A Little About Time Lapses
Spent days in my production cave creating a time lapse of lightning from this past summer. This was my second attempt at creating one as it involved a good deal of learning. A time lapse is a video created by stitching together a sequence of photos. It is not a traditional video taken with the video feature of a camera or phone. Creating a time lapse requires mathematical computation to determine how many still photographs are required to give the appearance of a video for a certain duration. This timelapse uses over 600 individual photos. With that said, each of the 600+ photos require individual processing. Though a lot of work, the result is spectacular when done correctly. It gives the appearance of time moving much faster than in a normal video, thus lapsing.
Story Behind the Photos and Time Lapse
It was well past midnight when a storm started to roll in as I worked in the garden to beat the heat. When I saw the flashes, I ran into my house to gather my gear. In a hurry, with little light, I set up the camera to take five second exposures at one second intervals between exposures until a thousand photos were recorded. At first glance, the photos didn't seem useable for a timelapse video, but there were some gyms in the mix. One of the photos looked like the hand of God reaching across the sky. We liked it so much we had a very large print of it made on HD Aluminum. The print is gorgeous and hangs in our office.
After processing a few of the photos, I wouldn't return to revisit the collection for months. Though initially disappointed I didn't have what was needed to create the video I keep thinking about the event. One evening a crazy itch got me thinking of some "out of the box" tricks I might use. To my amazement the tricks worked and revealed a tapestry of awe-inspiring beauty in a storm. Processing this huge stack of photos took many days. Along the way memories of my wife, daughter and I chasing lightning came back. From early on I was fascinated with nighttime photography. I can remember going as far back as 1991 chasing storms with my family. Yet the night these photos were captured only required I step out into the garden and look up to behold the absolute best lightshow in the world created by Father in Heaven.
A large part of why I love lightning is due to my father who was a master electrician. He would inspire me to spend my life teaching physics and aerospace engineering. Let me attempt to describe lightning in a way I hope draws out of you the awe I have when seeing this majestic creation of God.
Matter we cannot see or hold rubs together in the form of clouds as the winds billow above. Friction leads to massive buildup of subatomic particles, called electrons, which cannot individually be seen, even with the most powerful viewing devices man has invented. As electrons are forced together against their will, for they are of like charge, they induce an opposite charge below. It is like they are being packed behind a massive dam just waiting to break free to fall to the river below as they are pulled by the force of gravity. As pressure builds, the electrons break the dam bursting forward in quantities that outnumber the grains of sand in the world.
They rush away from each other with such immense energy, they turn air into electrically charged plasma with a temperature of over 50,000 degrees. Leads of plasma stream up from the ground and down from the cloud meeting up like lovers embracing for the first time in years. In an instant a path for them to flow into the earth is created drawing them downward as they leap with joy to be near particles whose charge is opposite of their own. During this instantaneous flash, energy in the form of light, sound, heat, and electricity is released. One bolt of lightning can power nearly a million homes for an entire day. From the invisible burst forth a life-giving energy creating ozone that protects from the harmful UV rays of the sun, ignites fires below to burn away the junk so new life can form and all the while reminds those who see and feel its power how small they are.
In a flash the radiance of God's Glory is shown reminding us He is in control!
Reflection
Stress and anxiety grip us all as we see our world unravel into Chaos. In the wake of a worldwide plague that claimed millions we emerge into a twilight zone. Inflation is the worst it has ever been, causing many to borrow large quantities of money just to pay for everyday needs. Massive homelessness and drug addiction pour out into the streets while nearly ten million people pour through our borders illegally causing immense strain on our country. Many in institutions once entrusted with the care of our precious children are intentionally eroding their minds, self-confidence, and futures. People here and abroad are struggling to keep a roof of their head, to afford healthcare and even to survive.
This environment has created a powder keg where division between people is stronger than those alive can remember. Racial, religious, and other forms of tension are at an all-time high. Social unrest grows like a plague fueled by selfishness, wokeness and even war. Millions of people have died around the world to defend and uphold our way of life in a land where freedom, liberty, and the ability to prosper are truly possible. Yet, there are forces set out to collapse “One Nation Under God.” So much more can be said about dark times that have befallen us all.
The root cause is sin, yet God so loved us, He sent His only Son, Jesus, into this world to die a cross so our sins can be forgiven, and we can inherit eternal life by believing in Him (John 3:16-17). Through the grace of Christ, we are renewed so that our lives are a shining light of His glory on a hill. No matter how strong the wind grows we cannot allow our "Hurricane Lamps" to die! We must unite in prayer, look to God's Word as the Holy unchanging standard, and draw together in fellowship to worship Him. For it is His very word that gives us life!
We must remember the words of Isaiah 54:17 as we see the flashes of His glory in the skies above! “No weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and this is their vindication from me,” declares the Lord."
Though this world tries to crumble us with waves of fear, we shall stand strong knowing nothing can separate from the love of God. Nothing can wipe us from eternity for in this life or in death, He is with us. All we experience, both good and bad, is used for His glory to shape us into His holy servants loving those around us and sharing the gospel with the lost.
When our minds drift into worry may the flashes of lightning in the gulf of darkness bring us back to rest in Him. For our God is mighty to save! He is powerful and in control!
"For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:38-39
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