Impressive images: the photographer combined 20 thousand frames into a time-lapse, in which the Vilnius Christmas tree grows

Photographer Andrius Repšys photographs Christmas trees every year, but this time he has undertaken a much larger project. The construction and illumination of the Vilnius Christmas tree at Vilnius Cathedral Square received the exclusive attention of the photographer - it was photographed continuously by the artist  in 20 thousand shots, and an impressive video was created from selected shots, allowing us to see every step of the construction of the tree.

According to the photographer, although the camera left on the roof of the Grand Hotel Kempinski was programmed to capture images every minute, the photographer often had to stand by it to ensure that everything went smoothly. "I photograph Christmas trees every year, before each photo shoot I come to see how they are built. I thought that this year it would be interesting to capture not only the lit Christmas tree, but also the whole process of its creation. I suggested this idea to the creators, and they agreed to help. The result is very interesting- I didn't even expect the tree to feel so alive and flicker with every color ", - A. Repšys says.

He began filming the process last Tuesday, says the photographer. The workers arrived to build the Christmas tree at 7:30 p.m., but the photographer was ready by 7 p.m. Since then, A. Repšys has protected the camera from bad weather and made sure that all the most important moments of the trees construction were properly captured. “Last week the weather was both rainy and windy, so I had to drive here often to check if nothing had happened or the electricity supply had not been cut off. On the evening of the Christmas tree lighting, I came to make sure that nothing would happen to the camera. If I hadn't come, there would basically be no pictures, because there was snow and wind, and my equipment was covered in snow” says the photographer. But the capturing of the construction and lighting of the Christmas tree was just a part of the work. A. Repšys admits that he had to spend many hours editing the footage. "The editing took 2 full days - I was working from early morning and went to bed at 1 a.m.. It was not enough to select the photos, they all needed to be properly retouched. The lighting differs in all the photos, so needs to be homogenised - there are many nuances that take time to fix, ”says A. Repšys. The photographer is convinced that today there are many tools that allow you to admire the Christmas trees without cramming in traffic jams and gathering around it. According to him, today the works of photographers allow viewers to see not only the continuously photographed construction and lighting of the Christmas trees, but also to see a three-dimensional image of it, to see it from various angles, as well as from a bird’s-eye view. "When I saw all the traffic jams on the streets surrounding the Christmas tree, I realised that this year the was really no need to see the lighting live. If anyone wants to see it live, it is way better to arrive at night when there is no-one around. No need to rush there right after work. It is very beautiful and worth seeing, but we have to take into account that now we live under quarantine, and it’s a dangerous time, so it is important to wait and stay at home safely for the time being. Today, there are really many ways to see it without leaving your home”, A. Repšys advises.

Brigita Ragickaitė / DELFI