Most of the time I shoot lightpainting images in the dark where little to no editing has been done. Everything is created in one exposure and to be honest it can become an obsession.
There's a constant raging debate among lightpainters about what constitutes "sooc" as in straight out of camera. It feels as if I could very easily open the can of worms and state what I think sooc means but I take the view that everything is recorded in one exposure and that some minor editing such as cropping or levels adjustments is fine. A taboo is after the fact composite images and a big no no!
So to me cropping is "fair game" and OK to do since the following original images were all shot in one photographic exposure. I like to sit and dabble with cropping images to see what differences can be made with an image and the 65:24 ratio crop surprised me how much more cinematic the images became!
Laser Beam Nights
I started off with these 65:24 crops looking for images I'd shot where the subject is in the centre of frame. This set me on a quest to move away from central to off set. I like to be different!
Laser Level Nights
I was given a work provided laser level tool. Lord only knows why because I had no intention of using it! One thing that did become apparent though was the great beams of light being emitted and I knew I could put it to good use!
Lasers in a cave under Derbyshire
This is a cave under Derbyshire where the more smoke you can produce, the more pronounced the laser beams become!
The Thing of Chee Dale
On our favourite Peak District trail and more specifically under it is this river with stepping stones along the edges. Around the corner is @fadetoblack stood up to his knees in water waving a flashlight around the scenery in the dark. It's not easy to co-ordinate an image like where the sound of running water is deafening!
Loxley Nights and the Quadrablaster
Using a fisheye lens can be a daunting thing. You generally get more than you bargain for in the images and the 65:24 works for me here!
Kinetic Forest
Going for the rule of thirds as well as the 65:24 crop, this is a technique I've been messing with. I call it the "tilt and pan" method (thanks to @lacelight!)
Tilt the camera to a predetermined angle and ask the model to hold an unlit flashlight while I create the lighting around. Then just before the exposure ends, the model switches on the flashlight and I simultaneously pan the camera to leave a trail of light in the final image:
Paranoia!
This is a circuit board based lightpainting image where the theme was paranoia or the feeling of forever being watched. It works for me in 65 x 24:
Salford Quays Sunset
Not strictly lightpainting but I have a soft spot for this sunset image and it seems to work in 65 by 24:
A wiggle too far?
I found it quite tricky to select a suitable image for the crop. I realise I must have been shooting for the full 3:2 ratio and making use of the whole frame. This one very nearly works but it's just that bit tight in the frame:
Stanage Edge Sunset
I realised that landscape images seem to work better being cropped in this way. Here is another fave of mine where I persuaded a complete stranger with a tripod in hand to stand on the edge of a cliff and pose for a few minutes while I faffed with my filters!
About me:
I usually specialise in shooting lightpainting images but occasionally dabble in urbex and artistic model photography. I'm always on the lookout for someone to collaborate with; please don't hesitate to get in touch if you'd like to create art.
Social Media
https://www.facebook.com/fastchrisuk
https://www.flickr.com/photos/fastchris/
Lightpainting is a photographic technique in which exposures are made by moving a hand-held light source while taking a long exposure photograph, either to illuminate a subject or to shine a point of light directly at the camera, or by moving the camera itself during exposure. Nothing is added or removed in post processing.
If you would like to see more lightpainting please give the Lightpainters United Community a follow and you will be introduced into the illuminating world of light painting!
If you want to see more examples of lightpainting, feel free to check out these guys:
Mafu Fuma | Oddballgraphics | FadetoBlack | DAWN | Mart Barras | Stefan Stepke | Nikolay Trebukhin | Lee Todd | Stabeu Light | Maxime Pateau | Stephen Sampson | lightandlense | Neil Rushby | L.A.C.E.
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