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Manic Star Video – Timelapse Tour of the American Southwest

The Video:

The Inspiration:
The Manic Star video was a long project in the making. Years ago I remember sitting on the boulders near Skull Rock in Joshua Tree at night looking up at the big open sky. Growing up in big cities, I had never seen so many stars in my life. There were stars of varying brightness and colors. There were shooting stars. There were constellations and galaxies, so clear out there but hardly visible in the city. And it encompassed the entire sky! I felt in awe. Then I got goosebumps as I realized that this is a view of the natural world that our ancestors saw every night.

To see what our ancestors saw, I got a glimpse of how they experienced the world. The moment was empowering, inspiring and humbling. And it gave me the idea of wanting to do something to capture and share with others the beauty and power of nature under the sun and the stars.

For many of us who live in cities, the bright city lights drown out all but the brightest stars. As a result, we are cut off from the source of much inspiration, imagination, creativity, knowledge, and wisdom that our ancestors have drawn upon for thousands of years. It’s only in recent history that many of us have become cut off from this profound celestial connection.

While this video can only capture a tiny fraction of the experience of actually being out there in the beauty of nature, I hope that it’ll inspire you to make your own journeys to reconnect with nature, the stars and the sun.

Music:
The song is an edited version of Manic Star by Conjure One. If you haven’t checked out their album, I highly recommend it! You can find it on Amazon, iTunes, etc.

Scenes:
1. Silhouette of a Joshua Tree in Joshua Tree National Park, California
2. Another silhouette of a Joshua Tree in Joshua Tree National Park, California
3. West Mitten Butte, Monument Valley, Utah
4. West Mitten, East Mitten and Merrick Butte, Monument Valley, Utah
5. Grand Canyon under the full moon, Arizona
6. Moon setting at Sunrise at Grand Canyon, Arizona
7. Snowstorm after Sunrise at Monument Valley, Utah
8. On the Wildcat Trail. Wide angle shot of West Mitten, East Mitten and Merrick Butte, Monument Valley, Utah
9. West Mitten Butte, Monument Valley, Utah
10. The Tepees, Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona
11. Overlooking Blue Mesa, Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona
12. Noon time at West Mitten, East Mitten and Merrick Butte, Monument Valley, Utah
13. Sunrise, Joshua Tree National Park, California
14. Storm clouds over Sedona, Arizona
15. More Storm clouds over Sedona, Arizona
16. Sun rising, Joshua Tree National Park, California
17. Somewhere in Monument Valley’s 17 mile drive, Utah
18. The night sky above Canyon De Chelly, Arizona
19. Sun setting over Monument Valley, Utah
20. Spider Rock, Canyon De Chelly, Arizona
21. Sun setting, Joshua Tree National Park, California
22. Horseshoe Bend at Sunset, Page, Arizona
23. East Mitten, Monument Valley, Utah
24. Grand Canyon at Sunrise, Arizona
25. Along the White House Trail, Canyon De Chelly, Arizona
26. Sunset in Joshua Tree National Park, California

Equipment:
Canon 5D Mk II
Canon 7D
Canon SX200IS with hacked CHDK firmware and intervalometer.
Canon 16-35mm 2.8L
Sigma 20mm 1.8
Sigma 24-70mm 2.8
Canon 300mm 4L IS
Manfrotto 190CX Carbon Fiber Tripod
Manfrotto 460m Magnesium head

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4 thoughts on “Manic Star Video – Timelapse Tour of the American Southwest

  1. […] Evosia Photography, the hangout of Henry Jun Wah Lee, has a short but spectacular tour of several si… — Arizona, California, Utah, and Navajoland — timelapse movies, usually shot at night with starry backgrounds. […]

  2. Julie Harrison says:

    Stunning work. Lovely beyond words.

  3. Neil Fiertel says:

    I was very moved by the beauty of the videos and the soundtrack choices used. They are really works of art and wonderful. My only wish is that they be two hours long so that one could revel in the extraordinary imagery that you have so masterfully captured/created. Thank you for sharing it with your public. I would love to go to those places but cannot do so and thus your gift to me is to allow me at least a glimse of these places in your country.

  4. tommykay says:

    I am curious how you did the panning and zooming. I’m guessing this was done in post. What software did you use?

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