This time-lapse film secured 2nd Place in the Time-Lapse Category at the 8th season of the Spaces of Light Photography Awards (2025). Organized annually by the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Center (SZGMC), the competition showcases artistic excellence and highlights the mosque’s architectural splendor.

The SZGMC promotes intercultural dialogue and emphasizes the mosque's role as a symbol of peace, tolerance, and unity. Through the lens of photography, it celebrates the profound connection between light, culture, and human creativity.

‘Elysium’ features the skylines of Dubai and Abu Dhabi which are among the most imposing and photogenic ones in the world. The quiet giants, soaring high into the Emirati skies are a source of awe and inspiration for any dreamer or photographer. What gives this film a dreamlike quality however is the elusive winter fog and its mysterious interaction with the tallest structures. Viewed from a high angle, the fog turns the cities into a grand canvas of visual poetry which could only be expressed with a language of time lapse cinematography.

The fog’s formation is very hard to predict and therefore, it’s not easy to film. I was forced to spend many sleepless nights chasing the foggy conditions from various rooftops across the UAE. When the fog finally formed, and all elements came together, it was like witnessing magic. Watching the fog as it rolled between and over the buildings was such a haunting and utterly fascinating sight. It was a quite a logistical and technical challenge to capture all scenes I needed for a film, but it was all worth it.

Various scenes of ‘Elysium’ were captured in Dubai and Abu Dhabi between 2013 and 2017.

The Fajr (dawn) prayer is one of the five mandatory prayers, to be performed anytime starting from the moment of dawn, but not after sunrise. As an Islamic day starts at sunset, the Fajr prayer is technically the third prayer of the day. If counted from midnight, it is usually the first prayer of the day.

'Fajr' is one of the 4 commissioned time-lapse films produced for EXPO 2020 Dubai. The pre-production phase started in February 2020, but due to the Coronavirus pandemic and subsequently, a 12-month postponement of the EXPO 2020 Dubai, the project wasn't finished until August 2021.

These films were playing every day on hundreds of screens during each Islamic prayer call, throughout the EXPO 2020 Dubai, between 1st October 2021 and 31st March 2022. The films feature 7 of the most prominent UAE mosques in each of the 7 Emirates. Each of the 4 films is focused on one specific time of the day: sunrise, daytime, sunset and night. The mosques were selected on the basis of their prominent architectural features, interaction of light and shadows and how these structures fit within the surrounding context.

Abu Dhabi: Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque

Dubai: DIFC Grand Mosque

Sharjah: Al Noor Mosque (Khaled Lagoon)

Ajman: Sheikha Aamna Bint Al Ghurair Mosque

Umm Al Quwain: Sheikh Zayed Mosque

Ras Al Khaimah: Sheikh Zayed Mosque

Fujairah: Grand Sheikh Zayed Mosque

Music: "Becoming Human" by Ryan Taubert (Musicbed.com)

Time-lapse artist: Beno Saradzic. Produced for EXPO 2020 Dubai, all rights reserved

The Dhuhr (noon) prayer starts when the sun begins to decline from its zenith and ends when the size of an object's shadow is equal to the objects size. Since an Islamic day starts at sunset, the Dhuhr prayer is technically the fourth prayer of the day. If counted from midnight, it is usually the second prayer of the day.

The pre-production phase started in February 2020, but due to the Coronavirus pandemic and subsequently, a 12-month postponement of the EXPO 2020 Dubai, the project wasn't finished until August 2021.

These films were playing every day on hundreds of screens during each Islamic prayer call, throughout the EXPO 2020 Dubai, between 1st October 2021 and 31st March 2022.

The films feature 7 of the most prominent UAE mosques in each of the 7 Emirates. Each of the 4 films is focused on one specific time of the day: sunrise, daytime, sunset and night.

The mosques were selected on the basis of their prominent architectural features, interaction of light and shadows and how these structures fit within the surrounding context.

Abu Dhabi: Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque

Dubai: DIFC Grand Mosque

Sharjah: Al Noor Mosque (Khaled Lagoon)

Ajman: Sheikha Aamna Bint Al Ghurair Mosque

Umm Al Quwain: Sheikh Zayed Mosque

Ras Al Khaimah: Sheikh Zayed Mosque

Fujairah: Grand Sheikh Zayed Mosque

Music: "Becoming Human" by Ryan Taubert (Musicbed.com)

Time-lapse artist: Beno Saradzic. Produced for EXPO 2020 Dubai, all rights reserved

The Maghrib Prayer is one of the five mandatory prayers. As an Islamic day starts at sunset, the Maghrib prayer is technically the first prayer of the day. If counted from midnight, it is the fourth prayer of the day.

'Maghrib' is one of the 4 commissioned time-lapse films produced for EXPO 2020 Dubai. The pre-production phase started in February 2020, but due to the Coronavirus pandemic and subsequently, a 12-month postponement of the EXPO 2020 Dubai, the project wasn't finished until August 2021. These films were playing every day on hundreds of screens during each Islamic prayer call, throughout the EXPO 2020 Dubai, between 1st October 2021 and 31st March 2022.

The films feature 7 of the most prominent UAE mosques in each of the 7 Emirates. Each of the 4 films is focused on one specific time of the day: sunrise, daytime, sunset and night. The mosques were selected on the basis of their prominent architectural features, interaction of light and shadows and how these structures fit within the surrounding context.

Abu Dhabi: Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque

Dubai: DIFC Grand Mosque

Sharjah: Al Noor Mosque (Khaled Lagoon)

Ajman: Sheikha Aamna Bint Al Ghurair Mosque

Umm Al Quwain: Sheikh Zayed Mosque

Ras Al Khaimah: Sheikh Zayed Mosque

Fujairah: Grand Sheikh Zayed Mosque

Music: "Starry Night" by Jordan Critz (Musicbed.com)

Time-lapse artist: Beno Saradzic. Produced for EXPO 2020 Dubai, all rights reserved.

'Isha' is a night prayer, and is one of the five mandatory Islamic prayers. As an Islamic day starts at sunset, the Isha prayer is technically the second prayer of the day. If counted from midnight, it is the fifth prayer of the day.

'Isha' is one of the 4 commissioned time-lapse films produced for EXPO 2020 Dubai. The pre-production phase started in February 2020, but due to the Coronavirus pandemic and subsequently, a 12-month postponement of the EXPO 2020 Dubai, the project wasn't finished until August 2021.

These films were playing every day on hundreds of screens during each Islamic prayer call, throughout the EXPO 2020 Dubai, between 1st October 2021 and 31st March 2022. The films feature 7 of the most prominent UAE mosques in each of the 7 Emirates. Each of the 4 films is focused on one specific time of the day: sunrise, daytime, sunset and night. The mosques were selected on the basis of their prominent architectural features, interaction of light and shadows and how these structures fit within the surrounding context.

Abu Dhabi: Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque

Dubai: DIFC Grand Mosque

Sharjah: Al Noor Mosque (Khaled Lagoon)

Ajman: Sheikha Aamna Bint Al Ghurair Mosque

Umm Al Quwain: Sheikh Zayed Mosque

Ras Al Khaimah: Sheikh Zayed Mosque

Fujairah: Grand Sheikh Zayed Mosque

Music: "Novella" by Jordan Critz (Musicbed.com)

Time-lapse artist: Beno Saradzic. Produced for EXPO 2020 Dubai, all rights reserved.

How many different views can the owner of a fancy penthouse on the 42nd floor of Avani Palm View hotel in Dubai enjoy? This was my brief and a cool challenge for a time lapse film.

I had one balcony all to myself for 3 days. This is what I saw.

This is the world’s first time lapse film created with Fujifilm GFX100. It was shot and processed in 12k, edited and mastered in 8k. This version was downsampled to 4k for practical reasons.

Abu Dhabi Through Your Eyes is the largest creative media contest in the UAE. The contest's brief was deceivingly simple: create a film featuring Abu Dhabi during a 24-hour cycle. "The film must be exactly 24 seconds long. There shouldn't be any script or actors. Go."

Here's my take on the challenge. Also; it won a 1st Place!

'THE VOYAGE' started out as a collage of disjointed time lapse sequences, shot over several months in early 2015. I was teaching myself new ways to move the camera, using existing and newly developed motion control systems. Once I had enough material on my drives, I decided to create a short film. I’m always aiming to create a more immersive, intimate way of experiencing the scene as it unfolds in front of the camera’s lens. Instead of entertaining the viewer with high-impact, dynamic and highly stylized scene transitions, I prefer a calmer, linear approach to visual storytelling. I’m a great fan of David Lean’s and Stanley Kubrick’s films. The works of these two filmmakers have had a profound influence on my appreciation of film. I was particularly fascinated with the precision of composition and framing of each scene in all the movies they ever made. I admired the way they crafted and shaped the light, like classic painters on canvas. Both filmmakers were known for their patience and waited for the moment to happen spontaneously, and then they would let it linger and play out on the screen. Their philosophy, where nothing is rushed, translates so well into time lapse filmmaking.
‘THE VOYAGE’ is infused with a re-discovered appreciation for my filmmaking idols, my love for architecture and time lapse cinematography. ‘THE VOYAGE’ represents my coming of age as a filmmaker with a profound passion for the craft.
‘THE VOYAGE’ is a first place winner in the Time Lapse Category at the 5th Season of the ‘Spaces of Light’ Photography Award in Abu Dhabi.
Filmed entirely at the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi, capital of the United Arab Emirates.

Beyond’ presents poetry in colorful motion and music. In 3 distinct movements, its enchanting tour of Beno's audiovisual craftsmanship lifts you from the electrifying buzz of the present to vistas of near-future tomorrows: Sparks of Inception; The pulse of the Organism; From Here to Beyond.
‘Beyond’ relates the seemingly limitless power of human imagination to create and transform on a scale far beyond our own. It is a tall tale of inspiration, courage, determination, tenacity and perseverance through adversity. Shot at locations throughout Abu Dhabi and Dubai, ‘Beyond’s implicit story is about much more than the success of the UAE. What is unfolding in the UAE is a shining, symbolic example of the towering achievements of mankind as a whole.

Showing off the best of 2 years worth of shooting, 'Beyond' doubles as Beno's ‘out-of-the-box’ showreel of client-commissioned time-lapse photography work between 2011 and 2012.

Here's my latest little film, shot entirely on the Fujifilm GFX50s.
No motion control systems, sliders or external intervalometers were used during the shoot. Just one camera on the sticks. This was a test of a medium format camera as a time lapsing machine and it did the job they way I had hoped it would.
Its internal intervalometer was intuitive and reliable. Even 1 second intervals didn't fail or skip despite a whopping 8.6k, 133 MB RAW file. I guess UHS-II cards are more than just luxury. They are a must for such large files.
My usual post-processing workflow also remained unchanged, which was wonderful. This was a positive experience.

Music: bensound.com

Dragon Horse is a fascinating robot who took over Ottawa in July 2017 for 5 full days. This commissioned task was to capture time lapse sequences of the largest mass gathering Ottawa had ever seen. The footage is a part of a feature documentary

The famous ‘rolling fog’ in Dubai is one of those rare events every photographer and time lapser hopes to shoot on day!

Government communication film produced for Office of the Government Communication Abu Dhabi

Government communication film produced for the Office of the Government Communication Abu Dhabi

Corporate time lapse film shot for the Office of the Government Communications Abu Dhabi

This is a reel of time lapses I shot for the TV Series ‘Qalb Al Adala’ (The Heart of Justice)

vistas of Abu Dhabi, the capital of the UAE.

The project was requested by the Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi and featured at their booth on the giant video installation at the Arabian Travel Market trade show in Dubai (May 2022). The time-lapses were shot, edited and mastered in 8k resolution.

Produced for: Ivo Films Production FZ LLE

Client: Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi

music: M83 "Oblivion" Feat. Susanne Sundfør