A few weeks ago we wrote up a blog on our very first Wizard, the NYC native, Lindsay Adler. This time we’re venturing to the other side of the globe to indtrouce our next Flixel Wizard. All the way from South Korea, say hello to our fellow Canadian, Jason Teale. A master of storytelling, and a talented timelapse creator, back in August 2014, Jason won over our hearts with his very first Flixel cinemagraph, seen below.
Inspiring both our Flixel Community, and our team, Jason’s work in timelapse cinemagraphs had an instrumental effect on our decision to create Persecond, Flixel’s newest timelapse app. Not only is Jason a great photographer and educator, he’s a genuinely nice guy, too. (It must be the Canadian in him!)
So, tell me about how you got started in photography. A brief intro into how you became the pro photographer you are today.
I started into photography in university using my Father’s old Pentax Spotmatic F. However, I wasn’t that into photography until I moved to South Korea. I was inspired by the landscapes around me and I really wanted to show my friends and family the amazing places that I was visiting. At first, I just was documenting what I saw but soon I started trying to show how I envisioned the scenes in my head. It was when I got into HDR (high dynamic range) photography that this really took off for me. While the photos might not have been everyone’s cup of tea they were good enough to catch the eye of a National Geographic editor who published one of my photos in one of their books a few years ago.
What inspires your work? What do you specialize in?
I am inspired by landscapes either manmade or natural. I love getting up on top of a building and seeing what a city looks like from above. For a long time I specialized in cityscapes from around Korea but these days I am shooting a lot more travel pieces. While cityscapes will always be at the heart of what I shoot, I am looking at other landscapes that tell a different kind of story. I am inspired by photographers like Trey Ratcliff, Neil Ta, Daniel Cheong and many others. Their photographs push me to do better and to think about the scenes that I shoot in different ways.
Describe yourself in one sentence.
I am a teacher, photographer, coffee-drinker, and husband; not nessearily in that order.
When did you first notice cinemagraphs, and what sparked your interest in the medium?
I first saw cinemagraphs while browsing some photography sites a few years ago. The images were mostly of people and cups of steaming coffee. The movement immediately grabbed my attention. I wondered about how to make them but I figured that it would take too much time in photoshop and I moved on. Later when I tried Flixel Cinemagraph Pro it got my mind going. I started looking at finding the movement in each scene that I shot. It was challenging at first because I had very little experience working with video but that pushed me on to improve. Shooting video for cinemagraphs was challenging at first. With a photo you keep the shutter open longer if you want to brighten up a scene. With video I was constantly challenged by the changing light conditions. Realizing that I could incorporate time-lapse into cinemagraphs really peaked my interest and gave me a ton of new ideas for images.
Pick two of your favourite cinemagraphs or timelapses that you’ve created. Why are they your favourites?
The first would have to be the Sunrise at Daewangam. This cinemagraph really popped to me. The rippling waves of the ocean have almost a calming effect but still make the image come alive.
My other favourite cinemagraph is “Rush Hour in Ulsan. Using time-lapse photography and putting it together through Cinemagraph Pro it really brought out the craziness of the daily grind here in Korea. Not to mention that I had a great experience shooting this cinemagraph. I was lead to the roof by an elderly security and then got photography tips in the elevator from some random man who noticed that I had a camera and tripod.
Check out Jason’s blog and learn how to create timelapse cinemagraphs.
Where do you see the future of cinemagraphs headed? How do you plan on incorporating them into your business?
I think that the future is bright for cinemagraphs. With more and more magazines being printed in digital form, I see cinemagraphs being a powerful tool to grab the readers attention and really pull them in the article. Think about a beautiful shot of a beach at sunset. There are thousands of great shots, then think about how awesome that shot would be if the waves were actually crashing on the shore. The power of that image is amplified immensely. So I really think that digital magazines and ad companies are going to rely on cinemagraphs to catch people’s attention. I have already started incorporating cinemagraphs into blog posts for the different sites that I write for. The response has been very positive. When clients get an image that actually moves, they love it.
It looks great! I was worried that I would sound a little cheesy
Really enjoyed reading the post, congrats Cassandra, and also learn from your perspective, Jason..it looks Great to see a friendly Flixographer, ;)..let´s continue to push the creative flow and expansion of Flixels..warm regards to all.
It's been a few years but I am still happy to have gotten to know you! Let's hope to meet up in person at some point in time!