California is a place we all seem to hold a special place for. It is the subject of songs, movies, and the dreams of many Americans. Take a moment to see how beautiful the Golden State landscape truly is in this stunning time-lapse video.
On the bright side of people being forced to cancel plans and stay home, a lot of us have finally found the time to take care of things we have been putting off. For photographer and filmmaker Michael Shainblum, this meant finally getting to edit together some of his vast libraries of California based time-lapse footage.
Shainblum is a California native and credits the State's wonderful nature as part of what shaped his early photography career. Some of the spots we may be lucky enough to visit once, became his practice facilities. He immersed himself in the mountains, camped out alone, and awoke well before the birds to get the many of the shots featured in this piece.
I am a big fan of Shainblum's photography. I think his creations are always a few steps beyond breathtaking. Being able to see the amazing scenes unfold just as the light arrives or fades away is an incredible experience. I would love to see some Shainblum's work in one of those immersive 4D theaters with the wind and smells synced with the visuals. Then again, maybe that is just me longing for something like an amusement park ride again during these crazy times.
Have you photographed any of these locations as well? What did you think of the video?
You could argue the same could be said for landscape photography- the medium is just a series of pretty photos. Maybe these time-lapse are not meant to be a film. Maybe they are meant to be moving landscape photos. When a landscape photographer shows us the beauty of the planet we live on we don't devalue it because there is no plot twist.