For such a short and simple video, Galaxy has completely captured my attention. This intriguing video time-lapse of yoga teacher Rachel Brathen sitting and meditating on a rock on Aruba’s north shore is beautifully produced, designed and photographed by Ben Kane.
It may not look real, but everything was captured in camera with no added special effects. Rachel is lit briefly by a flash, triggered at the beginning of every 20-second long exposure, which kept her in focus while maintaining a long enough exposure to capture the night sky. At just fifteen seconds long, this mesmerizing video requires multiple views to absorb the magic, wonder and awe of this film.
What I love about Galaxy is that this is what meditation often feels like inside: the wind blowing against your side, the clouds drifting around as the stars spin slowly behind you, all while sitting in perfect stillness, fully aware.
Ben explains the planning and work involved in shooting the video: “Prior to bringing Rachel in, I did one night of testing near the final shoot location. I really wanted to get this one all ‘in camera’ instead of relying on tricks, so I needed to make sure my equipment would work the way I wanted. The shoot itself was a long one for me. I found the perfect rock and got set up while the sun was still out, so I could see what I was doing. I had to then sit by my equipment until it was dark and then did my final exposure tests and light adjustments. Rachel arrived at about 10:30pm (it was pitch black out so I guided her to the shoot location by shining a flashlight from the top of a high rock). We made final adjustments and started the shoot.”
Watch the video below:
Ben considers Galaxy to be just a test for more ambitious work with Rachel in the future. I’m excited to see what they will do next!
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