Have you ever come across a portrait with eyes seeming to follow you? Or a photograph so mesmerizing it appears to be moving? If so, then it’s probably safe to say you were startled or caught off guard by it. After a moment or two of processing, your mind then became intrigued and wanted to know more about what you just witnessed. Where am I going with this, you ask? The mentally stimulating world of cinemagraphs.
The term cinemagraph was coined back in 2011, when photographer Jamie Beck and graphic artist Kevin Burg designed a method to subtly animate their photography using isolated motion. The images they’ve since created give off an illusive and entertaining aura. Much like a GIF, autoplay and looping are two of the image technique’s key features. However, with higher quality footage than a GIF, cinemagraphs are much more appealing to eye.
Despite being around for a few years, this innovative style of art hasn’t been given a true chance to fly, until now. The cinemagraph artistry is slowly being applied to advertisements across the internet, specifically with the blogging platform, Tumblr. Reportedly, other platforms, such as Facebook and Instagram, will soon support the technique as well. Perhaps, advertisers in search of a captivating branding adventure should consider “playing a role” in the cinemagraph world?
What do you think of cinemagraphs?
