What time is it, boys and girls? It’s time to finger paint with some light! Yes, it’s time for some Light Painting!
Recently, I was part of a rather odd coincidence. I attended not one but two light painting events here in the Texas Hill Country. Both were so much fun and each a change of pace, so I thought I would share and let you in on all of this fun.
Wait, Light What?
Now, if you’ve never done light painting (paint with light/paint with flash) before, it might be a little bit hard to describe, especially if you are not a photographer. Basically, the way it works, is that you set your camera up on a tripod in a dark setting (we used darkened studios) and run around with lights to illuminate the subject.
It’s kind of the opposite of more traditional photography, where you chase light with your camera. In this technique, you leave your camera plunked down and run around with light, bringing the light to your camera instead. Basically, you run around in the dark waving light sources in front of a camera to capture the image.
It might sound a bit wonky, but usually it ends up being a lot of fun. Running around in the dark, waving lights can be a treat. Part of the technique is that you never know what you are going to get. It’s experimental, which is another reason I love doing it. (Well, if we’re being honest, it had me at the run around in the dark like a crazy person with a glowing stick bit, but you get the idea.)
Thursday Night Light Painting Club
The first session I attended was with the wonderfully talented Josh Baker of Azulox Photography. I’ve known Josh for a while, he’s a great photographer and he’s always full of fun to work with in the studio. This session was for the North Austin Pfoto group and wound up being pretty full but we still had a great time.
We packed ourselves into the Round Rock Studio production set where we could work in a darkened studio. The dark really helps for this technique, because then it allows the only source of light to be your magic wand, whip, or whatever else you run around with that glows.
Whips of Light and Fun
One thing I really admire about Josh is that he is very hard working and always doing something. He is full of energy and so our session was pretty dynamic. We had a great model, which is hard to do with light painting, since they have to stay still in the dark for a long time, and Josh reminded me how I really should do more to get off the porch.
He was sharing all of the projects he’s doing and some of the fun he’s had with the light painting technique. Meanwhile, I’ve been watching squirrels and contemplating the universe. I was reminded of a meme I saw the other day, “People are climbing mountains & zip lining & I’m feeling good I got my leg through my underwear without falling down.” It made me realize how much I’ve slowed down and how I really should pick up the pace, or at least get off the porch more.
Since the session, I’ve been telling myself things like, “Oh, Josh has probably written three novels and taken four hundred shots today. It’s noon. I’m still in bed. Euf!” Note to self: get bottom in gear more often.
Sign Me Up for More Light Painting, This is Fun!
I did manage to goad myself into taking a second light painting class, thanks in part to Josh being so full of beans and maybe a little of this attitude rubbing off on me. At first, I was going to pass on it, because I had to go and drop off some artwork and, well, I can’t really be expected to do TWO things in ONE day now, can I?
As it turned out, Josh was a good influence and I left the squirrels run around unsupervised to attend session number two, which was also amazing. I’m so very happy I went.
Saturday In the Dark Garage Light Painting
I got word from Charlie Favret that the Texas Photography Festival folks were holding a special pop up light painting workshop with Emily Robinson of LightWorx Studio on Saturday so I decided to paint some more light.
This one was held at the studio nearby and was a fabulous workshop. The studio is actually large enough to pull a car inside, as Emily does light painting for cars and motorcycles. I learned so much and we really had a great group of folks.
For this one, we took turns running around with the lights and setup the cameras in a lineup so we could really drop the shutter release and run around with the lights.
Emily also shared several resources, including other photographers who do a lot of light painting and some additional products and manufacturers where you can get tools of the trade. It was wonderfully informative and a lot of fun.
The Motorcycle and the Rainbow
In this image, Charlie pulled his motorcycle into the dark studio but it didn’t stay dark for long. Here it stands proudly against a backdrop of swirling rainbow lights. It’s as if the bike is revving up to join the dance of colors, inviting you to imagine the roar of the engine and the rush of the wind.
A Burst of Light Painting Energy
Next up, we have a dynamic shot of our model surrounded by a whirlwind of colorful lights. The energy is palpable! It’s like she’s channeling the very essence of joy and freedom. For this shot, I asked her to hold my crystal ball and sort of gaze into it, just to see what it would do.
The Enigmatic Figure
In another image from Saturday, a mysterious figure stands silhouetted against a backdrop of flames. In this one, Emily’s studio mannequin provides a mystery and allure, while the flames (actually lights) dance behind her.
Fire and Bike
Then, we shift gears to a more intense scene. Charlie brought his motorcycle in and we got him to pose with it, framed by flames that seem to leap and dance behind him. We had a bunch of fun with the different lighted backgrounds, with things like flames, flags, even anime eyes, not to mention light sabres, and all kinds of different light sources.
The Power of Light and Color
Light painting isn’t just about making stunning visuals. The technique provides a way to express yourself, as the hand of the artist is painting with the light itself. Light painting is a way of seeing the world that’s different. It’s letting light accumulate and collecting it so it can make a big impact. It really is chasing magic in the dark.
I love that about light painting and so happy I got to take part in these sessions. I’ve done light painting before, but both of these sessions were different and so much fun in their own way.
So, what do you think? I hope you like them as much as I enjoyed bringing them to you.
Until next time…
