How to Do Stop Motion Photography - Easy 5-Minute iPhone Tutorial
Stop-motion photography is a creative way to bring inanimate objects to life and add flair to your content. With just your iPhone and a few everyday objects, you can create captivating stop-motion videos in minutes. This tutorial will guide you through the first steps of making your own stop-motion animation quickly and easily. Let's dive into the magic of stop-motion!
how to up your content game with easy stop-motion photography!
With the growing number of ways to market yourself—reels, live, YouTube, Twitter, Pinterest, video clips, carousel, etc.—it can be so overwhelming. And it’s easy to stick to your content comfort zone and avoid trying something new. I get it, but I’m here to tell you that challenging yourself to mix it up can work out beautifully. And learning a new skill, like stop motion animation, is always fun!
Stop motion is a really fun and engaging animation technique to take your marketing content to the next level. The beauty of stop motion is that it's not overly complicated if you already have the right setup. In this blog post, we'll go through the step-by-step process, share some crucial tips, and help you get started on your stop-motion journey.
With that in mind, get ready and grab your gear for this quick and easy iPhone stop-motion tutorial. You'll need:
backdrop
phone stand (something that mimics a tripod)*
included wired iPhone earbuds
iPhone (or camera)
objects you want captured + props
lighting for your stop-motion scene
To achieve a seamless stop-motion video, controlling the lighting is crucial. Continuous lighting or adjusting light sources will help maintain consistency between frames. If using natural light, aim for a cloudy day, or use a room that is well-lit with ambient light (no sun pouring in, with very little shadows). This helps avoid motion blur, ensuring your stop motion video has the best results.
how to set yourself up to create stop-motion content
Prepare the scene you'll be shooting with whatever backdrop and props that suit your needs and help tell your story. Everyday objects work great, as they can add a personal touch.
Use a hard surface, as opposed to your bed or couch, to prevent any unwanted shifts.
Set your iPhone up safely above or near your scene with a phone stand that mimics a tripod.
Secure the phone and zoom in to capture your desired scene—make sure it’s nice and steady!
Connect your wired iPhone headphones—this will be your remote trigger so you don’t have to touch the phone (we don’t want to shift it in between shots).
If you're using an actual camera and not your phone, carry on with manual mode for the camera settings and don’t touch it to avoid shifts in focus and exposure time.
Gather props from around the house to create lovely scenes with inanimate objects.
Once you’re all set up, do a couple of test shots before moving the objects around. This is your first step towards ensuring that everything is in the right frame.
One time, I shot an advent calendar on my bed. As the products were removed, it literally changed height. In the final video, you could see it rise up and go back down.
getting the shots
Take a starting photo.
Move the object(s) just a tiny bit, making sure not to budge the main subjects that are meant to stay still.
Remove your arms, hands, fingers, and shadows from the scene, and...
CLICK
Be PATIENT—it's key to creating a stop motion video that you're proud of the first try!
Repeat this as many times as necessary for your scene’s story to finish. As you're going through, remember step 3 above—always get your shadow out of the shot in between snaps.
how to compile your images into a stop-motion video
Now that you have your stop motion photos complete, you'll want to compile them into a short video. I like to use ImgPlay - it's so EASY to turn your project into a GIF or video to share! You can follow along in the below videos to see how I do that:
Load these images into the Image Play app.
Adjust the speed settings to around 0.15 seconds per image for smoothness
Within the app you cal also crop, add text, filters, and even drawings and stickers
Export as either a GIF or video and choose the desired quality level. Your final product will reside in your camera roll, ready for use
sharing your completed GIFS
At the time this was written, GIFs were not available to publish to Instagram grids, but I like to use them on my website and in my emails. You can also share them on social media platforms like X, or save your project as a video and share it that way!
common stop-motion photography mishaps and how to avoid them
Mistakes happen even to professionals. Here are some common issues and how to fix them:
If you're working with liquid, make sure you either work with waterproof surfaces, or you don't mind the damage.
I've said it before, but make sure to get your shadow out of the scene before every photo.
If you're not controlling the lighting, be prepared for the finished video to have changes in white balance as the sun moves through the clouds.
Use a hard surface.
Don't bump the items intended to be stationary.
final thoughts on stop-motion photography
Stop-motion photography adds a whimsical, engaging element to any marketing strategy.
With a bit of patience and creativity, your content can truly stand out.
Don't forget to have fun experimenting with new techniques and ideas—this is the magic of stop motion!
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