seconds. Approximately 36 minutes of actual recording time resulted in 36 seconds of "raw" time lapse video, given the recording settings I use.
22 January 2026.
A variety of cloud types (mostly cirroform) were streaming across the sky from southwest to northeast. Notice the bird perching on top of the light tower beginning approximately 11 seconds into the video.
Camera (iOS app) > "Pano" mode
After working with "Skyflow," the following panoramic composite images were taken using the "Camera" app on my Apple iPad mini 6, set for "Pano" mode.
The first image shows a nearly 360-degree view from my vantage point on the roof of the parking garage for the building where I live.
22 January 2026. Wider panoramic view. (16109 x 3754 pixels)
Sometimes I like my "misfires" as much as the wider panoramic composite images such as the one shown above.
22 January 2026. Narrower panoramic view. (8930 x 3778 pixels)
Quite a while ago I watched several YouTube videos that demonstrated how to make panoramic time lapse videos using an inexpensive "Orbit" two-hour mechanical hose watering timer. (See "Related Resources," below.)
I mounted the "Orbit" timer using parts made of PVC, as shown in the following annotated photos. The red numbers superimposed on the photos correspond to the item numbers in the section entitled "Parts List," below.
PVC mounted "Orbit" rig (annotated).
The PVC pipe is two (2) feet long and acts like a counterweight for the timer/camera rig. All of the PVC parts fit together snugly and securely without using PVC glue.
PVC mounted "Orbit" rig (annotated).
The next photo shows the dial face of the "Orbit" timer.
"Orbit" timer, showing dial face.
The following photo shows a GoPro flat adhesive mount that I placed temporarily on the dial face of the "Orbit" timer. Notice the adhesive mount covers the dial face. I'm hoping to find a better solution (less permanent) for mounting my GoPro action camera on the "Orbit" timer. (Please comment on this blog post if you have suggestions.)
PVC mounted "Orbit" rig (annotated).
The last photo shows the back of a GoPro flat adhesive mount that uses "3M VHB" peel-and-stick two-sided tape.
