Emeric brings originality and expertise to his timelapse video tributes to America’s most beautiful cities and National Parks.
Emeric Le Bars belongs to this new generation of digital artists and innovators whose brilliant mastery of video timelapse technology bears no secrets. In 2013, Emeric moved from his French historical hometown of Angers, in the Loire Valley, to the striking cityscapes of Los Angeles. In 2021, he was featured as the “Number One Most Influential Time-Lapse Artist” by digital media Expertphotography.com. “Le Bars is one of the best in the business.” “Emeric is, without a doubt, in the top 1% of timelapse videographer-editors working in the world today,” Real Rob editor Darius S Wilhere said. “His work is gorgeous and the quality is evident to anyone who sees it. It’s his attention to detail and his willingness to return to locations again and again until he has the exact right shot that communicates the beauty and power of a given location. This level of work only comes from constant dedication to one’s craft for years and tens of thousands of hours.”
At twenty-nine years old, Emeric succeeded in making a name for himself in the competitive world of digital entertainment. His work has been licensed with Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, Netflix, Google, LG or Nike, among others. He also collaborated with Facebook and Adobe on projects, gaining international recognition and becoming the French pride of exported talent shining on the new continent: the French National television France2 interviewed him about his unique talents and expertise as a timelapse photographer.
““One needs to give emotions to the work, there needs to be some poetry.” ”
Emeric is a perfectionist, an artist with a passion for his craft. He will persist and make no concessions until he achieves the desired result. He will return to the same location at different times of the day, just to capture the time when the clouds are in the right spot, the right amount of light, the perfect atmosphere.
His sense of freedom and independence only equals his work ethic. While it may look simple, the timelapse discipline requires comprehensive technical knowledge and detailed attention to the camera’s mechanics to ensure a seamless final effect. “Timelapse photography is really a mix of photography and video editing.”
We can only be admirative of his accomplishments in such a short period of time. What makes Emeric stand out, how did he build this business? He started like any of us, armed with self-taught skills, big dreams of America and a desire for adventure. Adding a great dose of passion and perseverance, his story is as magical as his timelapse videos are dreamy. His work magnificently reflects the majestic beauty of American landscapes. Emeric gives a soul to any American downtown city skyscrapers.
Emeric follows a famous lineage of French movie innovators: The first use of time-lapse photography in a feature film was in George Melies French motion picture “Carrefour De l’Opera” (1897)! Then, in Europe the famous British David Attenborough’s 1995 series “The Private Life of Plants” utilized the technique extensively. Also that same year, French Canadian Guy Roland first used the hyperlapse technique (in Pacer), after experiments during the 1980s and 1990s. Timelapse is a technique that makes time appear to speed up. This method lets you compress hours or days worth of footage into just a few seconds. The romantic Day-to-Night transitions is called “Holy-Grail”: this technique of timelapse captures the Day-to-Night transitions and is one of the most demanding scenes in time-lapse photography. Because the night sky is about ten million times darker than the sky on a sunny day (this is for a remote area not affected by light pollution).
From Angers, France to Los Angeles: “Go Big or Go Home!”
In a few years span, the young hyper talented and driven French timelapse photographer and videographer Emeric Le Bars, succeeded in transforming a passionate hobby into a lucrative and booming online business. As a teacher, he guides his students to be the best they can be and to prioritize quality of the work over quantity. Emeric was one of the first ones to introduce timelapse teaching at a large scale. His online business reaches students all over the world, and he hosts websites in two languages: French and English.
Emeric shared with us his American experience and how he was able to transform his natural talent into an entrepreneurial business. Long hours of work, unknows, but also discoveries, meeting new people along the way and perseverance: Emeric has the traits of great masters, humble, striving for perfection. He showcases his art under the most magical and original perspectives. In his videos, skyscrapers raise their soul towards the unlimited skies, and dreams of traveling into outer space become a reality. His timelapse videos of the National Parks, treasures of Americans landscapes, invite us to experience their majestic and powerful nature..
Did you think posting a timelapse video for your hometown on YouTube would lead to a lifestyle of filming time-lapse photography, travelling the US (and the world), while based in Los Angeles?
“If you had told me back in 2011 that my hobby of creating time-lapse videos would lead to collaborating with the world’s leading companies with my time-lapse and hyper-lapse videos, and teaching newcomers into this field, using social media support, in 2021, I don’t think I would have believed you!” At 18 years old, he started shooting fun action videos with a camcorder his parents gifted him. This camcorder had a time-lapse option, and as he was walking around his city he decided to try it. And then shot another one, and another one… “I ended up capturing my hometown from many different angles. I then posted the video on Youtube, and to my surprise, people really liked and shared some amazing feedback. This is how I knew I wanted to keep doing this.” “No one else in his family was doing photography or video making, I am the only one”. However, the teaching gene still runs in the family since both his parents are teachers and work in Education. Maybe that’s why I ended up being a teacher as well!”
Did you play video games when you were a student? How did you fall into Timelapse videos?
I was definitely playing a lot of computer games, but I was also editing videos a lot just for fun, learning new techniques and dreaming about working in the US one day! I studied communication and graduated in 2012. I became a timelapse photographer learning all by myself, going on location and trying new things. Back in 2012-2013 the craft was not really popular and it was hard finding tutorials online. But I do remember watching a few Youtube tutorials on how to get better. Otherwise, I am an autodidact”.
How did you start in this business?
I first started doing time-lapse videos as a hobby and it was absolutely not a business back in 2011. A few months after moving to LA, when I was working as a video editor for a production company, I came across what we call marketplaces where artists from all around the world can sell their artwork and make some money earning royalties. I uploaded some of my time-lapse videos and quickly started to see some money coming in. Long story short, I realized that people would buy my work and decided to spend more time shooting, travelling and licensing my time-lapse videos online. This is where it started. Today in 2021, licensing time-lapse videos and making a living out of time-lapse photography is not a competitive business, but there are a few other people in the world doing what I do. But I honestly think I have a very unique way of doing it and no one comes close. I had no expectations when I first started. I really didn’t know what I was doing. Trial and error brought me to where I am today.
Did you have mentors who helped you become the professional you are today?
“Yes, I was following this other photographer called Matjoez, he is a belgian timelapse photographer, living in London at the time. When I first started shooting timelapse videos, he was one of the only ones to do it well. He was a great inspiration. More recently, in 2016, I met Serge Ramelli, a French photographer. He is extremely popular in the industry as a teacher. He helped me boost my online classes and he is the reason why I am still teaching today. He pushed me to teach the craft to people from all around the worldas it was very lucrative. And I am very blessed I met him as my online classes are now most of my revenue.”
An entrepreneur is being an adventurer, by nature. Which places did your passion take you?
Back in 2015, I was already shooting some timelapse in Los Angeles, but quickly decided to travel around to expand my portfolio. The first city I travelled to was San Francisco then San Diego as they are only a few hours drive away. I then started to travel all around the country like Las Vegas, New York or Chicago. I really like stopping a few days in Paris when I travel back to France to capture a few timelapses. Finally, I got to travel to Montreal in Quebec back in 2019 for my timelapse work. I am really happy that my passion and now business is making me travel all around the country and in other countries.
What is the part of the unknown, the risks, in this adventure? How did you realize you could make a living out of your passion?
I think I really started to realize that this business could be interesting when I released my first online class back in 2017 and people actually bought it! I was only doing free YouTube tutorials at the time, and my friend Serge Ramelli did a course with me that I ended up selling on my own website. This was the beginning of Emeric’s Timelapse as a teacher. In September 2017, I also shot some timelapse videos of La Tuna fire near Burbank. The footage went viral and ended up on BBC News, AP and Time to name a few. I again realized that timelapse videos could also be newsworthy.
A Magical Work of Art
A recent vlog I really like where I capture the Full Moon in Los Angeles
A timelapse of the SpaceX Falcon 9 Rocket over Downtown Los Angeles that went viral online
My favorite San Francisco timelapse edit
Las Vegas Vibes
Can you describe what you do? Where and how do we learn the techniques, if we (or I for example) would like to be able to do timelapse videos?
I am a timelapse and hyperlapse photographer. I create timelapse videos that I then license online to companies or individuals who need one for their project. I also teach the craft through online classes and workshops. People can purchase a class and watch it on their own via website. All my classes are available in both English and French. Yes, I re-shoot all my classes in French (English comes first). You can also check my Youtube channel for free tutorial, vlog and more Or my Instagram page.
How many hours of work is behind a timelapse video typically?
It really depends what kind of timelapse videos I am shooting. A timelapse with a fast interval during the day can take 5 min to shoot and 5 min to edit. But a day to night usually takes about 2 hours to shoot and a few hours to edit. I would say the average is about 1 to 3 hours, not including the export and render time, which is another 1 or 2 hours per clip depending on how long the clip is. Some timelapse videos also take me way more time to clean and it’s not rare to get closer to 10 hours for a single clip! Quality over quantity!
What is your favorite part, or the most fun, of the creation?
I often ask myself this question and I believe I don’t have a favorite part, the entire workflow is my favorite and this is why I am still strongly shooting timelapse videos 10 years later. First you have the location scouting that happens most of the time online. It’s very exciting when I find a new spot to shoot from. Then I love the travel part of the workflow, going on location, meeting new people and enjoying some incredible views for hours, nothing better than that. Then comes the post-production part when you first see how the timelapse looks like, and this is very exciting and rewarding. When this is done, I clean the timelapse, which may be my least favorite step, but still very rewarding to see how much better the timelapse looks after cleaning it. It’s just very time consuming. And finally the sharing part, where I share my work online on Youtube or Instagram is very fun. I could not create my timelapse work if I wasn’t able to share it. I want people to see my work.
How do you find your inspiration?
Through my own story, my own feelings. I have been through a lot of hard times and timelapse photography helped me survive. I try to share my story while sharing my artwork.
What inspires you? What countries do you want to photograph in that you haven’t been to yet?
Beautiful sceneries, majestic sunsets, scary storms… both nature and cities inspire me, but from the outside, mix with some beautiful clouds or light. I really want to go to Australia for the cities, New Zealand for the amazing landscapes and Norway to timelapse the Northern Lights.
How do you work, what is a typical day? Do you have teammates, or do you work alone?
I work all by myself but do meet up with other timelapse photographers to go shoot most of the time, it’s more fun. I honestly cannot describe a typical day as every day is completely different depending on the weather. If the weather is nice with some beautiful clouds, I will go out and shoot some timelapses, but if it’s sunny, raining or nothing very interesting, I will just stay home and work. I have a list of classes and videos that need to be done, along with a list of work to do and it’s all up to me to make it happen. I need to stay organized which is probably the hardest part.
What location seemed the most surreal that you filmed in?
I shot some timelapses from some of the best locations in Los Angeles and New York. I had special access to Skyspace LA twice to shoot from up there. Tripods are not allowed to the public so I was glad to have a special authorization. I also shot some timelapses from a private building after 2 months of back and forth with the HOA, but it was worth it! Shooting from a rooftop with an amazing view is always an amazing, surreal experience.
Timelapse photography: an Online Teaching Business
How many years have you been photographing now?
I shot my first timelapse ever in 2011, so 10 years ago. But started shooting real timelapse with pictures a year later, so 9 years.
When did the idea of becoming a timelapse photographer come about?
There is not a specific date, it just came slowly over the years. I was (and still am) a video editor but could not find a job back in 2015 or 2016 as everyone is a video editor here in LA haha It was really hard for me to get noticed. Since I was already making some money with my timelapse work, I decided to spend a little bit more time creating and licensing my work. And 6 years later I am still doing this along with my online classes.
Can you describe your online tutorials, how it works, what the goals are
My classes are made of video lessons that people can watch directly through my website. They can purchase whatever they want to learn and watch the videos online. They can learn anything they want from camera settings, interval and other beginners topics to more advanced cleaning, hyperlapse and editing techniques. My goal is to teach people to create quality content over quantity. I really want them to take the time to create something they will be proud of.
How did you decide to teach? How do you teach? What is the most rewarding aspect of your online business?
I met Serge Ramelli back in 2016 who was already teaching photography to people online. He pushed me into doing a timelapse online class. At my surprise, people started buying and paying for those classes which got me more into it. Teaching is not that easy. You have to make sure everyone will understand what you are trying to teach. Things that are obvious for you, might not be for other people and you need to take it for account. That’s why I always take the time to make a list of all the videos included in a specific class. Then I write the voice over or guidelines to make sure I don’t forget any information since some classes are more improv and can’t really be scripted. But some videos are scripted and I used a prompter to make a clean delivery. I think the most rewarding aspect is the positive feedback I receive from people thanking me for those classes and telling me how much they improved. Seeing my students creating better content they are really proud of is very rewarding.
What is the most challenging aspect of your teaching business?
Finding new ideas and topics to teach about. It’s a very small type of art.
When did you start your Youtube channel?
I started my Youtube channel in 2015 and didn’t know what to do with it at first. Then I started sharing some free tutorials in french about timelapse photography and quickly switched to English when I saw that a lot of english speaking people started following me. But most videos have french subtitles and even opened a french youtube channel.
What do your students like the most? What topic is the most popular among your students?
For some reasons people like my classes teaching them how to select the right settings and interval when shooting a timelapse. This is a very simple topic but apparently a lot of people need help with this.
Which countries or cities did you go to prepare for your online classes?
I mostly stay here in Los Angeles but travel all around the country for my new Timelapse Master Class 2021.
Challenges and Opportunities
What was your most challenging work to date?
The most challenging work to date I can remember is the SpaceX Falcon 9 Rocket Launch above Downtown Los Angeles. You need very specific conditions to capture such an event, and this was my second time trying. When I showed up on location, I didn’t know what to expect, how fast or how high the rocket would go… I just eyeballed it and it worked. When I got back home, I knew I had something amazing, so I did nothing but edit and make sure the timelapse would be out as soon as possible. The timelapse went viral on Instagram and got me over 35 000 followers in 3 days, the video now has over 4.3 million views on youtube. This was insane and totally unexpected.
What are your most innovative projects? Your most challenging?
I am very proud of all the classes I have created so far (over 24 hours of video lessons) and I am very excited about the new Master Class I am currently working on. The Timelapse Master Class 2021 is mixing teaching with travelling all around the country. I am showing people how to capture different types of cities and landscapes on location. I currently travelled to Miami, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Joshua Tree National Park and Las Vegas for the Master Class, over 8000 miles. And it’s not over yet. I still need to go to New York, Seattle, and tons of other places. This will be the biggest Timelapse Master Class ever created in the industry!
What opportunity was impactful in your work?
When I first started selling online classes, I knew this was something I would spend a lot of time doing. There is a good market behind this and I can keep selling them for years.
What challenges opened the door to opportunities?
I would say moving to the US was a huge challenge on its own and yet I wouldn’t be who I am today if I hadn’t done it. My life would surely be very different if I was still in France.
How long does it take to learn and master the art of being a timelapse/hyperlapse photographer?
That’s a question I could not really understand as I am not sure myself. A quote say you need 10 000 hours of experience to master something, maybe it works for timelapse photography as well. The only thing I know is that trial and error is the only way to get better at this.
Were there any times when you thought you were going to give up?
Plenty of times I thought about giving up, giving up in the US, giving up as a timelapse photographer. I feel like it’s part of life, you have to face challenges and keep your head up if you want to move forward. Many times I felt like giving up here in LA and flying back to France for several reasons such as not feeling happy or fulfilled. And many times I thought about giving up as a timelapse photographer because I got tired of it. But every time I had to think outside the box, have a different approach on life, getting out of my comfort zone. Giving up is something I cannot deal with, I need to fight until I realize that I did what I could and I cannot move forward anymore. If I decide to stop at that point, it wouldn’t be giving up. But I am not at that point yet.
What are the difficult times that you faced? How did you find the solution?
As artists, we often come across a wall when it comes to being creative and original. It’s hard to always find the motivation to create something from scratch. So I always reflect on myself on what’s important in my life, personal and professional. I also like to share a story with my work, and it works well because I am not only creating timelapse videos, I am also telling a story. I also force myself to try new things and get out of my comfort zone.
How did Covid impact your business?
Since my business is all online, it was not affected by covid thankfully. I was able to create new classes from home. The only thing that really changed for the past year or so is travelling. I was stuck in my apartment for over 4 months until everything reopened, or at least just enough to travel safely. I was still living in Atlanta when covid hit, so I was able to drive to Miami and Chicago to meet up with some friends and shoot some new timelapses. Otherwise, my classes and license sales slowed down a bit, but I was still able to make a comfortable income, which I feel very proud of.
What type of difficulties do you face during day-to-day work?
Motivation and originality are two big problems for me. I work by myself all the time and I need to motivate myself constantly, find the right idea or thing to work on without receiving anyone else’s opinion. It’s hard, but rewarding in the long term.
The Artist’s Favorites!
What are your favorite series/programs that featured your work? What collaboration/creation are you the most proud of?
Actor Rob Schneider used my timelapses for his series called “Real Rob” on Netflix, and I am very happy about this. You can also see one of my timelapse in “Emily in Paris” or the show called “Love”. They are all Neflix’s Original series and I am so happy! I also worked with Adobe on a marketing campaign for a new editing program for smartphones and I am so glad they called me. I have been using Adobe’s programs for years to create my work. Finally, I worked with Facebook and OPPO to create some timelapses with a smartphone! This was a big challenge but so glad of what I created. Crazy what you can accomplish without knowing it sometimes.
Favorite cities and places to shoot?
Downtown LA is number one obviously, but I really fell in love with the Chicago skyline. The city is very photogenic and super easy to shoot with Lake Michigan nearby. It’s also very easy to access rooftops and skyscrapers for unique points of views. I also love shooting the American Southwest national parks such as Joshua Tree, Yosemite or Monument Valley for example. Beautiful sunsets with clouds or night skies at night are my favorite subjects of them all.
Favorite things to teach?
I don’t really have a favorite thing to teach. I like teaching the entire craft to people, but I especially like to teach them how to create quality content over quantity. I really want them to take the time to create something they will be proud of.
First locations to shoot in France and the US? Any special place that left a big impression?
The first location I have ever timelapses is my hometown Angers in France. In the US, it is downtown LA and the Hollywood Sign from Griffith Park. Even though I am not a big fan of Paris, I always look forward to stopping there when I go back home as I really like shooting timelapses of the Eiffel Tower. I usually meet up with other French timelapse photographers in the city and we always have a good time. Maybe I like this more for the social aspect, but Paris in the Spring or summer is just so nice!
Most romantic timelapse location?
Well Paris at sunset for sure! Here is some timelapse from Paris.
Best Sunsets? Favorite souvenir of shooting?
I really loved it the day I met up with other photographers in Weehawken, New Jersey to shoot the New York skyline at sunset. The sky turned pink, which was very unexpected, the sunset reflected onto the Manhattan skyline and finally the almost full moon rose behind the buildings. What a magical night you can see at the end of this vlog here.
Favorite collaboration you worked on? Favorite shows you worked on?
I licensed some of my LA timelapses for actor Rob Schneider who had a Netflix’s show called “Real Rob”. The opening of season 2 are made from my timelapse videos and I could not be more proud. I also worked with Adobe on some marketing campaigns using my timelapse videos and a brand new iPhone editing softwares they wanted to promote. It was a pleasure working with them as I have been using their product for years to create my content. I also work with Facebook and the mobile brand OPPO to promote one of their new phones. I ended up shooting a day to night timelapse with a phone!! And I love how new projects really pushed me out of my comfort zone to create amazing things.
Favorite gear? (for the pros among us)
I work with Canon 5D Mark III and 5D Mark IV and I really love those 2 cameras. My 5D Mark III has over 280 000 shutter count and more than 140 000 for my 5D Mark IV. When it comes to lenses, I love working with 3: 24-105mm f4L II, 100-400mm f5.6 II and finally the 16-35mm f2.8 III. A couple of years ago, I also started working with a DJI Drone Mavic 2 Pro and this is amazing. It opens new possibilities, like shooting timelapse or hyperlapse from the sky! It brings up the production value tremendously.
Words of Wisdom
What are the best attributes you need to work in the business?
Patience and dedication. This is a very long process to create a video that is only a few seconds long, but the final product is so unique. Timelapse photography is the only art mixing photography and video.
Best ways to learn and start?
Watch some tutorials online then just go out and experiment. Nothing better than experience and failures to learn.
What advice would you give to newcomers in the business?
Find a reason to shoot timelapse videos. Don’t shoot a timelapse because you can, shoot a timelapse because you should. Make sure you select the correct interval and camera settings for your subject. But most importantly make sure you have a great timelapse subject. Still photography and timelapse photography are two completely different art forms and should not be approached the same way!
What advice would you give new students, and French people who would like to come here just like you and start working with timelapse photography?
I would definitely not recommend coming to LA for timelapse photography, my background and the way I got to that point is very unique to me and probably would not happen to anyone else. This is my personal story. Timelapse photography is such a niche and it’s very hard to make a living out of it. I know only one other person in the world that does a living only from the craft. But if French students dream of moving to LA or the US in general, I would say go for it. Focus your time on this and try to see what’s possible. It’s not always easy, but it’s possible.
What’s Next?
When did you start using drones to film, how different is the technique, what role do you think they play?
I started using drones back in 2018 and I love it! Drones open new possibilities and add value to my work like no other tools. I am now able to shoot timelapse and hyperlapse videos from the sky, which is something not even possible with a helicopter. Having some drone shots in my Youtube video or online classes makes it so much better!
What are your upcoming projects?
I am currently working on 3 big new timelapse classes, including a free class for beginners “Introduction to Timelapse Photography”, a Day-to-Night timelapse class to teach how to shoot flawless day-to-night transitions and a 12+ hour long Timelapse Master Class 2021. I am also creating a brand new website with members accounts, projects, quiz and a lot more! This will be a brand new way to learn timelapse photography! Las Vegas will be featured in a new video for the TMC21!
Your vision for the next 5, 10 years?
I want to go to the next level with my own work. I want to travel internationally, meet more people around the world, focus more on live workshops instead of online classes, visit more unknown places…
Which countries to shoot new incredible timelapse videos?
I want to travel to Norway to timelapse the Northern Lights and visit the country. I also can’t wait to travel to Sydney and New Zealand to shoot both the cities and the amazing landscapes over there.