Film-maker Richard Beach turns Stamford into a miniature world

A film-maker has created a fascinating video that makes Stamford appear in ‘toy town’ miniature.

Rich Beach worked as a motorcycle journalist before turning his attention to the film and video industry.

In his spare time he works on pet projects, including his latest time-lapse film of Stamford.

Using images captured from church towers, other tall buildings and a small drone, Rich employs clever techniques that give the finished footage the feel of a model railway scene.

The 49-year-old, who has lived in Stamford for 20 years, said: “I quite often make films relating to the town and the people living here.

"This latest one was shot over a six-week period during which a lot was going on."

Rich has captured scenes of Stamford's diversity festival, fair, and dog show.

He uses a tilt shift lens, usually employed by architects to correct converging lines. This creates a narrow band of focus. Combined with a high vantage point, it tricks the mind into thinking the image is of a miniature world.

The time-lapse photos he takes are then run together at 24-times the actual speed, to create the look of a moving images.

“The whole process is complicated and can only really be shot on bright sunny days when there is little wind,” said Rich. “I heavily saturate the colours to emphasise the toy effect, and bright sunlight is needed for this.

“I also use a sun calculator app that tells me when the sun in on the face of a particular building, so I can plan the shots and the order I shoot them.”

Rich has several other projects planned alongside his commercial video work, which will be released on his YouTube channel called Beach Media.

Many of his existing short films feature the antics of his dog, Rumble.