Alchemy is a short film about transformation. In nature, everything is constantly changing: the earth, the sky, the stars, and all living things. Spring is followed by summer, fall and winter. Water turns into clouds, rain and ice. Over time, rivers are created, canyons carved, and mountains formed. All of these elements, mixed together, create the magic of nature’s alchemy.

Shot in 4K over the span of a year, Alchemy takes you through nature’s changing landscapes, seasons, weather conditions and light… spring, summer, fall and winter. Dawn and dusk, day and night. Rain, snow, ice and fog. Mountains, rivers, lakes, valleys, and canyons. Sun, moon, stars and sky.

Places include:

• Alabama Hills
• Alstrom’s Point
• Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest
• Arches National Park
• Colorado River
• Convict Lake
• Dead Horse Point
• Grand Canyon North Rim
• Grand Canyon South Rim
• Joshua Tree National Park
• June Lake
• Mono Lake
• Monument Valley
• Mt. Tom
• Toroweap / Tuweep
• White Pocket

Gear:
Canon 5D Mk 3, 5D Mk 2, 7D. Kessler Crane motion controlled dollies and crane.

Ascendance is a tribute to nature’s unpredictable power and beauty. I went out to film the Perseid meteor shower but I encountered so much more. When you are out there, you never know for sure what nature will bring. Always be ready for a magical experience.

Shot in Joshua Tree National Park and the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest during the Perseid meteor shower. Features ancient trees, lightning, rainbows, meteors, the Milky Way, and lots of stars. Play full screen so you can count the meteors!

Music is Fields of Honor by Justin R. Durban, justindurban.com

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Dauðalogn is a spiritual and meditative journey into nature.

Since the time of our earliest ancestors, nature has been a source for inspiration, imagination, and wisdom. Nature is where we come from. Even in this modern age, its energy still flows through our veins. Being in nature, we see the world our ancestors saw: a place of beauty, a place to reflect, a place to learn, and a place to connect with the heart and soul.

About the film location

Filming took place deep in the primeval forest of Yakushima, a remote island in southern Japan. I chose this location both for its unique beauty and because the story of Yakushima was representative of the often fragile relationship between humans and nature. The giant trees on the island were once revered as sacred by locals. They lived for thousands of years but for the past 5 centuries they were logged to near extinction. The scarred landscape coupled with the dramatic way in which the forest has recovered made for a picturesque and magical atmosphere.

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One of the most amazing sunsets I’ve ever experienced. Shot at the Patriarch Grove in the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest on August 22 with rain clouds looming over head, mother nature put on a show. Rain, lightning, double rainbows and golden light.

A joint collaboration with rock / ambient / experimental band MONO, Legend takes you on an epic 12 minute visual and aural journey through Iceland’s breathtaking landscapes during the time of the midnight sun.

The film travels across Iceland, from the floating blue icebergs of Jokulsarlon’s glacial lagoon to the steaming geothermic vents of Myvatn, the colorful mountains of Landmannalaugar to the breathtaking sunsets on Snaefellnes Peninsula, and the barren volcanic landscapes of Askja to the vast fields of lupin near Husavik.

Legend was shot over a 2 week period in June 2012 when the sun barely sets below the horizon and you never see darkness. It was filmed completely in 5K resolution using Canon full frame DSLRs on motion timelapse equipment from Kessler Crane.

Mono’s score of the same name, Legend, is from their upcoming album “For my parents”. Its edgy cinematic and epic quality helps describe Iceland – a breathtakingly beautiful yet unforgivingly dangerous place.

The album is available for pre-order.

We would like to thank the following supporters for making this film possible:

Kessler Crane: KesslerCrane.com
Glacier Rental Car: glaciercarrental.is

Special thanks to Egill Agustsson and Adalsteinn Petur Karlsson of Husavik for their help with my car problems on Iceland National Day. It’s the country’s biggest holiday and they helped me get back on the road so I could continue filming.

Last but not least, a big thank you to fellow filmmaker Joe Capra for his guidance and inspiration. His tips and advice were invaluable in helping me prepare for this trip.

A 4K version will be released soon, along with a behind the scenes video! Please follow or subscribe to us to receive the latest updates.

Photo of the glacier lake, Jokulsarlon, in Iceland. This is a still frame from a 4K time-lapse sequence. Our 4K film from Iceland will be released very soon. Follow us on Facebook for the latest news and updates.

The transit of Venus in front of the Sun is a special event that takes place only a few times per century. The next one isn’t until 2117. The above photo was taken on June 5, 2012 at 3:12pm Pacific time on Mt. Wilson in Los Angeles. You can see Venus just entering into view in the upper right side.

I used a Canon 5D Mk II mounted on the back of a Celestron CPC 925 XLT telescope with an equivalent focal length of 2350mm. A white light solar filter was mounted in front of the telescope.

Here’s a meteor captured on camera of this year’s Lyrids meteor shower. This is a still frame from a timelapse sequence. Stay tuned for the video!

The Galactic core of the Milky Way above the White Mountains in California. Shot at 12,000 ft in the Patriarch Grove of the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest.

Take a journey through the wilderness in the heart of the American Southwest. The Eastern Sierras, Grand Canyon, Upper and Lower Antelope Canyons, Rattlesnake Canyon, Vermillion Cliffs, North Coyote Buttes, the Wave, Yosemite National Park, Monument Valley, Grand Staircase Escalante and the December 2011 Lunar Eclipse.

Here’s a list of the scenes in the order they appear:

1. Snow storm at the Wave
2. Dawn at Yei Bei Che, Monument Valley
3. Dawn at Lake Sabrina
4. Dawn at South Lake
5. Sunrise near Mt Tom
6 & 7. Early morning fog in Yosemite National Park
8. Sunrise over the Grand Canyon
9 & 10. The Wave
11. Upper Antelope Canyon
12. Rattle Snake Canyon
13 – 16. Lower Antelope Canyon
17. Upper Antelope Canyon
18 & 19. Fall colors near Bishop
20. Vermillion Cliffs
21 – 23. Coyote Buttes North
24. Vermillion Cliffs
25. Second Wave
26 – 27. Vermillion Cliffs
28. Sunset at the Grand Canyon
29. Alstrom Point, Grand Staircase Escalante
30. Lunar Eclipse of December 2011
31. Rattlesnake Canyon
32. Monument Valley
33 – 35. Vermillion Cliffs

Film: Henry Jun Wah Lee, Evosia Studios
Music: One Must Believe by Justin R. Durban, justindurban.com. Used with permission.
Motion / Timelapse gear: Kessler Crane. kesslercrane.com.