How to make a selfie timelapse (one photo a day)
Take one selfie a day, keep every shot lined up, and turn months of photos into a smooth timelapse video on your iPhone.
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A selfie timelapse shows you changing over weeks, months or years, compressed into a few seconds of video. Taking the photos is easy. The hard part is keeping them consistent, so the video looks smooth instead of jumpy.
What you need
- An iPhone and a few seconds a day.
- A spot with steady, even light.
- An app that keeps your photos aligned. Lining up hundreds of photos by hand in a video editor takes hours.
1. Choose your setup
Pick a place you can come back to every day, ideally facing a window so the light falls evenly on your face. Hold the phone at eye level and at the same distance each time, at arm’s length or on a stand. Taking the photo at roughly the same time of day also keeps the light similar.
2. Take the first photo
Create a sequence in Dayloop and take your first photo. Look straight into the lens with a relaxed, neutral expression, and keep your hair away from your eyes. Already have selfies in your camera roll? Import them to start with a head start.
3. Match the framing every day
When you open the camera, Dayloop shows your previous photo as a translucent reference photo. Line up your eyes and face with it before you shoot. If the phone is on a stand, use the 5- or 15-second timer. Turn on the daily reminder so you don’t forget, and snooze it if now isn’t a good time.
4. Let automatic alignment do the rest
You won’t match the framing perfectly every day, and you don’t have to. Face alignment finds your eyes in each photo and moves, scales and rotates it to match the first one. If one photo needs a touch-up, use manual alignment to adjust it yourself. All of this happens on your iPhone.
5. Export your video
Choose 4 or 8 photos per second, play forward or backward, and optionally show the date on each frame. A year of daily selfies at 8 photos per second gives you a video of about 45 seconds.
Tips for a better selfie timelapse
- Missing a day isn’t a problem. Consistency matters more than perfection.
- A plain background keeps attention on your face.
- Changes in hairstyle, glasses or tan are part of the story. Keep them.
- Use the time travel slider now and then to see your progress. It’s great motivation.
