Time-lapse camera captures its own theft

With the shutter set on an automated schedule, the camera continued shooting after it was stolen.

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Wed, Nov 28 2012 at 10:06 AM

Photo: Snapshot/Vimeo

Switzerland-based photographer Alessandro Della Bella employs strategically placed DSLR cameras to take time-lapse pictures he uses to create magical clips that allow viewers to travel through days in a matter of minutes. While a trio of cameras were set and shooting the night sky, a sly thief made off with one of them.

Turning lemons into lemonade, upon the return of the camera the photographer created a time-lapse video documenting the camera’s adventure, which continued to shoot on its time-lapse schedule during and following the theft. The resulting film is like "Ferris Bueller’s Day Off" for photo gear.

Thinking that the location was remote enough to ensure the equipments' safety, Alessandro set the gear up in the field and then left to attend a party. Enter thief, exit camera.

The two other cameras left at the scene recorded the thief’s flashlight moving hither and yon. Alessandro was able to deduce that the thief spent exactly 37 minutes in the field prior to lifting the camera, but not enough information was captured to lead to the culprit. So what did the thief in? His public flaunting of the stolen camera, which drew the attention of witnesses who called the cops. The camera was returned, and the rest is time-lapse history.

The clip below is the piece that the cameras were ultimately working on that fateful night.

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Via PetaPixel