Before watching this black and white thunderstorm video from Mike Olbinski, I had never considered if time-lapse could ever be considered “fine art.” It’s a term that varies depending on who you ask, but if fine art landscapes or fine art portraiture can be a thing, why couldn’t time-lapse video be included as well?
Now I don’t mean to put too much pressure on you to enjoy Olbinski’s “Breathe,” but it is certainly a uniquely beautiful showcase of nature.
Comprised of clips filmed in 2017, “Breathe” is rooted in the southwestern United States. On the clips that were chosen, Oblinski said, "Some are favorites, some are just ones I knew would be amazing in monochrome, and others I used because they fit the music so well.”
What spurred the creation of this time-lapse is that music itself. Detailed on his blog, he discovered the song first and began laying down clips to it in Adobe Premiere almost instinctively. “It’s hard to explain that feeling when you first hear a song and you immediately fall in love with it,” Oblinski said. “Almost like you’ve known it all along.”
To film “Breathe,” Olbinski made use of two Canon 5DS Rs and primarily the wide end of his Canon 11-24mm lens. In addition, he also used 35mm, 50mm, 135mm, and Sigma Art 50mm lenses. To sell the cinematic feel, he also went with a wider aspect ratio in the final cut.
This video is beautiful. The music has this almost Pink Floyd/Dark Side of the Moon meets electronica vibe. Way awesome
Mike Olbinski is one of the most talented "timelapser" out there. He always manages to capture the storms with a different eye and make it look great. Very inspiring work.
That was beautiful.