Aaron Bauer

Light painting artist Aaron Bauer, a.k.a. Drtongs, has been capturing images since 2005 and creating disappearing light designs since 2009. Aaron works long nights to create his images, frequently shooting from night fall until the sun comes up. His favorite place to shoot is the great outdoors and Aaron tries to incorporate the human figure into his images “so people can relate better”. He has recently been developing the technique of what he calls “single exposure trickery” where the final image looks as though it has been double or even triple exposed creating a very distinct style on light painting photograph. Check out some of Aaron’s images below, read his full light painting photography interview, and for even more images and information check out Aaron’s website www.bauerphotography.net

 

1. What is your name?
Aaron Bauer

2. Do you have an alias that you go by?
Drtongs

3. Are you a soloist or are you part of a Light Painting group? If a group who is in your group?
Most of my is solo but I like to travel to meet up with other light painters.

4. What education do you have?
I have a little college background that I did nothing with.

5. What is your occupation?
Chefery

6. How long have you been a photographer?
I’ve been taking pictures for 5 yrs.

7. How long have you been light painting?
2 yrs

8. How did you discover Light Painting Photography?
Todd Blaisdell A.K.A BlaisOne. He wrote my name in the air with a flashlight some years ago and something just clicked.

9. What was your first Light Painting Image?
It was under a bridge in Ft Lauderdale I had taped a couple sparklers to a glowstick and spun it around.

10. Film or Digital?
Both

11. Do you believe in aliens?
I believe TackyShack is an alien!

12. What is your standard Light Painting Photography setup?
I mainly use flashlights. Steel wool, fireworks, LED tools, led glowsticks, orb tools, imagination.

13. What is your favorite color?
Warm colors

14. Who influences your Light Painting Photography work?
SO many I don’t want to start naming cause I might forget some.

15. Who is your favorite Light Painting Artist?
I really like Rosetta Pierre and Dean Chamberlain

16. What is your favorite food?
ATM Lingua (Cow Tongue)

17. Do you create in any other mediums other than light painting? If so what are they?
Food and music

18. What is your favorite Light Painting Photography image that you have created?
“The Things She Carried” http://www.flickr.com/photos/drtongs/4964231301/in/set-72157625016344682

19. What is your favorite Light Painting Photography image of another artist?
Portrait of Laura Huxley by Dean Chamberlain
http://www.deanchamberlain.com/port_2.html

20. What is the most difficult part of Light Painting Photography?
Winter time

21. How do you get you Light Painting Photography work seen?
FLickr and word of mouth

22. Do you sell your Light Painting Photography work?
Sometimes

23. Are you represented by a gallery?
No

24. Where can we see more of your work?
www.flickr.com/photos/drtongs

25. What is your favorite quote?
“Deeper meaning resides in the fairy tales told to me in my childhood than in any truth that is taught in life.” ~Friedrich Schiller

26. Who is your favorite artist?
Salvador Dali

27. What is you favorite activity other than light painting?
Day dreaming

28. Tell me a good light painting story.
Tackyshack and I get together every so often to shoot and hang out for a weekend or longer. One particular visit Tacky and I decided to shoot three counties in one session. We started off in Catawba Valley, Va (where the Blueridge and Appalachain Mountains meet) on some land my mother has there. We went through Roanoke, Va and ended in Floyd, Va where Tacky resides. We shot for 14hrs and as the sun was rising through the trees and exposures were less than a min we called it quits. We are very competitive in a friendly way when we shoot together so it was a “who got the best SOOC shot” for every frame. We explored a lot of different techniques that we didn’t normally explore and it was very eye opening. I will always take the time to shoot with Tacky 10hr drive or not. We have known each other for years and just so happened to be getting into LP around the same time and were reacquainted through the flickr LP community. Cheers Tacky!!!

29. Tell me a nightmare light painting story.
The other day I went to the Indianapolis Museum of Arts to ask permission to use the 100 acres park they own for some night time photography. They said they would email to set up a meeting. I received the email and it stated I was not granted permission to use the 100 acres at night and if I’m caught there I will be arrested. Then they went further to tell me I had to take down all the photos I had taken there previously from my website and no longer able to use those images for business cards and such or they will take legal action.
I wrote back disappointed in their email, rules and regulations stating I will not take them down It’s my art and I will show it to whom ever I want. (a little childish perhaps) but I was livid. I probably wil end up taking them down if their lawyers call. ☺

30. Have you ever been arrested or ticketed for light painting?
No, luckily just asked to leave. A lot of the times the officers will tell me not to trespass but then say something like “we are heading this way”, pointing in the opposite direction of the land I want to shoot on “and we won’t be back for a couple hrs) wink wink.

31. What do you say to people when they see you light painting and they ask “what the hell are you doing”?
Pelt them with flaming balls of steel wool. Maybe get them dancing with a roman candle.

32. Where do you find inspiration for your Light Painting Photography?
All the great Light Painters on Flickr.

33. Who would you like to punch?
I’m pretty passive… unless tequila is involved.

34. Who would you like to kiss?
Ummm… who wouldn’t I want to kiss!

35. Why do you Light Paint?
To create something that can only be seen in a photograph.

36. What is your favorite time to shoot?
10 at night it’s a good 8 hrs to shoot til the sun comes up.

37. What is your favorite subject to shoot?
Math. Oh, wait to shoot? Hmmm… I like it all. I do like to have human figures in the picture so ppl can relate better.

38. Where is your favorite place to shoot?
Atm, I really like shooting at old barns.

39. If you could travel anywhere to Light Paint where would you go?
Space station

40. Have you ever invented a Light Painting Photography tool? If so what was it and how did it work? Invent, no. I have made a couple from other peoples designs and they worked just fine. There are some crazy talented light builders out there. TxPilot being most fascinating to me.

41. Do you ever get sick of explaining your work to people?
Yeah a little.

42. How many times have you heard the work photoshop when someone was describing or asking about your work?
Too many

43. What makes you happy?
Good music

44. What makes you mad?
Getting ticks

45. What part of Light Painting Photography do you enjoy the most?
When you nail a shot on the first try.

46. What part of Light Painting Photography do you hate the most?
The outdoors is limited to darkness.

47. Do you have a website? If yes what is the address?
www.bauerphotography.net

48. What is Light Painting Photography?
Painting your vision with lights in real time.

49. Give me some advice for anyone that might like to try Light Painting Photography.
Experiment with anything and everything.

50. Are you scared of the dark?
I’m scared of the noises I hear in the dark.