City Cinemagraphy: Animated Photographs of Urban Motion

urban puddle test

With compelling attention to depth, detail and movement, French photographer Julien Douvier uses cinemagraphic techniques to capture everything from fleeting moments to frustrating routines that define life in bustling contemporary cities.

urban freeze frame photo

endless escalator

urban leaf bench motion

nature path fall leaves

urban puddle reflection

Working both in black-and-white as well as color, depending on what he is trying to depict, many of his works are simple loops of short time periods – typical cinemagraphs – but others go beyond that basic typology, too.

urban daily grind loop

urban walking routine

urban walking route

urban routine two

urban routine

In his Routine series, for instance, individuals are looped but also overlaid in multiples within the frame, creating a sense of infinite or endless repetition – in other sets (examples shown below) he utilizes transparency, nature and reflections to enrich each frame.