How to Make a Time-Lapse Movie from Photos Using Windows Movie Maker

From a blooming flower to building a house, time-lapse photography can be a great way to condense a lengthy process into a short movie.

Step 1: Photograph the subject Set up your camera on the tripod and shoot pictures of your subject using either the time-lapse setting on the camera or by manually pushing the shutter button a few times per minute.
Step 2: Upload the pictures Upload the pictures to your computer using a USB cable or a card reader. Create a new folder unique to this project and copy your pictures to it.
Step 3: Open Movie Maker Click the Start menu, go to Accessories under All Programs, and click on Windows Movie Maker to open it.
Step 4: Import pictures Import the pictures by going to File and clicking Import Media Items. Find the folder with your pictures, select them all, and click Import.
Step 5: Adjust transitions Adjust the transition length between pictures by going to Tools, Options, Advanced. Set transitions to one second or less.
Step 6: Arrange photos Right-click on a white space between the icons in the Collection panel, go to Arrange Icons By, and click Date Taken. Select all the pictures and drag them into the timeline.
TIP: Add music to the movie to make it more interesting by importing an audio file and dragging it to the timeline.
Step 7: Export the movie Export the movie by going to File and clicking Save Movie File. Follow the prompts to choose the destination, name, and quality settings for the final movie.
FACT: The first permanent photograph was taken by Joseph Niepce in the 1820s, and took eight hours to expose.