This amazing two-and-a-half minute timelapse, put together by photographer Rob Whitworth and “urban identity expert” JT Singh, shows just how beautiful (and busy) Shanghai is. The photos have had their saturation upped to emphasise the variety of colours and while the effect might not sit well with some photographers, it’s hard to deny that the effect helps the city come to life.
According the the clip’s description, the Singh and Whitworth “walked, walked and walked” in their efforts to capture the shots they needed — enough to do the food, people, architecture and culture of Shanghai justice. They spoke with locals over social media to find the best places to photograph from; unsurprisingly there was no shortage of vantage points:
Stealth and curiosity were required to find and gain access to rooftops and locations. It became addictive for the team discovering breath-taking vantage points of the city. There was always an adrenaline rush upon reaching the top of a different building to see the vast urban jungle of Shanghai
…
“The over-riding reason we made this video was to creatively show the world visually how China is rising, in particular Chinese cities. Just as New York City exemplified the strengths and ambitions of emerging America in the 20th century, Shanghai, perhaps more than any old or emerging rival, will personify the power and dreams of rising Asia in the 21st century.”
I think the saturation effect might be ever so slightly overdone — it’d be nice if there was a version with the unaltered images.
[Vimeo, via The Awesomer]