‘Mourne’ explores the beautiful and rugged landscapes of the Kingdom of Mourne, some of the most scenic on the Island of Ireland. Shot over a full year, from September 2020 to September 2021, I set myself the ambitious aim to capture the most comprehensive timelapse study of the Mourne Mountains and one that felt true to the challenging conditions the landscape presents. The project involved over 100 treks with a weight of 20kg and 40 wild camps many in sub zero conditions. I’ve never been as cold and battered by the elements. The driving rain. Wind strong enough to blow you off your feet. Hiking in snow up to your waist. The year felt like a battle. I like to think the mountains won.
It really has been a labour of love, spending countless hours capturing the slow transition of the seasons. Watching the land, textures and colours slowly change, the clouds caressing and spilling over mountain peak and valleys.
The Mourne Mountains, also called the Mournes or Mountains of Mourne, are a granite mountain range in County Down in the south-east of Northern Ireland. They include the highest mountains in Northern Ireland, the highest of which is Slieve Donard at 850 m.
It’s hard to believe it’s been five years since I made my first Vorticity film. The one goal I had that year was to get a tornado on time-lapse for the first time ever. That happened and it’s been a wild, incredible ride since. The storms I’ve witnessed have been moving, stunning and a few of them, legendary (at least to us chasers!).
The 2021 season was no different. The number of supercells we saw and the level of structure was absolutely amazing. From Sudan, Texas to Malta, Montana…the chases were a blast and the time-lapses I caught were just fantastic fun. So many supercells, so many chases…I think I counted about 27 days we chased from late April to late June. Definitely one of the more active springs in recent years. It was good enough that I felt I could put out another worthy entry in the Vorticity series, so hopefully you agree!
Immerse yourself in the exciting world of mushrooms. Shot in the most beautiful forests in Denmark. See and listen to this timelapse film in a quiet place where you will not be disturbed. Headphones are highly recommended.
Only in silence can we hear the song of nature.
FUNGI Fungi are living organisms that are made up of larger cells with a cell nucleus which contains all the genetic material. Fungi are thus what we call eukaryotic organisms, which is one of the three domains of biology: animals (Animalia), plants (Plantae) and fungi (Fungi). The rest of the eukaryotic organisms, which do not fit into these three kingdoms, are called protists.
Fungi is a kingdom with about 144,000 known and described species of organisms. But it is estimated that there may be between 2.2 million and 3.8 million total species. They can be single celled or very complex multicellular organisms. The fungi kingdom includes yeasts, rusts, smuts, mildews, molds, and mushrooms. Fungi are among the most widely distributed organisms on Earth and they are of very big environmental and medical importance.
MUSHROOMS Mushrooms are the fruiting bodies that some fungi produce – typically above ground on the soil or on decaying wood or other food sources. Mushroom varies in size, shape, color, and longevity. Some mushrooms are microscopic and completely invisible to the unaided eye while others are gigantic structures. The fine threads under-ground that makes up the main body of the fungi is called mycelium. The mycelium stretches out beneath the mushroom in search of water and food. Unlike a plant, a fungus can’t make its own food by using energy from the sun. Instead, the fungus produces enzymes which are released by the mycelium and break down dead plants and animals. This organic matter is then absorbed through the mycelium and used by the fungus for growth. The mushrooms, because of their size, are easily seen in fields and forests and consequently were the only fungi known before the invention of the microscope.
OYSTER MUSHROOMS Oyster mushrooms is the common name for the species Pleurotus ostreatus. The funghi normally grow naturally on and near trees in temperate and subtropic forests. They are found around the world including in the UK and Ireland, most of mainland Europe, Asia, and parts of North America. Unlike many fungi, these mushrooms are not seasonal and can be found all year round. Oyster mushrooms are one of the most widely consumed mushrooms in the world and are grown commercially in many countries. They aren’t just tasty; they can be really healthy to eat. They contain antioxidants and are high in several vitamins and minerals. They even have the potential to lower cholesterol levels, slow the spread of cancer and decrease inflammation in the body. Oyster mushrooms get their name from their oyster or shell shaped cap that grow in tiers or clusters. They have a very short or non-existent stem. The color is typically light grey or greyish-brown. Oyster mushrooms are medium to large in size with caps averaging from 5 to 25 centimeters in diameter. Oyster mushrooms use powerful enzymes to break down and eat hardwood. Oyster mushrooms are one of the few carnivorous mushrooms. The mycelia of oyster mushrooms secrete a powerful toxin to stuns passing microscopic nematode, which are small roundworms. The fungi use their sprawling fibers to seek out and enter the mouths of these microscopic nematodes and suck out their guts. This gives the fungi nitrogen for growth.
Seoul, the capital of South Korea, is a huge metropolis where modern skyscrapers, high-tech subways and pop culture meet Buddhist temples, palaces and street markets. Notable attractions include futuristic Dongdaemun Design Plaza, a convention hall with curving architecture and a rooftop park; Gyeongbokgung Palace, which once had more than 7,000 rooms; and Jogyesa Temple, site of ancient locust and pine trees.
Every season has its own beauty. This is the forth shortfilms that will showcase the seasons of Denmark. The focus in these films will be on the landscapes – primerely the changing nature.
Spring is an amazing time of the year. I love this season where nature is blooming and the sunshine fill my soul with joy. The spring is an inspiring time and reminds us to embrace joy and love. We say goodbye to the cold, dark, and short days and welcome new beginnings, new hope, and new possibilities.
In this timelapse film from Denmark you will experience the following locations:
Skjoldungernes Land National Park This national park is located in central Zealand, 30 km from Copenhagen. It is characterized by large deciduous forests and the Roskilde Fjord with islands, islets and a unique birdlife.
Ise Fjord From it’s relatively narrow entrance from the Kattegat at Hundested and Rørvig, branches of Ise Fjord stretch 35 km inland and divide the northern part of Zealand into the peninsulas of Odsherred, Hornsherred, and Nordsjælland.
West Zealand In this area of Zealand, there is plenty of opportunity to experience charming old streets in the grocery towns, exploring the Danish ice age landscape and enjoying beautiful nature filled with prehistoric sites.
Gros Morne National Park is a unique place where everchanging weather and unique geology come together to create unexpected and captivating scenes. After many trips to this wonderful place, 2020 was the decisive year where I finally took the time to capture it’s varying moods through the medium of timelapses.
The park takes its name from Newfoundland’s second-highest mountain peak (at 806 m or 2,644 ft) located within the park. Its French meaning is “large mountain standing alone,” or more literally “great sombre.” Gros Morne is a member of the Long Range Mountains, an outlying range of the Appalachian Mountains, stretching the length of the island’s west coast. It is the eroded remnants of a mountain range formed 1.2 billion years ago. In 1987, the park was awarded World Heritage Site status by UNESCO because “The park provides a rare example of the process of continental drift, where deep ocean crust and the rocks of the earth’s mantle lie exposed.”[1]
Northern Norway is undeniably the land of dancing lights. From the jagged-edged mountains rising up from the sea, to the pristine lakes, over the turquoise-water fjords with white-sanded beaches and through the boreal forest, the aurora borealis shines its mystical glow.
In this much overdue film, I compiled some of the best sequences of the end of the aurora season, ranging from January to April 2021, as many of the shots from the 2020 part of the season are available in my recent movies.
I shot the film in the area ranging from Senja island to the Tromsø area, and also Kvaløya. I used the Canon 6D astromodified and Sony a7rii as camera bodies. For lenses, I used the Sigma 14mm f1.8 Art, the Sigma 24mm f1.4 Art and the Sigma 50mm f1.4 Art. For motion control, I used the Syrp system (magic carpet + Genie 3-axis system) and the Vixen polarie for tracking motion. Picture processing was done in Adobe Lr and using the TIMELAPSE+ plugin for Lr. Assembly of time lapses were made using TLDF and Sequence for Mac, while the final movie was cut into FCPX.
Messina is a harbor city in northeast Sicily, separated from mainland Italy by the Strait of Messina. It’s known for the Norman Messina Cathedral, with its Gothic portal, 15th-century windows and an astronomical clock on the bell tower. Nearby are marble fountains decorated with mythological figures, like the Fontana di Orione, with its carved inscriptions, and the Neptune Fountain, topped by a statue of the sea god.
From Sydney’s Bondi Beach, to Istanbul’s Bosphorus and the mountains of Caracas in Venezuela, the first supermoon of 2021 has been seen across the globe. A supermoon is a name given to a full moon that occurs when the moon is closest to the Earth. According at NASA, this year’s super moon has been called a ‘pink’ super moon, as it appears in April and named after an American plant, pink phlox, that blooms in Spring
