We live in a beautiful world, and Reid Gower wants to make sure we know it.
Gower spent six months creating this beautiful time-lapse video, shot in five U.S. states and seven other countries, including Austria, Hungary, Turkey, Poland, Germany, Canada and the Czech Republic.
"I was rather naive earlier this spring when I thought to myself, 'Hey, you've got a great travel schedule coming up, why not make a timelapse film?'" he wrote on the Reddit post that propelled his video into virality. "I had never shot time-lapse before and I bit off more than I could chew."
While on an expedition to Alaska that was run by GoPro and Project Aether, Gower was able to capture the footage from near-space using a GoPro camera housed inside a thermal lunchbox with handwarmers and a GPS attached to a balloon. Most of the footage, however, was shot with a more standard Nikon DSLR.
Gower also described his feelings about the meaning behind the video on Vimeo: "Humans are part of the natural order. We're risen apes that acquired language and learned to use tools. Skyscrapers and spacecraft may seem unnatural, but they're just as much a part of the natural order as beaver dams and bird nests. Boring electrical lines hint at the energy solution of a mammalian species. Open your eyes to the world you've grown accustomed to, and rejoice in the fact that you can participate in the human project."
BONUS: Beyond the Horizon: 20 Breathtaking Photos From Readers