But in general, somewhere between 0.1 and 0.2 seconds works best for my liking. I actually vary this depending on the GIF, as some seem to call for less delay and some more. At this point, you can click play to see your animation! The main thing that is left before saving is to choose the delay between frames, which will determine how fast or slow your GIF will play. You should now have all of the images in your timeline. To do this, click the three lines on the top right of the Timeline window and choose the Make Frames From Layers option. This will put a single frame in the timeline, so you will need to add the rest. Then, when your Timeline window is there, simply click the box in the middle that says 'Create Frame Animation.' Once the images are all loaded, you will need to make the Timeline window visible, if it isn't already. After that, the process of creating a GIF can actually begin.įirst, go to File > Scripts > Load Files into Stack and select the images that you want to include in your GIF. I have my own preset for my work in order to keep it consistent and want my GIFs to stay true to that, so I edit them all in Photoshop first and then save them as JPEG files. You can, of course, create a GIF with unedited images, so this step can be skipped. Once you have a burst sequence of images, the next step is to edit the images, if you so desire. You can choose to align layers when loading files, but that isn't foolproof, and it is best to keep the camera as steady as possible while shooting. You want the subject's movement to be the focus, not necessarily shifts in the background or setting. Lastly, holding the camera steady or even using a tripod will help create better GIFs in most circumstances. You also want to make sure that the images are taken quickly so that there aren't big gaps in between movements, as that will result in a jumpy-looking GIF. I created the GIF below from just six images, which works okay given the type of movement I'm capturing however, it likely would have been better with more frames. I try to aim for 20-30 or so in a single burst, but mostly just do what feels right in the moment (I know, a terrible answer for a tutorial).

The number of images you take is up to you and also depends on the situation, but keep in mind that too few images will result in a GIF that will be too short and quick and won't show much. While shooting, the key is to use burst mode on your camera and take a sequence of images of action. I shoot all my images in raw, including ones for GIFs, because I edit them first. You can shoot in raw or JPEG, whichever makes the most sense for your workflow. Having a fast shutter speed to freeze that motion is important, but otherwise, there isn't really anything special about what you can take photographs of to make a GIF. I am drawn to more subtle motion for my GIFs (and work in general, as I mentioned in my last article), but really, any type of motion will do. The first step of the process is, of course, choosing a subject and taking the images. It also allows me to better describe and document certain types of movements and actions, something that has been very useful. A GIF in this situation added some life and variety to a series of still images, which is exactly what I was after. I could have the look and feel of a short video clip without juggling more, and it would also be easier to share on certain platforms. The happy medium for me was a photo-based GIF. I considered video but really didn't want to deal with switching back and forth between still images and video, let alone all the other pieces that go along with video work. After completing the first few sessions, however, I felt like I needed something extra. All of the sessions are written up and shared on my blog, with details of their art and craft. I want to give a behind-the-scenes look into how artists work, especially highlighting how they make their studio spaces their own. Why GIFs?Ī current series that I am working on involves photographing artists creating in their studios. And while those uses are absolutely excellent (I am a big supporter of communicating via GIF), there are other slightly more serious reasons to create a moving image from still photographs. GIFs these days have a reputation for being silly or snarky tools for responding to people when words don't quite cover it.

Pictures to gif photoshop