20-Year Time-lapse Project Capturing Singapore's Skyline
- CK Chan
- Jul 5, 2023
- 3 min read
Our Titan X long-term time-lapse DSLR camera system is currently perched atop Marina Bay Sands, recording the changes in our city. Every day, every hour, every 15 mins, the Titan X captures high-resolution photos of the Singapore bay area, documenting our city's journey towards its 75th birthday. That is a whopping 1 million photos when the project is complete in 2040.
Our Freaking Big Idea: SG75TIMELAPSE
Our journey began with a big idea in 2020: We want to start a social movement to capture Singapore's transformation for the next 20 years until 2040, when our nation celebrates its 75th birthday. Capturing this transformation can inspire future generations to be part of our nation's collective memory. Our movement is about capturing the present and preserving the past. Through our time-lapse videos, we can show Singapore's evolution over the years and preserve our city's history. We recognize the importance of art and culture in Singapore's transformation. We plan to work with local time-lapse contributors to showcase the beauty of our city and its diverse cultural heritage.
The Start & Unexpected Interruption
The project started in 2020, amid the Covid-19 pandemic. Thanks to our close partnership with MBS over the years, we got their blessing to deploy 2 cameras just at the edge of the MBS Skypark, right above Tower One. We set up 2 Canon DSLRs in our Titan 3 time-lapse camera housing. One camera was capturing the Singapore Skyline. The second camera was overlooking Marina South and the Greater Southern Southern Waterfront. However, access to the camera became impossible in the following months due to the strict Covid-19 lockdown & subsequent movement restrictions. The 4G signal at the location was also intermittent, making connections difficult. Thus the transfer of images from the camera to our server via 4G SIM data was interrupted. The image acquisition was often interrupted, so we had to rework our plans.
Pandemic Time: Camera Upgrade
With new challenges come opportunities. The business slowdown during the pandemic means we can focus on upgrading the Titan 3 time-lapse camera system. In 2023, we launched the Titan X with new features and advancements. It has a new metal housing with better ventilation & weather protection. The new processor has an integrated heat sink design to keep it cool up to 50 °C. The Titan X software has been completely re-coded to be more stable and power efficient. The 4G signal is much stronger now with a new industrial-grade router. We also added new setup and photo viewing apps to make monitoring & setups easier. The Titan software was also updated to work with newer Canon mirrorless cameras.
Relaunch with Titan X
After 2 years of product testing, we returned to Marina Bay Sands with the new Titan X in March 2023. The Canon camera has been firing flawlessly every 15 minutes for the last few months. The 4G signals are improved, and our secured server receives the images consistently.
Upcoming Launch of SG75Timelapse
The dream of SG75Timelapse movement is finally getting realized. We hope to involve government and corporate partnerships for our SG75Timelapse future projects. The support can come in many ways, including location sponsorship, funding, event hosting, cross-promotions, etc.
We want to hear your story!
Share your personal time-lapse video about a transformation in your life, your friends & family, or around your neighborhood. Your stories will be essential to our archive, providing insights into our city's social, cultural, and economic changes. Together, we can create a comprehensive library of Singapore's journey toward its 75th birthday.
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