/ /

Time-Lapse Cinematography

ByS.H. Johnson

I recently traveled to Arches National Park in Southeastern Utah in an attempt to capture the dramatic rise of the Super Flower Moon in a time-lapse film. Using my trusty Leicina Super Camera with the RT-1 Controller and Intervalometer, and shooting on Kodak Ektachrome Super 8mm color reversal film, I arrived at the park just before the appointed time, positioned the camera facing the precise coordinates of the compass and hoped for the best. What followed was an extraordinary natural display starting with the moon peaking out from behind the base of the teardrop monolith and then gently arcing across the cloudless sky that transitioned from bright desert daylight to glowing fiery sunset to moonlit cobalt night and lasted nearly two hours. The Leicina system is electronically controlled and features automatic exposure control, so the captured footage closely follows the lighting conditions at the site and results in an organic cross-fade to black sky as the sun sets and the moon travels out of the frame in the upper right hand corner. The series of images in the slideshow illustrate the path of the rising moon and depict an approximation of the final cropped widescreen frame with the three monoliths ablaze and the glowing orb of the Flower Moon in the lavender sky.

Rise of the Super Flower Moon

Artist, Designer, Photographer, Filmmaker & Craftsman. Traditional filmmaking and sound recording enthusiast, devoted film photographer and collector of vintage cameras. Committed to National Parks & Public Lands, Organic Gardening, Heirloom Apples & Native Flowers. Working on Handmade Arts & Crafts.