This is for the timelapse junkies. I’ll be speaking to Richard later on, in the week so stay tuned for that, but here is a little sneak peak into Richard’s amazing timelapse work. Do you want to ask Richard a question, let me know and i’ll ask him during my chat with him.

Tell us a little about yourself?

I’m a 42 year year old from Nottingham in the UK. That’s right, the home of Robin Hood, Sherwood Forest and Clothes Designer Paul Smith. I studied Communication and Information at Brunel University specialising in video production and studied for a masters degree in computer science in Denmark, where I lived and worked for 7 years. I have worked in the professional TV and post production industry all of my life, having worked for The BBC, ITV, DR TV in Denmark. I currently work full time for Avid, designing professional post and broadcast workflows throughout Europe, The Middle East, India, and The USA.

What inspired you to get started in photography?

I have always been a content creator of some kind or another – I’ve worked on lyrics for bands, dabbled with oil painting and have always been in search of a level of mastery in a particular art-form… I only recently realised 18 months or so ago that photography was where I was going to achieve most success. Having worked in the moving image world for so long and consulted with others on best practices and workflows, I wanted to also show what I was capable of and to use the tools available to put still images and moving one’s together. My fascination for timelapse photography began.

What gear do you take to each shoot and what lens can you not live without?

I have only just upgraded (this week!) from my Canon 7D to a 5DmkII. On the 7D my Tokina 11-16 was my favourite for cityscapes and my Canon 24-105 for the sheer image quality. To go with the 5DmkII, I have just invested in the 24mm 1.4LII prime, which I know is going to be my Tokina slayer!

I also always take with me a lenskirt from www.lenskirt.com for shooting through hotel windows and from skyskrapers like the Burj Khalifa (the world’s tallest building) and I also always use my Zacuto Z-Finder as I always shoot live view mode for timelapse, and hey, have you tried to look at an LCD on a sunny day? It also helps me review my timelapse images in camera.

How do you market yourself and has social media been an important part?

Social media has been the only way I’ve reached out to an audience so far. I use facebook, twitter, I have a Vimeo and also a youtube account for my timelapse work.

What’s your favourite photo that you’ve taken and does it have any significance?

My favourite shot shot is a frame from my timelapse 3.0 of Dubai. It is taken in LJPEG, and I am returning in 2 weeks time to repeat the whole timelapse in RAW: http://www.flickr.com/photos/timeaftertimelapse/6900138942/in/photostream it is a significant image to me, as this images was taken from a hotel I stayed in on my first trip to Dubai back in 2006.

Select a photo you have taken, explain how it was taken and how did you edit it?

This image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/timeaftertimelapse/6898998368/in/photostream/ was taken from the top of the Radisson Royal Hotel in Dubai. It’s a view of Sheikh Zayed Road which is 347 miles long! It is one of 320 still images taken using the Canon 7D and Tokina 11-16 and the lenskirt to stop reflections. I ate an amazing Japanese meal at the ICHO restaurant whilst the camera and intervallometer did their work! I edited it in Lightroom.

What processing tool do you use and do you believe in the camera doing all the work or in post ?

I prefer to do as much as I can in camera, however in the Dubai timelapse I wanted a really futuristic feel, so I cranked it up in Lightroom and did some final colour correction in Avid Media Composer 6.

Whats your favourite photography accessory other than your camera?

This has to be my Zacuto Z-Finder.

Where do you prefer to post your photos online and why there?

Flickr for stills and Vimeo for timelapse work because of the community and sharing spirit.

Do you ever get photographers block and if so what do you do to get inspired again?

I walk a lot. Stop. Look at the sky, take in my surroundings. I never get the camera out these days unless I have foreseen the sequence I will create as a timelapse first. When you know you have it, you know.

Is there anything you wish you had done when you first started in photography that would of made a difference?

Never compare yourself to others. Remember it is not a great camera that makes a great picture – you create the image, not the sensor on your camera…

Any advice for new photographers wanting to go pro?

I struggle with the word ‘pro’. Is a pro someone who makes a living through photography, or someone considered an expert? If to you it means making a living, then get to know your client base – what is it they are looking for? Do you want to be a photojournalist, can you tell a story, or do you want to be an artist? You CAN be both, but which will pay the bills? Are you happy to do other work until photography pays off? Never give in.

Tristan’s note: Richard talks a lot about the Dubai timelapse. Here it is in all it’s glory.

Visit Richard Bentley – website, facebook and twitter