Patrick Rochon

Photographer Patrick Rochon began Light Painting in 1992. He declared himself a full time light painter in 1997 on a flight to Tokyo. Patrick is known for his visionary light painting portraits as well as his work in the automotive world and his live light painting performances. He takes the art of light painting photography beyond its limits and produces some beautiful work along the way. Patrick enjoys creating spontaneously but he also has been known to meditate to find his inspiration and then build on the momentum while he works to give birth to a bigger creation. In the early 90’s Patrick was living in New York and did a gallery exhibition with T.Y.K.2, the owner decided to fly the artist to Japan for an exhibition there and he fell in love with Tokyo. Patrick loved it so much he ended up letting his flight go back without him and he lived there for ten years. Patrick is now back living in Montreal Canada working on his light painting imagery. Please view some of his images below and for even more information check out Patrick’s website PatrickRochon.com and view his youtube channel where he post video of his latest projects.

Light Painting Photography Interview conducted by Jason D. Page in 2010

1. What is your name?
I’m Patrick Rochon and I’m a light painter since 1992.

2.Do you have an alias that you go by?
Just Patrick the light painter

3.Are you a soloist or are you part of a Light Painting group? If a group who is in your group?
Photography wise I’ve been working solo since 1992 but often I do collaborations. For live performances I was part of a few groups. With friends we created “Light Warriors Tokyo”, “Liquid Vision” and “Boa”.
Now I work under my name and buit teams for ech projects.

4.What education do you have?
College degree in photography, but I must say that the biggest learning I did was from traveling, living all kinds of experiences and specially from meeting great people and exchanging with them.

5.What is your occupation? I’m a light painter, I explore it trough photography, live performances and video.

6.How long have you been a photographer?
Since 1991 when I graduated.

7.How long have you been light painting?
Since 1992

8.How did you discover Light Painting Photography?
Trough a friend I saw a B&W photograph that had a slight light painting touch in it. I asked what it was and it sparked my mind.

9.What was your first Light Painting Image?
I started with my room mate and my girlfriend at the time. So since
then working with people is my passion and speciality.

10.Film or Digital?
15 years of film, now digital and I’m loving it.

11. Do you believe in aliens?
Well I like to be logical and I love observing. I try to stay away from beliefs. of course I love looking at the stars and how vast cosmos is. When I do i think ” it can’t all be dead out there”. There are two very interesting article to read.

From the New York Time:

From CNN:
http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/02/02/nasa.kepler.planets/index.html?hpt=C1

The facts are getting more and more interesting.
Also this phenomena was published in a few major new channels:

ABC news:
http://abcnews.go.com/International/ufo-china-closes-airport-prompts-investigation/story?id=11159531

Daily Mail UK:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1293395/UFO-China-closes-Xiaoshan-Airport-spotted-flying-city.html

The Telegraph:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/ufo/8043055/UFO-closes-Chinese-airport.html

12.What is your standard Light Painting Photography setup? Mmmm no standart, black background indoor is often used for portraits and nudes.

13.What is your favorite color?
All colors and I love transparency.

14.Who influences your Light Painting Photography work?
No one really, I did body painting before light painting. I also had other influences but mainly my curiosity to discover and create.

15.Who is your favorite Light Painting Artist?
I had the chance to witness Aurora Crowley’s process. He started as a hair sculptor and he was doing body painting and body design. We collaborated in 1996. Him doing the styling and the look on the model and me doing the ligt painting. Since then he started his own light paintings. It took a good 10 years of investment on his part to get to this point and now his fashion light painting is timeless.

16.What is your favorite food?
Non-chemical and non-industrialised food.

17.Do you create in any other mediums other than light painting? If so what are they?
Life in general is an art form. Creating your reality, creating yourself.

18. What is your favorite Light Painting Photography image that you have created?
I love the serie with the Butoh dancers and also the shoot with Toyota. I hope to impress myself in the near future.

19. What is your favorite Light Painting Photography image of another artist?
I love what Manray did because it symbolizes the beginning of light painting photography. Also the serie Gjon Mili did with Picasso.

20. What is the most difficult part of Light Painting Photography? Trusting your intuition, your instinct without tying to control.

21. How do you get you Light Painting Photography work seen? Internet, blogs magazine. I’m working on an erotic exhibition. I haven’t printed in a very long time. This is exciting.

22. Do you sell your Light Painting Photography work?
Yes, love it that’s alway an honor.

23. Are you represented by a gallery?
Not yet but working on it. I have an agent for commercial work 2M2: http://www.2m2.ca/

24.Where can we see more of your work?
Some is on Flickr, some on my site and some at the agency 2M2

25.What is your favorite quote?
In everything you do, no matter if it’s personal, professional or spiritual, there’s always a secret door waiting to be discovered,,,and you are the key to that door.

I said this one in India 2009 in from of a crowd of 6000 university
students.

27. What is you favorite activity other than light painting? Growing, expanding and transforming.

32. Where do you find inspiration for your Light Painting Photography? I don’t need inspiration, I just do it, it’s a practice.

34. Who would you like to kiss?
mmmm…

35. Why do you Light Paint?
Cause it’s magical

36. What is your favorite time to shoot?
Night

37. What is your favorite subject to shoot?
Portraits & nudes

40. Have you ever invented a Light Painting Photography tool? If so what was it and how did it work? Working on new ones with my friend Sylvain Lavoie

41. Do you ever get sick of explaining your work to people? I love it, I’m always exposing people to this form of art and I’m always giving my card so they ca see it on my site.

42. How many times have you heard the work photoshop when someone was describing or asking about your work?
aaaaahhh many times of course but photoshop can be art too, it’s just a tool and I love it.

43. What makes you happy?
The rise of conscious people in the world

44. What makes you mad?
The rise of dumb people in the world.

45. What part of Light Painting Photography do you enjoy the most? The good surprises when you look at the result.

46. What part of Light Painting Photography do you hate the most? The bad surprises when you look at the result.

47.Do you have a website? If yes what is the address?
http://www.patrickrochon.com

48.What is Light Painting Photography?
You answer this one..

49.Give me some advice for anyone that might like to try Light Painting Photography.
Do it often, have fun and get your friends involved.

50.Are you scared of the dark?
I love it.