Monsoon | a time-lapse film
Ғылым және технология
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All summer long when I'm chasing storms, I'm also time-lapsing. It's actually my main goal when I'm out there. A clip here and a clip there. Some days you get nothing great, some days you get SIX amazing scenes in a single afternoon. A powerful rain shaft. An intense hail core dump. Shelf clouds. Dust storms. Lightning. The Milky Way. That's what I'm capturing out here in Arizona between June 15th and September 30th every year, which is our official monsoon window. And this is the result of all that time spent.
My favorite part of capturing all this is when I sit down to create this final film. While some scenes are worthy of standing on their own, a lot of them need to be part of something bigger. And when I start laying it out, they suddenly morph into this collection of storm imagery that tells the story of my summer.
This year I wanted to raise the bar. Not compared to everyone else, but my own personal bar. I licensed music this time. I wanted two amazing songs and I think I found them. Powerful, fast-paced, intense. Nothing gives life to your clips like a beautiful soundtrack.
I'm incredibly proud of this film. I've probably felt the same way every year in the past, but there is something about this summer that blew away the others. And I think it's because I'm better at what I do. I'm finding the structure in storms like I never have before. Our haboobs (dust storms) were limited this year, but those days were amazing, as you'll see. And I caught even more lightning this summer than the last two years combined. I think the scenes are more powerful and cinematic than ever. And for this final product, I've quickened the pace and I believe I'm finally showing the monsoon in all its beauty and glory.
There are over 45,000 frames in this film. I drove over 14,000 miles across Arizona. This takes work, time and patience. The month of July felt like a huge failure. It was a rough start. It seemed as if the year was going to be brutal and I'd be lucky to capture anything good. And then it all changed and I'm here now releasing what I feel is my best overall work to-date.
I'd like to thank a few people. Dustin Farrell, Sean Parker, Jesse Attanasio, Joel Schat and Bryan Snider. All of you helped me in some way. Answered my technical questions, helped me switch to better software, enabled me to take another leap in quality and inspired me. I appreciate your friendships and willingness to share.
Mostly though, I have to thank my family. My two older kids, Lyla and Eli (6 and 2 1/2) were along for the ride for many of these storms. The final shot in the whole film was one where my wife was out of town and I took all THREE of the kiddies with me, including my youngest who just turned one. I'll always remember that moment. The Milky Way blazing in the sky, I was feeding the baby a bottle, and taking turns with Lyla who did the best she could until her arm got tired and I took back over. Out there on a dark road off Interstate 10. Meeting another photographer named Val and just enjoying a spectacular moment with my kids all being a part of it.
My wife though. Jina. Wow. She believes in me like no one else could or ever will. She knows what I have to do and empowers me to do it. In fact, while I want this film to be amazing for everyone watching, I truly want to impress her the most. It means that all the time away this summer was worth it. Because life is a little bit nuts during the monsoon in our house, where I've returned from a chase at 6:30am having being out for 16 hours straight, only to go back out later that night after only a two hour nap.
I say it a lot and I'll say it again. I wouldn't be here without her. And I love her for it.
Technical Details and Credits
This past spring I purchased an eMotimo and Dynamic Perception rail system…but I ended up not using them. At all. I wanted to. Believe me. But many of these clips aren’t very long in real time. Sometimes less than 15-20 minutes in a lot of cases. If I took the time to set-up a rail or panning head, I’d be missing a lot. So none of the clips this year use outside motion control.
I used two Canon 5D Mark III's along with a Rokinon 14mm 2.8 and Canon L lenses, like the 17-40mm, 16-35mm, 50mm, 35mm and even the 135mm.
Songs: Bernini's Angels by Kerry Muzzey and Inertia by Dexter Britain
Thank you for watching. All clips are available in 4K resolution. Please email, comment or message me on Vimeo for questions, licensing inquiries and whatever else you might need.
Пікірлер: 148
Hey Mike, I am South Arizona born and raised and recognize most of the areas you filmed in. I cant tell you how much this film made me smile the first time I watched it and gave me goosebumps because of how accurately it captures the look and feel of arizona monsoon storms. They are amazingly beautiful, sometimes the downpour is so intense that you cant see the hood of your own vehicle and have to pull over and just marvel at the waterfall coming down around you. The thunder and lightning are beyond compare, I have been all over the US and I miss the huge rolling thunder that shakes the walls of your house and makes your windows rattle. Makes me feel like a kid whenever a big boom of thunder comes out after a huge strike. During the big storms I would always turn off all noise making electronics and just listen to the storms. They are crazy and powerful and amazing. I havent been able to be in Arizona for monsoons for a few years and miss the intensity of them compared to the milder rain storms on the east coast. This video made me feel like I was in the middle of a monsoon storm back in Arizona, the music was also perfect for it. Thanks so much, I have watched this clip dozens of times and plan to watch it hundreds more whenever I am a little home sick for Arizona. Thank you Mike, for giving me a piece of what will always be my home. You captured these storms and images perfectly, right down to those few beautiful sunsets over the monsoon clouds.
@MikeOlbinski
9 жыл бұрын
Whitney D Thank you Whitney! Wow, I love everything you wrote, it's amazing that you can see it this way and totally feel how it captured the real thing. Appreciate the kind words!
@yolandaliang1660
7 ай бұрын
yeah! it's really kind of you mike
Had to watch again. It never gets old. Sure makes my heart pound a bit and realize just how small and insignificant we are and how mother nature is a force to be reckoned with as we have no control over her.
@terriec808
6 жыл бұрын
And did you do the time lapse milky-way near Wickenburg by any chance?
Thank the creator as usual on this landscape heartening Greetings to you from the people of Saudi Arabia to America🇱🇷
Legend was Born with this film
It's gonna be quite a show you ain't seen nothing yet it will be spectacular and terrifying . It's nice to have such a good film maker out there to document it.
Honestly you and Pecos Hank are the most underrated storm channels
@MikeOlbinski
4 жыл бұрын
I don't think Pecos' channel is underrated haha, he has like 140k subscribers :) Appreciate the kind words!
Perfection. Would love to see this one and II in a Theatre
think ive watched this 30 times since u released it a few days ago mike its just breathtaking :) great work
@MikeOlbinski
9 жыл бұрын
Thanks sooooo much Richard! That's slightly less than the 100+ times I've watched it haha.
So we annually average 299 sunny days here in the valley. Mike has captured the best entertainment nature has to offer us the rest of the time. What a treat -- thank you, Mike!
I grew up on a farm in Kansas, where my dad taught me to be a sky watcher. I have never lost my fascination with weather displays, so your dramatic artistry is catnip. I just realized I have been making pleasure noises as I watch. My wife will get the wrong idea if she hears me, over the orchestra. Bravo! Bravo, indeed!
Very very nice. Hope you send this in for an award, to national geographic, short films, something. It deserves acclaim.
I'm a real fan from your channel Thank you for sharing your movies on KZread
So beautiful, Mike! I love the way you catch and share nature's soul...
I miss the awesome thunderstorms after a clear blue sunny day in New Mexico. Every afternoon the sky would get black and loud then the rains. That was good thank you. The Haboo would suck though.
Hi Mike! I would like to thank you for these videos you share with us. I have a 3-year-old son who loves watching your videos, I think I told you about it in another video. He has autism, and your videos are the only thing that relaxes him at night and helps him sleep. For me they are a blessing, thank you so much. Greetings from Spain. ❤
@MikeOlbinski
9 ай бұрын
Thanks for those kind words!!!! Wow, I'm so thankful he enjoys them. I have a new, hour-long sorta "Ambient Storms" video coming, maybe be will like that too, especially for bed time!
@Stephanie0419
9 ай бұрын
@MikeOlbinski great! We look forward to it. Thanks again 🤗 Right now, we're watching your videos and we are almost ready to go to sleep 😴
Awesomeness
Hello Mike, I watched this perfect work of yours, last, after watching Pursuit, The Chase and the remaining Monsoon Series... And I have given a comment on almost under every one of them... Your work, your effort, your dedication, your love; all to God, Nature, your wife, your loved ones and your clients and followers are amazing... While you do some of the best time-lapse weather short-films ever done in this industry, I humbly and kindly would like you to keep up your wonderful work... You hugely contribute to inspiration, awe, dedication and love to all who watch you... As I have always written to your works, God Bless you. Keep up the wonderful work you are doing to Mankind as Mike Olbinski, when Mankind needs it the most, these days. Best Regards.
Thank you for posting this. I'm from Prescott, AZ and I've been homesick. Every time it drizzles some rain around here, everyone is saying "Oh its a big one!". I just shake my head at them.
These storms are alive and breathing. You can see and feel their power and grace in every frame. The dichotomy of earth and sky always pulls me in. I shameless wished it was twice as long. Beautifully done Mike. Will definitely be sharing this.
These videos are some of the best weather videos I've seen. You are awesome..
@Meteo_Ties
4 жыл бұрын
You should see: Vorticity 2! Best weather video ever for me now!
Mesmerizing. Beautiful. Ferocious sometimes. Yet I found myself nodding off occasionally. Something tranquil about it. Thank you.
The mystic beauty of nature, merci beaucoup.
Great work man! That was a unique monsoon season and one of the best on record. I remember it very well and all of the amateur storm chasing I did haha! Cant wait to move back there, I miss it a lot 💯
Thank you for sharing this video about violence of nature!
Intense, humbling and awesome music.
I like the music!!!
@MikeOlbinski
4 жыл бұрын
SOOOO thankful haha!
@haleyruth2981
4 жыл бұрын
@@MikeOlbinski Yes, I know Mike...I'm no fool;) 😇
Beautiful.
Nature is fantastic. What's just as amazing is the time you took to put this together. CHEERS!
Summer thunderstorms are great, but it's not a monsoon. In Darwin Australia there is a real monsoon beginning in December and lasting until around March.
@wigwamdot5787
7 жыл бұрын
My Dmsamac -- You are absolutely right. But the ignorant media bent on sensationalism has relentlessly pushed this incorrect term for decades and the stupid and gullible public doesn't know any better.
@AwesomeDesertTrains
6 жыл бұрын
you know what just ignore it we don't want your corrupt minds
@AwesomeDesertTrains
6 жыл бұрын
My Dmsamac MONSOONS CAN HAPPEN ANY WHERE FUCK TARD
@ilikecookies1787
5 жыл бұрын
You mean supercells
Absolutely Fantastic, well done👍🏼
Well, that was marvelous. Fascinating to see the dynamics of extremely heavy rain showers at this speed. You get a much better sense that this is a massive amount of water falling abruptly; sometimes it almost looks like a waterfall. Fascinating too to see green glow that's recognized as a sign of an intense thunderstorm.
it was beautiful.... d music look and all!!!
Mike! This was a treat to see! I've always wanted to follow storms. I've always wanted the thrill of seeing what mother nature can do. Although this isn't in person, it's definitely just as good. Great quality, soundtrack, dedication towards this video. Outstanding job and I hope to see more to come!
This deserves much more likes and views.
Those shots from 2:15-2:22 are incredible! The whole film is amazing!
Absolutely stunning! As a child i hated thunderstorms (or rather lightnings!) but now i'm sometimes so absorbed by the cloud formations i feel no fear!
@MikeOlbinski
5 жыл бұрын
yes, lightning can be scary for sure!
im recently getting into timelapsing of these i use to just take video but now figured out how to time laps and am prepared for these ones this year i love watching these cause i can reconize a few storms on here that i watched and got pictures of lightning from i did more recording at night but now since i have timelaps i plan to get more daytime records :) good work
absolutely superb
Mike, as a former Arizonian, I have to say this is one of the most beautiful/powerful videos I have ever seen. Truly amazing!! Please more!!
I really love the Lightning Show! It would be so kewl to see a compilation of the strongest lightning strikes. I think lightning strikes are one of the most spectacular moments that nature offers up during a storm. The way you momentarily pause on the spectacular ones is the perfect accentuating touch! Your productions are so well timed with the scores that I can only wish for a pure Lightning composition.
Thanks for an incredible monsoon season overview! The footage is spectacular! I am going to send this to a friend to entice him to visit AZ during that time of year.
Excellent work!👍🏻👍🏻
Your videos are MASTERPIECES!!! Thank you so much for sharing them!
@MikeOlbinski
4 жыл бұрын
Thank you Sean!!!
Wow. Just amazing. So awesome. I'm speechless.
This deserves an Oscar !
At 7:00-7-20, excellent sync with the music
Another beautiful film! I'm addicted to your channel
Amazing film
In-frikkin'-sane. Great work there.
This is magnificent!
Amazing.
i am speechless. especially beginning at 7', the lightnings synchronized with the creshendos in the music are incredible. what a brilliant detail to add to your work. this might be something which not many people may notice or pay attention to, but i did and i admired your work even more. i can say that what you do here is not only photography, but by combining it with music also, you have done a great piece of art. thank you.
6:56 I love how you made the lightning go with the music! 7:26 That was really beautiful with the lightning and stars!
Wow beautiful Mike 😳👍💙
love the music and the imagery
@PakZest
4 жыл бұрын
music is from a video death of a Villon u can search on youtube
Matching background music...good !
Amazing videos I can totally see how much hard work , perseverance and patience has gone into making this.. very well done Sir !! p.s. those evening sky shots.. Awesome !!
@MikeOlbinski
8 жыл бұрын
+Siddharth Sharma Thank you so much!
Great job Mike,would love to get into this!
Hey Mike , I'm from Boston and I can see you've put time and labor into the videos . I've watched and listened to several and they're pretty dam cool . Your work did not go unnoticed . I've never been West of Chicago so this is cool
👑✝️🕊🌥I love this, seeing part of God's glory.⚡ Beautiful and to be feared. Makes me feel like running middle of the field.
@MikeOlbinski
2 жыл бұрын
Go for a run!
@TheLivi3
2 жыл бұрын
Yayyyy!! 💃🏻Wait. uhhhhh i see lightening .👀🏃🏾♀️ nvm ..😄its still beautiful though
big like! outstanding work and time-lapse :)
Amazing
amazing
That's amazing~!
superb
Beautiful. Electricity is the governing factor of the universe which astrophysisist's (is that a word?) choose to ignore.
Absolutely Stunning! Good Job Mike. Wish you could teach me to Time Lapse. Tucson Arizona. i own a Diet Pepsi truck. hehe
This work gives me so much motivation to get my time lapse gear back out again. Now if I can just find the time outside of work :/
Wow, Mike, I just now (finally) noticed that your entry word "Monsoon" at the beginning of the video moves leftward as if blown by the wind that is transporting the clouds. I'm amazed I never noticed that movement before, only the clouds moving, not your artistry of gradually shifting the word. Your creativity can be subtle, thorough, and surprising. :)
@MikeOlbinski
5 жыл бұрын
Awww, thank you for noticing that, it's actually one of the favorite things I did with this film haha
@cacatr4495
5 жыл бұрын
@@MikeOlbinski I like it! Creativity in the details! Did you know this video is the second in my huge Arizona playlist? The second in the playlist and the first one of yours. You can see that yours are grouped in order, followed by Neepervision's. I appreciate your photography and your artistry. :)
My student teacher showed us this video today in history class. If they have a monsoon in my area, I guess my NOAA Weather Radio will activate the EAS.
Your work is very very very very good
@MikeOlbinski
3 жыл бұрын
Thank you!
That’s a supercell
Awesome Earth isn't she a beautiful planet!
@MikeOlbinski
3 жыл бұрын
Yes!
@suzannesmith8320
3 жыл бұрын
Bless you Mike and your family.
Hermoso
Bro, beautiful work. Idk if you buy into the planet X system that's affecting us right now, but you are capturing what they are lecturing about. You guys should work together and blow this wide open.
GOD BLESS YOU
@MikeOlbinski
5 жыл бұрын
Thanks so much!
Great video as usual,I don’t know if it’s me or not but it seems like you’ve tweaked it a little bit but nevertheless your still the best one out there,great videos, thank you.
Нет слов!..👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👏👏👏👏👏👏💪💪💪💪💪
0:50 Two near symmetrical anvil clouds, cool. Edit: I see a stream of cirrus clouds in between the anvil tops.
Dude this is awesome really wish this was in Fallout New Vegas :)
Fantastic! By the way, what is the music that you have used? It is so dramatic and perfect for your photography.
Gracias Mike, por b Vuestras publicaciónes no imaginas lo maravilloso que es para mí ver vuestros videos. Viví la experiencia de volar una tormenta eléctrica en mi país Chile Santiago Sudamerica en ALAS DELTA , por mas de 7hrs. Con todo lo que muestras y más mucho más. Sugiero implemented tus grabaciones usando DRONES.
@hectornunez424
3 жыл бұрын
Eso te permitirà mostrar otra perspectiva de las TORMENTAS pues desde tierra no es lo mismo que desde el aire. La fecha que volé esa tormenta fué en dic.1985-1986 donde. No se disponía la tecnología de hoy , està todo grabado SOLO en mi disco duro natural(DDN). Atravecé nubes gigantes de abajo hacia arriba y de arriba hacia abajo. Ví y viví en vuelo, Granizos, lluvia copiosa, truenos relámpagos, Rayos: verticales, horizontales ; rectos y ramificados, además de SOLES blancos cor aureola azulina ídem a los Cuasars y/o Pulsares mostrados en ; radio-telescopios, telescopios ópticos , hubble, ... Lo experimentado fue una formación Cumulusnimbus(CB) en cuenca San Ramón y Alta Cordillera del macizo Andino. Gracias NO IMAGINAS lo IMPORTANTE y relevante Ver tus publicaciones Saludos Patricio Nuñez Villalon Wsp. +56995423247 Email. hpnunezv.spa@gmail.com Santiago Chile Sudamerica
@hectornunez424
3 жыл бұрын
Mike, cualquier consulta NO dudes en contactarme.
Born in Tucson in 57... raised in Kearny on the Gila River. I now live in San Diego and miss monsoon season. The lightning shows are better than any fireworks displays you can think of. The temp can drop 30 deg in just a short few minutes... it is fabulously glorious.
@MikeOlbinski
4 жыл бұрын
Dang, raised in Kearny is pretty off the grid! San Diego is nice but yup, not many cool storms there....agreed on the lightning here!
❤
Maaaaaaaaxxxxxxx!!!!!!
@MikeOlbinski
4 жыл бұрын
haha not sure what that means but thanks for being a subscriber!
@kfelandros
4 жыл бұрын
I don’t know I hope... great job!!! :)
Amazing! Did you make from photos timelaspe or videos?
Nice!!! So much diet coke, dust added
My favorite part was 6:13, all the lightning, and the milky way. ALso, was it just me, or did the second song sound like it was from Captain America the Winter soldier? :)
Hi Mike, great work.. there are 2 songs in your video can you share their titles I can't find them- thanks
What kind of camera did you use at the very end to capture all those stars and lightning strikes? That was beautiful!!!
@MikeOlbinski
9 жыл бұрын
Gabriel...this was all shot on Canon 5D Mark III's!
очень красивое видео
Is 5:48 Surprise, AZ? I quite enjoyed your music choice.
@MikeOlbinski
4 жыл бұрын
If you mean that storm with the row of palm trees, it was further south along the 303 I believe!
Hey Mike. Started watching all of your monsoon videos tonight because we decided this past weekend to move back to Arizona after 5 years out of the state. Quick question on this one... Can you tell me where the bridge is at 1:20 into the video?
@MikeOlbinski
3 жыл бұрын
It's right before Roosevelt Dam! Thanks for watching haha, welcome home!
Aww I love this video Mike have you seen the storm clips I've put on my KZread channel xx
Beautiful, what makes a monsoon different than a regular rain storm?
@MikeOlbinski
7 жыл бұрын
Hey Eric...a monsoon is actually a season, not a storm itself. It means generally a seasonal shift in winds that brings on rainy weather.
@dabulls1g
7 жыл бұрын
Wow, 😳 I'm embarrassed I didn't know that. I guess that's why it's called monsoon season 🌊
@AwesomeDesertTrains
6 жыл бұрын
Eric Overström just like the Indian monsoon
@cacatr4495
5 жыл бұрын
Tropical overflow pushing moisture and winds up into the subtropics, which is where the southern US is. commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:World_map_indicating_tropics_and_subtropics.png It channels moisture from the Gulf of California, the Pacific and the Gulf of Mexico, up into Arizona, winds coming from the south. As opposed to the light gentle rains we historically got in the week that led up to Christmas and the 10-14 days of steady April showers that did not come from the south. The monsoon is all about the seasonal shift of wind direction, as Mike said, and the summer storms we've always gotten were called Tropical Storms. 2 different terms, monsoon (a season) and Tropical Storms (the storms) that indicate the same meaning, moisture and winds overflowing from the tropics.
OK - was thinking yesterday how this would turn out when uploaded to YT. Not bad overall - I am not crazy about the YT encoding & compression they put video's through. Vimeo uploads are just cleaner all around.
I'm from India and the rain clouds that empty out in our monsoon are spread over a large area and full of moisture, but is it normal for anvil clouds to come there in the monsoon.We mostly get Cb clouds in eastern India and supercells form rarely in bengal. Are the rain clouds there anvil clouds? Edit: I realised that we get anvil clouds during severe and wet thunderstorms when moisture from the ocean bubbles up into huge clouds. Though it is a simple thunderstorm, and they can cause floods and lots of lightning due to the strong updrafts. We get it all over the country in monsoon at times.
@linojalexander
3 жыл бұрын
Where are you in India?
@geo3106
3 жыл бұрын
@@linojalexander I'm not telling any further, Maharashtra. No more because I move from here to there between two cities and I'm 11, my family is in two locations, even during COVID-19, nothing further. Not going to tell more.
@linojalexander
3 жыл бұрын
Earth From June to September you will get bunch of storms right?
@geo3106
3 жыл бұрын
@@linojalexander Not always storms, usually just rainclouds but it's unique in different places. In some places lots of lightning and CBs, other places just thick, moist, rain-bearing clouds, other places really low and whitish clouds, other are high and dark, or mixes. Rainclouds in India can be very confusing and look anyhow.
@linojalexander
3 жыл бұрын
@@geo3106 Konkan region will be awesome
Mds
Hi
A-TA VA