Cool video of Light Painting Photographer Dennis Calvert At work.

Photonmancer Dennis Calvert (denniscalvert.net/) was in town shooting some promo pics for local Atlanta artist DJ Kave and invited me along to shoot some behind the scenes. Filmed using a blend of video and time-lapse.

Came out pretty good but I’ll be traveling to Alabama to try to film Dennis at work for a follow-up video! Definitely learned a few lessons on how to capture the process on camera and that ISO6400 looks rough even at f/2.8…

Thanks to Rhythma Dance Studios for letting us shoot into the night at their venue. rhythmastudios.com/

Filmed by Zachary Long of FengLong Photography FengLongPhoto.com/

Music by DJ Kave “Oasis Remix”

Okay this doesn’t really have anything to do with light painting but if you are a serious light painter (or a nerd) you may get a kick out of it and it might just help you understand light a little bit better. This “Camera” was developed by MIT to basically record how light travels and how it hits an object. AWESOME!

Video of a fruit illuminated by a femtosecond laser pulse and captured at an effective trillion frames per second. Light moves less than 1 mm per frame.

We have built an imaging solution that allows us to visualize propagation of light at an effective rate of one trillion frames per second. Direct recording of light at such a frame rate with sufficient brightness is nearly impossible. We use an indirect ‘stroboscopic’ method that combines millions of repeated measurements by careful scanning in time and viewpoints.

The device has been developed by the MIT Media Lab’s Camera Culture group in collaboration with Bawendi Lab in the Department of Chemistry at MIT. A laser pulse that lasts less than one trillionth of a second is used as a flash and the light returning from the scene is collected by a camera at a rate equivalent to roughly 1 trillion frames per second. However, due to very short exposure times (roughly one trillionth of a second) and a narrow field of view of the camera, the video is captured over several minutes by repeated and periodic sampling.

For more info visit

http://raskar.info/trillionfps
http://femtophoto.info

Music: “Rising” by Kevin MacLeod (http://music.incompetech.com/royaltyfree2/Rising.mp3)
. Music by Kevin McLeod.

http://raskar.info/trillionfps
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/13/science/speed-of-light-lingers-in-face-of-m…
http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2011/trillion-fps-camera-1213.html

Do you have a light painter who is a friend of family member, maybe a brother….and your like S#*! I dont know what to get this idiot. I don’t even like him, but mom is gonna be pissed if I don’t get him a gift again this year. Well have no fear here are a few killer ideas…

Any of lights from Coast would make for a great new addition to any light painters arsenal. The HP 21 is the baddest light around if your looking to light up a city block or the moon.

Got a few less bucks to spend this year the HP line with the finger tip focus (so easy even the idiot can’t screw it up) are great light painting brushes! Looking for a stocking stuffer how about the TX10 a great light for light writing or light calligraphy. The TX10 has four colors, white, red, green and blue – each controlled by a separate switch. The G5 and G10 lights are awesome lights for making stars or “fairy dust”… One more great idea that is often overlooked is a HEADLAMP for finding your way in the dark.

WHEN YOU BUY FROM LIGHTSANDKNIVES.COM USE THE PROMO CODE LPP AT CHECK OUT TO GET 15% OFF ON ANY COAST PRODUCT THRU DECEMBER!!!

Light painting artist Darren Pearson, a.k.a. Darius Twin, makes some rad stuff. If you haven’t seen Darren’s work your computer must have been broke for the last few months. Darren has been “Blowing Minds with Light Lines” with his light painting images of dinosaurs and other creatures. He has a store where you can buy prints as well as some super cool T-shirts with his imagery on them.  A shirt with a light painted dinosaur on it, that is the perfect gift for your idiot brother? CLICK HERE FOR THE STORE.

Light painting photography supporter Adorama has every piece of photo gear you could possibly need. Cameras, lenses, tripods, gels, shutter releases, and flashes!

A good tripod has got to be one of the most important things used to create a nice light painting image. Is your idiot brother holding his tripod together with duct tape then get him a Slik 500 HD Tripod and make his life. Just make sure the weight of his camera system doesn’t exceed the max of 11 pounds. Which it shouldn’t unless he has been feeding his camera doughnuts.

So the idiot has a good tripod how about getting him a Gorillapod. With this little monster you can get any angle imaginable. Get way down low to the ground or wrap it around a tree, you can literally put this thing anywhere. Again make sure the weight of the camera rig doesn’t exceed the 6.6 lb limit of this tripod.

Are you sick of holding the button down while your idiot brother dances around with glow sticks in front of the camera. I know its makes no sense to you and when girls walk by its super hard to strike up a conversation with your idiot brother dancing around like a fairy. If you get him a shutter release like the RS-80N3 or the more advanced TC-80N3 you will never have to push the button again. Both of these shutter releases are for Canon camera’s if your idiot brother has another kind of camera then click HERE.

Want to speed up the process of your idiot brother taking pictures so you don’t have to stand around with him for hours and hours? One way to do that is to get him a flash that has a fast recycle time. The Canon Speedlite 580ex is extremely fast. Not only is it fast it gives you complete control of the amount of flash you shoot into you image.  Don’t have the loot to spend and why would you, what has he ever done for you anyway, well then check out these other still great but less expensive flashes.

Ok just admit it you love the idiot. I mean maybe he let your dog go and maybe he accidentally slept with your girlfriend, twice. But he is your brother and you guys are blood. Just because he stole your identity and ran up your credit cards is no reason not to get him a fantastic holiday gift. He did apologize for putting that kilo of cocaine in your car and calling the cops to let them know you had a little too much to drink when you were driving home from the bar . He’s your brother go ahead and get him what he really wants the Canon 5D Mark II, or if you love him a little less the Canon 7D, or even less the Canon Rebel T3i.

Another light painter who has been creating some cool products is Nocturne. He has just released the Noctography Gel System that he designed with Rosco Gels. He also has some rad hats and T-shirts with his light painting imagery on them. Check out Noctune’s online store HERE.

 Still not feeling inspired. Why not buy a print from one of the amazing light painting photographers listed HERE and HERE. You will not only be getting your idiot brother an amazing gift but you will also be supporting the artist that inspire him and art form that he loves so much. Buying a print from one of these visionaries allows them to continue to make history.

P.S. If you don’t have an idiot brother please insert sister, cousin, uncle, niece, nephew, boyfriend, girlfriend, husband, or wife. We all have and idiot.

P.S.S. If you are a Featured Artist and/or Bright Talent Artist and have a product link you would like added into this post please e-mail ASAP.

Film maker and artist Nico A. Eloranta has created a pretty cool light painting documentary called “Lightpainted Reality” on light painters Janne Parviainen, Hannu Huhtamo, and Pekka Parviainen. After watching this 26 minutes of light painting goodness read the interview with Nico (below) to learn more.

Nico A. Elorante Interview

LPP ∇ Hey Nico thanks for sending this my way. I like the doc. you really captured that spirit of exploration that light painters have, why did you make this documentary? Why light painting?

NE ∇ I have done some video work before and those projects have been mainly fictional stuff. I had dreamed for years to make some kind of documentary but never figured out what it could be about. One day few years ago I was speaking with Janne Parviainen and then it hit me… he was totally falling into light painting and I was just fashinated about his photos… so why wouldn’t I make a documentary about light painting, about Janne and his friends.

LPP ∇ Did you know the artist in this documentary before you decided to make it?

NE ∇ Yes, Janne has been a good friend of mine for years so it was easy to start making documentary with him. Hannu Huhtamo and Pekka Parviainen were doing light painting stuff with Janne before so it was also easy to get them excited about the idea of this documentary too.

LPP ∇ How did you all meet?

NE ∇ I met Janne at arts school back at year 2006 and after that we have done many art and video projects together. Hannu and Pekka I had met before making the documentary too, so I knew the entire crew before starting to make the documentary.

LPP ∇ How did they react when you told them what you wanted to create?

NE ∇ They were all excited about the idea of the documentary. And at the time we started to shoot the documentary the dudes hadn’t gained as much publicity as now with their light painting art so we all thought that the documentary is a cool way to show their talent.

LPP ∇ Were they all open about their techniques, or did they want to keep them secret?

NE ∇ As one can see in the documentary the guys were really open to show what they do and how they do it. So, no big secrets were kept from the audience. The difficulty was to get it all captured in the darkness as not too much lights could have been used as the technique itself needs darkness around the process.

LPP ∇ Were they easy to work with?

NE ∇ Yes, the experience were absolutely rewarding and interesting. I think we all enjoyed the light painting trips together. I had promised that I wouldn’t be in their way as they do their light paintings and I shot the documentary as a kind of a bystander. And I was happy to get to help to do few light paintings too so I got to be part of the process.

LPP ∇ How long did it take to shoot and edit this film?

NE ∇ I think it took about six months or so to get the material shot. It was hard to schedule the trips as everyone of us was involved in so many other projects too. As I had shot all the video material I thought I would need for the
documentary I had about 12 hours of footage to start editing with. The actual editing took about five months then as I had an other job too while doing this project. The first edition of the documentary was about 45 minutes long, but after watching it numerous times I thought it should be edited more to keep the flow and feeling as I wanted it to be.

LPP ∇ What was the worst part about making the documentary?

NE ∇ As we are speaking about light painting which mostly happens in dark surroundings it was really hard to shoot the actual process with video as I didn’t have a ir-camera at my use. For video light I mostly used one headlamp and even that had to be turned of most of the time for not to violate the light painting process. So there were lots of pitch black footage on video when I started to check the materials thru. It was also really hard to focus my videocam at the dark as automatic focus didnt work at all. And the lights were on and of in short periods when guys did their paintings so I had to be fast to get them on screen and focused as they did their stuff.

LPP ∇ What was the best part about making the documentary?

NE ∇ The places the dudes like to do their light paintings are really interesting and sometimes kind of creepy so every trip was an experience itself. It was cool to wonder around places at night time and in total darkness. That was something I wouldn’t propably do in my everyday life.

LPP ∇ You shot at night a lot in some pretty sketchy places did anything out of the ordinary happen? Any scary moments you would like to share?

NE ∇ I don’t recall any actual dangerous or creepy things to happen while shooting this documentary even if some of the places were scary on their own at night time. But ones imagination can play tricks in such a surroundings and of course some creepy voices and stuff were heard many times.

LPP ∇ What are you doing with the documentary?

NE ∇ I tried to submit this documentary in various documentary and short film festivals around the world but hadn’t any luck with it so far. Maybe I now hope that someone would find this documentary via internet and would offer some kind of display opportunity somewhere, sometime…who knows?

LPP ∇ Are you a light painter?

NE ∇ I am not a light painter myself. Only light painting I have made was the titles for the documentary with the guys even if that wasn’t even actual light painting I think. But we did stencils and all, so the process was quite similar as some light painters use. And I have been in few light paintings of Janne to assist him which have been a blast.

I bought a camera while doing the documentary with the idea to try light painting myself. But never had enough time for it so already sold the camera and desided to stay with the art forms I already know. I do glass-, metal- and videoart.

LPP ∇ Where can we see more of your work?

NE ∇ Our video stuff can be found at youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/user/iconemus

And my other arts forms at Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/nicoaeloranta/

And some making of stuff about our video projects :
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ninjawhispers/

LPP ∇ Thanks for taking the time to answer some questions Nico great work.

NE ∇ Thank You.

Enlightened Souls was created by Fabrice Wittner as a tribute to the people that endured loss and hardships from the Christchurch’s earthquake early this year. Fabrice used light painting techniques and life sized stencils to create these ghostly images. He says this of the project:
“After the 6.3 quake occurred in Canterbury NZ, people were involved to help their neighbors, to rebuild houses, to clean the street or to make donations. I wanted to contribute by doing something too, giving what I was able to, some of my time and skills. Giving support to my friends, to the men and women I met, who told me their stories. I liked somehow to show this support and admiration to all those people I don’t even know but who stand strong facing this drama with courage and humility. It’s also important to me not to forget the loss when the main thought is about to rebuild.

I might be a ridiculous rain drop in the ocean of help Christchurch got from every part of the country, but I definitely wanted to be a part of it. This project has been submitted to the Christchurch City Council. The donation of prints didn’t find any reply yet – everybody can understand that they may have some bigger preoccupations right now – but I’d still like to give it some exposure.”

Images and info from Behance.

This link was sent in by light painter James Bear. Frank Gilbreth was the first person to ever create a light painting image. He created the image to study the movements of workers in what he called “Work Simplification Studies”. By attaching a small light to the workers hands and tools he used the open shutter of a camera to trace their movements. He then made models of the movements and found that a trained worker had a much smoother motion and made for a more productive employee.

Check out Mr. Gilbreth’s videos HERE.