Time-lapse for a reason

Every week, if not more often, a new time-lapse video is released on Vimeo and picked up by bloggers like us. As I already confessed several times, I love the technique, which becomes even more fascinating when combined with tilt shift treatments. But this is where the problem sits. If time-lapse becomes just a trendy technique, and tilt shift is a fancy treatment, than all is just about aesthetics, with the story is relegated to the background. And this is when, in my opinion, time-lapse videos become boring déjà vu.

This video by Cargospotters showing planes landing in Heathrow takes a refreshing and inspiring approach to time-lapse. Look at the clouds, pay attention to the winds and how they affect the planes’ approach to the landing strip. Here the technique becomes a feature to highlight the story, a lens to suggest a different angle to look at things that we might find expected, boring or simply not worth paying attention to.

The lesson is clear: always start from the story, and then decide how you want to tell it. Choose time-lapse for a reason.

via This is Colossal.