Beautiful (and a Little Freaky) Abstract Timelapse

Abstract Photography  •  Photography Tips  •  Time-lapse Photography

Photographer, filmmaker and painter, Jeff Frost has taken timelapse to a whole new level. The artist came up with the idea for and created a unique visual story, “The Circle of Abstract Ritual,” an eerily beautiful stop-motion video exploring creation and destruction:

“The idea I wanted to explore was the creation of culture as a conscious creative act, but without the trappings of dogma from institutions or even from ways of thinking.”

In making the film, Frost took 300,000 photos, closely witnessed riots, chased down wildfires, and searched out abandoned houses where he could paint elaborate optical illusions on the walls. He spent two years on this project and his dedication and persistence paid off. “The Circle of Abstract Ritual” has been inspiring photographers and filmmakers across the globe.

The video is incredibly beautiful; at some parts, a little visually disturbing (for the queasy, beware of the maggots starting at 6:12—in my opinion, they stay on the screen for far too long!), but the contrast really emphasizes the haunting theme.

For the video’s images, Frost used Dynamic Perception motion control gear.

Watch this behind the scenes video, which shows how Frost and a group of volunteers constructed the actual Circle of Abstract, a feat that took two long nights and 450 movements of the huge tree sculptures:

“This film is art for the sake of art.”