time-stacked photos by matt molloy look like impressionist paintings
(above) sunset spectrum
all images courtesy of matt molloy

 

 

 

when looking at the images made by canadian photographer matt molloy, one can’t help but think the painterly effect is born of brushstrokes. instead, molloy has adopted a style of timelapse photography to layer hundreds of individual pictures together, forming a sequence of ‘time stacks’. photos are merged into one static image, showing a progression of time, movement, and changes in light and shadow — similar to a long exposure photography. however, molloy’s technique allows for more control, and more visible time, than would be typically possible through long exposure processes. 

matt molloy time stack photos
‘land of the giant lollipops’

 

 

 

the photographs match the whimsical and surreal personalities given to them with titles, such as ‘the land of giant lollipops’,’smeared sky sunset’ and ‘cloud chaos’. showing a large chunk of time in a single image — very much like impressionist style paintings —  each composition reveals the passing of the day as a dreamlike panorama. braided clouds are smudged into the sky, landscapes are coated in color and wind turbines pop out of the earth like feathery dandelions. 

matt molloy time stack photos
‘cloud chaos’ 

matt molloy time stack photos
‘sky sculptures’ 

matt molloy time stack photos
‘braided sky’ 

matt molloy time stack photos
‘cloud coagulation’ 

matt molloy time stack photos
‘fire and smoke’

matt molloy time stack photos
‘smeared sky sunset’

matt molloy time stack photos
‘radiate’

matt molloy time stack photos

matt molloy time stack photos
‘spun’