What is a Cinemagraph?
As a magical hybrid of photo and video, cinemagraphs have been dubbed an “animated GIF for adults.” They contain subtle motion that plays in a never-ending, seamless loop, while the rest of the image remains still. Whether they capture a subject’s hair blowing in the wind, or the flicker of a street lamp, their alluring quality captures the viewer’s attention, making them an especially popular medium for advertisers.
As a new form of digital art, cinemagraphs opened up endless possibilities for artists to expand their creativity. By exploring subtle movements, they highlight elements that might otherwise go unnoticed in a still photograph
As a magical hybrid of photo and video, cinemagraphs have been dubbed an “animated GIF for adults.” They contain subtle motion that plays in a never-ending, seamless loop, while the rest of the image remains still. Whether they capture a subject’s hair blowing in the wind, or the flicker of a street lamp, their alluring quality captures the viewer’s attention, making them an especially popular medium for advertisers.
As a new form of digital art, cinemagraphs opened up endless possibilities for artists to expand their creativity. By exploring subtle movements, they highlight elements that might otherwise go unnoticed in a still photograph
Inspiration
The pioneers of cinemagraphs are digital artist Kevin Burg and photographer Jamie Beck (of Ann Street Studio) who had the idea to apply moving elements to a photograph. They made the first ever “living photographs” for New York Fashion Week in 2011 which sparked the curiosity of industry professionals.
The reason this particular image works well for me is it's subtle moving elements. The small motion in the butterfly adds a sense of magic to the photograph. The setup itself is neutral with lighting from the candle which also shows movement. The image takes on a whole new experience of still-life. I would like to produce work of a similar style when creating cinemagraphs of my own. |