How to Make a Timelapse in Photoshop From Photos
Photoshop can turn a folder of photos into a smooth timelapse video. You open the photos as an image sequence, set the frame rate, and export an MP4. It takes about five minutes once your photos are ready.
Make a timelapse from photos in 6 steps.
You need Adobe Photoshop and a folder of photos taken from the same spot, for example clouds, a sunset, a city street or a plant growing.
- Put your photos in one folder. Copy every photo for the timelapse into one empty folder. They must have numbered file names in the right order (for example IMG_0001.jpg, IMG_0002.jpg). Most cameras already name them this way. Leave nothing else in the folder.
- Open the first photo as an image sequence. In Photoshop, choose File → Open and select only the first photo. Turn on the Image Sequence option (on a Mac, click Options first to see it), then click Open.
- Choose a frame rate. Photoshop asks for a frame rate. Pick 24, 25 or 30 frames per second. Higher numbers make the video shorter and smoother: 300 photos at 30 fps make a 10-second video.
- Check it in the Timeline panel. Photoshop opens all the photos as one video layer. If the Timeline panel is not showing, choose Window → Timeline. Press the play button to preview.
- Edit the whole video at once. Anything you add above the video layer, such as Curves, Levels or a color look, applies to every frame. You can also crop with the Crop tool to change the shape of the video.
- Export the video. Choose File → Export → Render Video. Pick H.264 as the format, choose a size (1080p is a good default), keep the frame rate you chose, and click Render. You get an MP4 file you can share anywhere.
How long will your timelapse be?
Video length = number of photos ÷ frame rate. Use this table to plan how many photos to take.
| Photos | At 24 fps | At 30 fps |
|---|---|---|
| 150 | 6 seconds | 5 seconds |
| 300 | 12.5 seconds | 10 seconds |
| 600 | 25 seconds | 20 seconds |
| 900 | 37.5 seconds | 30 seconds |
24 fps looks like film, and 30 fps looks smoother on phones. For social media, 15 to 30 seconds is usually enough.
Common problems and fixes.
- ✓Only one photo opens: the Image Sequence option was off, or the file names are not numbered in order. Rename them in order and try again.
- ✓Photoshop is very slow: the photos are too big. Resize them to about 1920 pixels wide first (File → Scripts → Image Processor), then open the sequence.
- ✓The video flickers: the brightness changes from photo to photo. Shoot in manual exposure next time. For now, a Curves or Levels layer over the whole video can make it more even.
- ✓The video has only one frame: the photos were opened one by one, not as a sequence. Close them, then open the first photo again with Image Sequence turned on.
Want a timelapse of your drawing instead?
The steps above work for photos you already have. Photoshop cannot record your drawing process on its own, so there are no photos to turn into a video.
PixelRec is a Photoshop plugin that records your canvas while you draw and exports the finished timelapse as an MP4, at the speed you choose. It records only the artwork, with no screen recording and no editing.
- ✓Starts recording on its own while you work (Pro)
- ✓MP4 export at 720p, 1080p or 4K, from 2× to 100× speed
- ✓Mac and Windows, one-time purchase
Photoshop timelapse questions.
We make Photoshop plugins for artists, including PixelRec for drawing timelapses. We work with timelapses in Photoshop every day.
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PixelRec Pro records your Photoshop process automatically, skips idle frames, and exports a finished MP4 timelapse at the speed you choose.