17 countries, 343 days and 6,237 pictures take you around the world in 5 minutes
January 3, 2012 4:03 PM Subscribe
"Last year, Kien Lam quit his job, packed a bag with his camera and bought a one-way ticket to London. This video is a compilation of the time lapse vistas that he captured across the next 17 countries. In crowded cities, in jungles, libraries and ancient ruins, Lam captures scenes familiar to those that live there and foreign to those of us that don't."*
The list of countries visited:posted by ericb at 4:03 PM on January 3, 2012
I would love to do the same thing. I have a friend who is a chronic traveler and never stops imploring me to sign-up on couchsurfing. Thanks for the post, if only to remind me that severing the ties that bind us is possible.
posted by halatukit at 4:09 PM on January 3, 2012
posted by halatukit at 4:09 PM on January 3, 2012
That's amazing. Lately I've been watching a lot of travelogues on Netflix, and between them and this video (which went way too fast :-) ) I've been seriously bitten by the gypsy bug.
posted by Greg_Ace at 4:21 PM on January 3, 2012
posted by Greg_Ace at 4:21 PM on January 3, 2012
Yeah, pretty much totes jealous.
posted by saul wright at 4:37 PM on January 3, 2012
posted by saul wright at 4:37 PM on January 3, 2012
Wherever you are, there are tourists or rock formations. At least that's my take-away from a visually intriguing presentation.
But this makes my feet itch. I have been here too long, and have not seen enough new things.
posted by filthy light thief at 4:41 PM on January 3, 2012
But this makes my feet itch. I have been here too long, and have not seen enough new things.
posted by filthy light thief at 4:41 PM on January 3, 2012
I like that he does not shy away from showing his other fellow sightseers in the time lapses - but it does create the nagging feeling that he we pursued around the word by the same group of vista-spoiling tourists.
posted by rongorongo at 4:46 PM on January 3, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by rongorongo at 4:46 PM on January 3, 2012 [1 favorite]
I love this. I started crying a little halfway through. The world is so goddamned beautiful.
posted by xingcat at 4:54 PM on January 3, 2012
posted by xingcat at 4:54 PM on January 3, 2012
The world is so goddamned beautiful.
Indeed - despite being far too full of people!
posted by greenhornet at 5:26 PM on January 3, 2012 [2 favorites]
Indeed - despite being far too full of people!
posted by greenhornet at 5:26 PM on January 3, 2012 [2 favorites]
I get the impression these videos were shot from a fixed position and the panning and zooming was added in post.
posted by phaedon at 5:47 PM on January 3, 2012
posted by phaedon at 5:47 PM on January 3, 2012
familiar to those that live there and foreign to those of us that don't. -- Unfortunately, for the most part, it looks like he hit all the places a tourist would typically hit.
posted by crunchland at 5:51 PM on January 3, 2012 [3 favorites]
posted by crunchland at 5:51 PM on January 3, 2012 [3 favorites]
Phaedon: That was my guess as well. I poked around his web site but didn't see anything technical, such as how he does panning/zooming time lapse.
posted by tippiedog at 6:55 PM on January 3, 2012
posted by tippiedog at 6:55 PM on January 3, 2012
Nthing phaedon: the movements with the shots is a post thing.
posted by computech_apolloniajames at 7:42 PM on January 3, 2012
posted by computech_apolloniajames at 7:42 PM on January 3, 2012
Whoa. I worked with Kien for a year in college. Nice guy. I guess that was when he was still on his "detour" through finance. I like this route much better. Photography > Wharton.
posted by supercres at 7:57 PM on January 3, 2012
posted by supercres at 7:57 PM on January 3, 2012
As to too many people: there are still post card beautiful beaches in New Zealand which the high tide wipes away any trace of others.
Walking on a beautiful beach leaving the only set of foot prints must be done, at least to remind us that one person can make an impact on this world.
posted by Samuel Farrow at 8:31 PM on January 3, 2012
Walking on a beautiful beach leaving the only set of foot prints must be done, at least to remind us that one person can make an impact on this world.
posted by Samuel Farrow at 8:31 PM on January 3, 2012
The time lapse effect is sort of a novelty considering that nothing changes in most of the scenes except for the positions of the other tourists. I mean, there's a time lapse shot of a stationary sailboat parked on a beach. Why even bother with the time lapse and not just make this a set of slides? It seems to be time lapse for it's own sake and not because it adds any sense of speed or motion to the images. A time lapse of the stars rotating around the sky at night illustrates the motion of the earth in a way you can't normally see. A time lapse of walking tourists doesn't. Tourists walk, yep.
posted by tylerkaraszewski at 9:57 PM on January 3, 2012
posted by tylerkaraszewski at 9:57 PM on January 3, 2012
Lam captures scenes familiar to those that live there and foreign to those of us that don't
This is opposite to what I expected.
On Opposite Day.
posted by obiwanwasabi at 10:15 PM on January 3, 2012
This is opposite to what I expected.
On Opposite Day.
posted by obiwanwasabi at 10:15 PM on January 3, 2012
sigh. Do people with spouses/SOs and kids ever do this kind of traveling? How do they afford it?
posted by bardophile at 6:18 AM on January 4, 2012
posted by bardophile at 6:18 AM on January 4, 2012
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