Please enjoy a very entertaining timelapse video of the Chittenden Locks (whose local moniker is the Ballard Locks), which is an essential part of the Lake Washington Ship Canal serving thousands of vessels throughout the Seattle metropolitan area. Constructed between 1911 and 1917, the Ballard Locks’ principal function enables access for boats and ships to sail between Lake Washington, Lake Union, Union Bay, Salmon Bay, Shilshole Bay, the Puget Sound, and the Pacific Ocean. (See map below for illustration).
This timelapse features the locks in action as the water levels located on the east and west portals are nonequivalent. To get through, boats must be elevated or lowered within the confines of the locks. This video was executed on Saturday, May 8, 2021. The timelapse consists of approximately 1,950 exposures and showcases two hours of activity in a period of 83 seconds.
Below are some photographs that I captured while executing the timelapse video.
Curiously, there was a point during the timelapse when a goose appeared with the boats at the locks. Even though the goose could easily fly above every object featured in the images below, it waited patiently for the gates of the locks to open. A few seconds thereafter, the goose took off from the surface of the water, similar to that of a commercial airplane on the tarmac of an airport. Almost everyone standing alongside me took notice of this clever fellow as it was an unexpected occurrence before the boats unmoored themselves in preparation to set sail through the canal. An illustration of this is featured in the slideshow below.
Thanks for reading this article. If you enjoyed the timelapse video here, please visit my official website @ www.tia-international-photography.com for an indelible, visual experience.
I’ve heard about how this is done but it was great to see in action. Neat!
Thanks, KD!