A match made in Vimeo: how two creators met & teamed up
As Cupid’s big day approaches, I’m reminded of all the love that flourishes in the Vimeo community. It may not be the romantic type, but when the undying love of videos brings people together, that is sweeter than a giant box of sugar and high-fructose corn syrup. I see these connections happening every day in the comments section of videos and in our Community forums. I also have it on good authority that many of you are sending thoughtful correspondences via private messages. So you can imagine how happy it makes me to hear about Vimeo members who meet each other offline and in person.
That’s why I was stoked when Colin Delehanty paid us a visit last year, and he casually mentioned that he met his Project Yosemite collaborator Sheldon Neill on this very vimeo.com. What started out as a conversation between the two of them about hauling time-lapse gear soon turned into a beautiful collaboration that brought us “Yosemite HD” and “Yosemite HD II.” Both videos have been Staff Picked, and if you’ve landed on our site while logged out, you may have seen their work. The power of community is real, homeslices!
Of course, I had to know more about how they met and started working together, and they were kind enough to answer my questions.
Alex: Can you tell us about how you two met?
Colin: I was wrestling with the idea of backpacking with motion time-lapse equipment, but wasn’t sure how I’d manage to carry everything without looking like a goofball. I couldn’t find anyone online that had experience doing this, until I stumbled on this photo of Sheldon carrying a fully loaded 100L backpack with a 6-foot rail strapped to his left side like a radio antenna. It looked just as silly as I’d imagined. I had so many questions for him. After sending a few messages back and forth, we were already planning our first trip together.
Sheldon Neill with his time-lapse gear.
When did you know you wanted to collaborate and what are the qualities you saw in each other that made you want to work together?
Colin: We both squeezed every ounce of energy we had into capturing the magic of Yosemite. It was exciting to share such a profound experience with someone who is similarly motivated. This shared energy made it easy for me to imagine turning our first trip into a much bigger project. I felt I could trust Sheldon as a partner. He’s very open and honest and not afraid to break down difficult problems.
Sheldon: It became apparent on our second day of shooting together that Colin and I were going to be a good fit. We were both dedicated to hauling heavy gear with little sleep, while staying motivated to capture every moment throughout our day/night. You’d be surprised what that’s like when you’ve been up for 24 hours. We were up on the top of Half Dome shooting the Milky Way by ourselves and it just kinda struck us from there.
How did you prepare for your first shoot together?
Sheldon: I packed every piece of gear I had, including rentals. At the time we weren’t exactly sure what we’d be capturing. In short though, we covered the basics for overnight packs in the wilderness with most of our camera gear.
Colin: I probably spent a whole day packing for this trip. I didn’t really know what to expect since it would be the first time backpacking with that much equipment. I was ready to do my best and tried not to forget anything in the packing process. I knew we wanted to do big things on our first trip, but I went with an open mind not knowing much about Sheldon.
What have you learned from each other?
Sheldon: I feel like I learned many things from the experiences, but communication and taking risks stands out [the] most. [By] working as a pair, I learned that there’s another vision and voice in what happens. I became humble to that, and would listen rather than making decisions for myself or the group. As we progressed and shot together more, I became envious of Colin’s ability to spend so much time outdoors. So I took a lot of time off work while spending more on camera gear at a time when it probably wasn’t smartest for me. Overall it all led me down a path that I’m fortunate to be in now.
Colin: Honestly, I didn’t know what I was doing with photography before meeting Sheldon. I didn’t have anyone to talk to because I was afraid to reach out to others. I didn’t know what questions to ask and was embarrassed that I didn’t already have the answers. Sheldon doesn’t seem to overthink things like I do. He’d always reach out to others. Sometimes that communication opened doors we didn’t know were there or built lasting friendships. He taught me the importance of staying connected and that nothing big is accomplished on your own.
Colin Delehanty taking it all in at Yosemite.
What are the greatest challenges you’ve faced and biggest rewards you’ve gained from working together?
Sheldon: One of the biggest challenges was balancing the destinations we’d hike to while trying to plan for the exact moments we’d capture on camera. Sometimes we’d only have a weekend together, and one location could take an entire day of hiking to reach. We always wanted to capture sunrise, midday moments, sunset, and the Milky Way, but [we had to] try doing that while covering miles of trail and sleeping at some point, if that even happened at all. To maximize the amount of time-lapses shot, we would sometimes split up or camp out in areas beyond our comfort zone.
The biggest rewards from these moments, of course, were the luxury of witnessing some very beautiful scenery. On many occasions you’d wonder how lucky you were to be standing and witnessing something so awesome. Many times we’d jump in excitement or just [be in a] daze without saying a word. Every trip there was always at least one magic moment.
Colin: The most rewarding part of the editing process is when you finally render out a time-lapse and see it for the first time. You’ll play it over and over again, noticing different things every time. Most are terrible, but you get a boost of energy when you finally nail one. I had so much fun sending those to Sheldon. He’d get jealous and say he was going to Yosemite as soon as possible. I loved that competitive element. It made it more fun for both of us.
Sheldon Neill, while filming in Yosemite.
How would you say your work has evolved over the years?
Sheldon: I’ve shot less than I had hoped, but it pushed me to go down a different path. Previously, I worked in IT where I was always confined to an office, but now I work in visual effects and surround myself [with] many talented creatives that all have similar passions. From what was once just shooting time-lapse became shooting BG plates and 2nd unit photography for whatever project lands on my plate.
Colin: “Yosemite HD” was a testing ground for future projects. We learned so much while filming the first video. The more I practice and study other people’s work, the more I can feel my imagination grow. My experiences as a photographer have with no doubt changed the way I see things.
What’s your favorite gear for filming time-lapses?
Sheldon: The Dynamic Perception Stage Zero Dolly and Canon 5D Mark II. Without it, our time-lapses may not have had the feel that surprises the viewers who watch it. It adds a very unique feel to the way we see time pass by.
Colin: I also relied heavily on the F-stop gear ICU for camera gear organization within my backpack.
Do you have any advice for first time collaborators?
Sheldon: Don’t be afraid to take risks!
Colin: Share everything and listen to each other. A collaboration will teach you things about yourself that will help you develop as a filmmaker.
What role has Vimeo played in your careers?
Sheldon: I would not be where I am today without Vimeo. Period. Fortunately this site is full of some of the most creative filmmakers on the planet. Without such a strong community, we wouldn’t have been able to connect with an audience that would inspire us to keep creating. I have everyone to thank for our success on “Yosemite HD” and “Yosemite HD II.” It’s pushed me to change my career towards filmmaking and couldn’t be happier.
Colin: The Vimeo community has been incredibly supportive of our work. Having very little experience in the film industry, it’s comforting knowing there are others to share your experiences with and take guidance from. I’m constantly putting into question my own talent as a photographer, so I think it’s important that you have someone to talk to who understands what you’re going though.
Who are some of your favorite filmmakers on Vimeo?
Sheldon: TSO Photography, Renan Ozturk, Ric Serena, Andrew Walker, Colin Rich, Eric Hines, Drew Geraci, and many more. All these individuals were [my] inspiration when I first started shooting.
Colin: Chayse Irvin, Camp 4 Collective, Kalle Ljung, haveanicebook, Felt Soul Media, The Seventh Movement, Maku, Ric Serena, TSO Photography, Steven Bumgardner, Colin Kennedy, Kiku Ohe, Astray Films, Nowness, Yours Truly.
What’s next for Project Yosemite?
Sheldon: It remains a mystery for now. Currently there aren’t any active projects that we’re working on together, but I don’t see this being our last.
We sure hope not. Thanks, Sheldon and Colin!
Originally published at vimeo.com.
