How-To
By David Willis, Photography By Shawn Reeder
Shawn Reeder, a photographer, filmmaker and musician based in the magical nexus between the majesty of the Sierras and the expansive grandeur of Yosemite, recently completed an engaging time-lapse project called “Yosemite Range of Light.” At just under five minutes, the film is comprised of nearly 7,000 still images that took the self-dubbed “destination visual artist” more than two years of shooting and editing to piece together. The gorgeous project quickly went viral once posted online, bringing Reeder’s website and portfolio a large degree of attention from the media, fans and peers alike.
“Time-lapse has been a wonderful evolution for me,” Reeder explains about his love for this specialized art form, “and it has given me a whole new set of tools to share the power and beauty of nature. I love how it gives a sense of altered reality, a lot like slow-motion photography. They both change our perception of time, which I find fascinating. And there’s no question that beautiful photography coupled with moving music elicits an emotional response far greater than just imagery or music conveys on its own. That synergy gives film a special place among artistic mediums, and the rise in a popularity and acceptance of short films via the Internet has opened up so many opportunities for people to share their work and inspire others.
“When I first started shooting time-lapse, instantly, I had a vision for a piece that showed the inter-connectedness between Yosemite and the High and Eastern Sierra