Photography is a great hobby and passion for many creatives. We enjoy seeing beautiful things far and wide whether it be a landscape, a bustling city street, or a beautiful building tucked away somewhere quiet. Sometimes though, still pictures can get a little bit boring. The animated gif is always fun, and has been around for quite some time, it was once shunned on the internet but its glory has been restored as the internet has fully re-embraced that trusty little image format. Mixing Animated Gifs with still photography (or video elements), it seems, is a brilliant idea. Not only are the results fantastic, but the animation is often mind bending and captivating – leaving you breathless as you do nothing but stare – unable to turn away. Behold, the Cinemagraph.
What Is A Cinemagraph?
Cinemagraphs are still photographs in which a minor and repeated movement occurs. Cinemagraphs, which are usually published in an animated GIF format, can give the illusion that the viewer is watching a video.
They are commonly produced by taking a series of photographs or a video recording, and, using image editing software, compositing the photographs or the video frames into a seamless loop of sequential frames, often using the animated GIF file format in such a manner that motion in part of the subject between exposures (for example, a person’s dangling leg) is perceived as a repeating or continued motion, in contrast with the stillness of the rest of the image.
The term “cinemagraph” was coined by U.S. photographers Kevin Burg and Jamie Beck, who used the technique to animate their fashion and news photographs beginning in early 2011.
So while it looks so classic, refined, and beautiful – it hasn’t been around all that long! If you have never seen a Cinemagraph before, don’t worry, we got you covered! Today we have gathered up some of the most beautiful, elegant, and fun cinemagraphs we have found floating around the net. It isn’t just your ordinary animated gif, it is a true artform! Whether you are a photographer, filmmaker, or a designer, you will find some inspiration in these pieces! Hopefully they inspire you to create your own, or implement some still life style into your current projects! Whatever they do for you, we hope that you Enjoy!!
Note: this list is comprised of animated gif files, which tend to be a big bigger than the average image, it may take a bit to load, so grab a nice beverage and relax 😀
So Calming!
So Saddening!
Dat Blink.
Wow. So Creepy. lol.
Luke’s New Hand! Starwars!
Cinemagraph Resources & Tutorials
Need more still to life animated inspiration!? Maybe you want to know how these things are made? Well here are some more sources for inspiration as well as some tutorials on how you can make your very own cinemagraphs!
How To Make a Cool Cinemagraph Image in Photoshop
How To Make Your Own Cinemagraphs
Cinemagraph/Subtle GIF Tutorial
Cinemagraph Tutorial: how to make animated photos using Photoshop
Create an awesome cinemagraph in Photoshop
Create a Cinemagraph (or Cinegraph) Using Photoshop CS6
40+ Best Animated Art Gifs
What was your favorite Animated Cinemagraph? Found any awesome Moving Picture Gifs that you just love, that we have missed? Made any awesome Cinemagraphs of your own? Share with the class in the comments below! Thanks for Reading!
You like this? Don’t forget to follow us on twitter @andysowards and like us on facebook @andysowardsfan! We are also on that Google Plus & Pinterest thing.
