What is a cinemagraph? To learn that, it is best to go to the experts. In this case, those two would be artistic duo Jaime Beck and Kevin Burg, who have worked for more than a year experimenting and perfecting this unique brand of photography. According to them, cinemagraphs are “something more than a photo but less than a video”.

This is certainly a wonderful, if not explanatory, way of defining it. But what are they really? Simply put, they are the next generation on animated GIF images; moving pictures that help tell a small story in a single instant.

Elegant, expressive and all around amazing, Burg and Beck have truly taken these photos somewhere no one would have expected. They have now been elevated to an entirely new genre, which isolates sections of an image to create movement, either simple or complex.

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It wasn’t until recently that these two really showcased their work. It all came to a head at this year’s New York Fashion Week, back in September. They took a number of photographs and created a gorgeous set of cinemagraphs that stand alone. They made a whole new form of art. All of their shots can be seen at their blog, From Me To You.

But what are some other places for finding examples of cinemagraph excellence? Check out these sites that will not only show off the best, but will also teach you how to make your own:

1. If we don’t, remember me.: a gallery of living movie stills, which has been updated since October 2010.

2. Cinemagraph Group on Flickr: an ative user-generated source of Cinemagraph inspiration.

3. Tumbrl posts tagged as “Cinemagraph”.

4. 30 Amazing Stanley Kubrick Cinemagraphs

Cinemagraph Tutorials

Cinemagraph Tutorial – This tutorial shows how to isolate certain obvious sections of the picture and create movement easily. The flowing of the hair and dress are breathtaking, as they look natural and believable. The photo itself is lovely, as is the effect. You could easily adapt the process in the guide to any picture.

How to make a Cinemagraph with Photoshop and After Effects – This article has a video embedded in the text that shows you the entire process of creating your own cinemagraph. It is created for Photoshop and After Effects, and while it is simple to follow, it helps if you have some experience working with these two programs, especially in tandem.

Cinemagraph/Subtle GIF Tutorial – This is a basic GIF, which uses a somewhat different process than the others. But this tutorial has taken the more subtle approach, trying to create movement so small that at first you might not catch it. The picture itself is beautiful, and a perfect example of how you don’t need much to create a great effect.

How To Make Your Own Cinemagraphs: A New Take on GIFs – This tutorial takes an example from Jaime Beck and uses it to provide a walkthrough. They show how layers in Photoshop can be used to easily follow the same process for any image. Their own is an escalator, which can be made to move with repeated layering of rapidly taken images in real life.

What are your own examples of your favorite cinemagraphs? Let us know in the comments.