Svaha Spirit Series ~ Lotte – Birth to 12 Years

Twelve years ago, filmmaker Frans Hofmeester embarked on the greatest work of his life: becoming a father. Every week, the Dutch video artist would hover over his newborn daughter Lotte’s crib and capture stills. Those weekly photo shoots continued, even as Lotte began sitting upright, her features growing more defined by the day.

Over a decade later, Hofmeester had taken 600-plus photos of Lotte, tracking the minutiae of her development in ways that albums and scrapbooks simply can’t capture. Stringing each photo together with the editing tool Final Cut Pro, Hofmeester created a remarkable time-lapse video of Lotte’s evolution from newborn to tween in under 3 minutes. In the video her emotions run the gamut, from curiosity to bleary-eyed frustration to wide-eyed enthusiasm. The only thing that remains unchanged is a baby blanket. The keepsake that Lotte lay on as a newborn remains in the background of every photo throughout her 12-year journey.

What a great idea! Anyone out there expecting a baby may want to consider doing this. Even a digital photo a week with the same background would be cool. A wonderful way to demonstrate the passage of time and growth while creating a beautiful gift for your child.