Not Your Ordinary Timelapse: Cloud Island in Monochrome

Photography Tips  •  Time-lapse Photography

This short inspirational video made by Fourth Dimension, in collaboration with the Pathgate Institute, showcases footage shot for an upcoming remake of the Buddhist film The Life of Guru Rinpoche. Shot entirely in monochrome and employing techniques and tools including long exposure timelapses, camera sliders, and even a quadcopter, the filming took place in the Isle of Skye and Red Tarn in Scotland:

While the actual filming of the remake is still underway, the crew at Fourth Dimension decided to share some of the footage. The footage inspires a mixture of awe, eeriness, and anticipation that is hard to explain with mere words. The floating mist and the ominous rolling clouds just add to the whole impact, which is finally brought together by a haunting background score.

The breathtaking topography of Isle of Skye, Scotland

The location crew did a fantastic job; some of the topography has a striking similarity to that of Tibet and the Himalayan region, the location of the life and times of Guru Rinpoche. Much of the post-production, however, is being done in 3D, because the sky and the mountain ranges will be replaced to be more visually accurate.

Nevertheless, the vast wilderness, shot impeccably using a wide angle lens, almost jumps out of the screen, and the viewer is transported back in time.