Snowdonia sounds like a made-up name from Game of Thrones, doesn’t it?
At least when I hear that name or see it written down, I can see John Snow galavanting across the landscape in my mind’s eye.
But for those of you that are uninitiated, Snowdonia is a very real place in northwest Wales that simply looks out of this world.
The area is home to Snowdonia National Park, which encompasses soaring mountains, miles of coastlines, and epic vantage points to view the sea and sunsets.
But I’m willing to bet that even if you’ve heard of Snowdonia that you’ve never seen it quite like this...
Snowdonia, Wales | A Time-lapse Adventure in 4K
Snowdonia is Cal Thomson's first time-lapse film.
Let me repeat that: the video above is his FIRST time-lapse.
I’d say that’s a phenomenal result for anyone, let alone a first-timer!
Snowdonia obviously took a lot of hard work, talent, and a fair bit of hiking. Shot across Snowdonia National Park, Cal showcases some serious time-lapse chops and the beauty of the Welsh landscape.
And that landscape is certainly inspiring. As Cal put it, “It was a great exercise in exploring my local surroundings and getting away from technology screens that tend to encompass most of my day.”
We may not all be as lucky as Cal and have Snowdonia as part of our local landscape, but it still makes us want to get out and see what’s around us!
Better still, Cal’s commitment to exploring nature and getting away from our screens should get us all excited to spend more time outdoors taking fantastic photos and making stunning time-lapses.
Time-Lapses Made Simple
Ok, so creating a time-lapse like Cal’s is never “simple.”
There’s a way to streamline your workflow, though, and get incredible results like those you see in his video.
Below, I’ve listed the gear Cal used to create his epic masterpiece. You’ll notice under “motion tracking” a device called the Syrp Genie.
That little gadget can make all the difference in the world when creating a time-lapse video like Cal’s.
Genie is an easy-to-use, ultra portable motion control device. It has no external wires. No controllers. Heck, there’s not even any external batteries. You literally just add it to your regular camera kit and away you go.
Just attach Genie to your existing gear and get smooth motion control for time-lapses or real-time videos. Genie can be used on two different axes - on a tripod for smooth panning motion or on a slider for long, gorgeous tracking shots.
Better yet, the Syrp Genie doesn’t require a bespoke slider - you can build your own or use it with another brand’s slider - and with just a few adjustments, it will perform perfect motion control of the camera.
Not only is Genie flexible for use in multiple setups, but it’s also small. And I mean very small.
That portability means you can put it in your camera bag or backpack and not be weighed down by a ton of extra gear weight. How do you think Cal managed to hike all over Snowdonia?!
Genie is packed with features too - exposure ramping, auto-start, HDR time-lapses - and it even comes with presets to create stunning time-lapses of people, clouds, or stars right out of the box. Literally - in just a few moments it can be ready to go and your time-lapse video-making career can begin!
If you’re ready to get into the time-lapse video game, watch Cal’s video again for inspiration, then check out the Syrp Genie. It’s not the only tool you’ll need to create a beautiful time-lapse, but it’s certainly one of the most useful!
Visit Cal:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/calthomsonv...
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/calthomsonvideo
Twitter: https://twitter.com/cal_thomson
Gear used:
Camera: Canon 6D x 2
Lenses: Tamron 24-70mm 2.8, Canon 70-200mm 2.8, Samyang 14mm 3.1, Samyang 24mm Tilt Shift, Variable ND Filter, Polarising Filter
Motion Tracking: Syrp Genie, Konova K2 Slider
Editing: Lightroom, Adobe After Effects CC, Adobe Premiere Pro CC