2019 UPDATE: If you want an amazing new long term time lapse camera with wi-fi app preview, please check out the Afidus ATL-200 at www.AfidusCam.com. We also have a web site dedicated to sales and support of time lapse cameras at www.TimeLapseCameras.com. Customer care is very important to us and we are here to ensure your time lapse project is a success.
This is the video that started it all and it has now been updated to include footage from this year and the completion of the project.
Back in December 2013, when the first version was published I had no idea it would be a life changing event, here is how it happened. Early in 2013, I was contacted by Rochester Public Utilities (RPU) to do this seemingly impossible project. The problem was finding the technology, the camera was to be mounted on another water tower so it needed to be weatherproof, require no external power and have a long battery life. Everything I found was either too expensive or a clumsy solution until I came across the Brinno line of time lapse cameras. I ordered a Brinno camera from Amazon, installed it in June, and crossed my fingers. Months past, with occasional camera checks and everything worked. In December, I uploaded the first version to YouTube and was contacted by Brinno's Social Media Manager a few days later. This video was one of the very first long term construction projects using the Brinno camera and it essentially got me discovered by the company.
Fast forward to now, and I am the nation's only Brinno Authorized Solutions Provider. I have a collection of Brinno cameras, lenses and accessories. I test solar panel solutions and new products. I create a variety of content, I now blog about Brinno cameras, help with their US web site and I was reluctantly coerced to become active on Twitter and Instagram. Brinno has invited me to represent them at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Vegas. At times, my life revolves around Brinno which is not what I expected to be doing a year ago.
I have a few people to thank.
Tony Benson – RPU's Communications Coordinator who hired me to do this project and challenged me to find a camera solution.
Eric Berg – My video editing friend who gives my work a polished feel. The person with the thankless and at times endless job of removing night, weekend and uninteresting content.
Kat Von B – The Brinno Social Media Manager who saw the potential in this and contacted me. The person who has taught me the importance of social media, how to Tweet and that my Klout score is supposedly more important than my credit score.
Christopher R Adams – The President of Phase 3 Systems, the North America Brinno distributor, who entrusts his business reputation to me and listens to my sometimes crazy suggestions. Chris essentially let's me do my thing and has created a great work relationship, neither of us imagined a year ago.