Congratulations to Light Painters Satwik Sharma, Ankur Bansal, Sanchit Kapur, Shobhit Tiwari, Jeswin Rebello and Arun Pandit for now holding the official Guinness World Record of 900 Light Painted Orbs in a single exposure as seen in the above image!

First let me give a little back story on the Light Painting Guinness World Record… The quest to get a Light Painting World Record all started back in 2011 with Andrew Wells when he single handily created 100 Orbs in a single image in his Century of Light Orbs Project. Andrew should have had the first ever Light Painting World record in the Guinness Book back in 2011 however he didn’t have all of the documentation that Guinness requires. Andrew might not have made the book because of technicality but he was the first. Then in 2014 a group of Light Painters (myself included) set out to break Andrew’s record and to “officially” get the first Light Painting Guinness World Record in The Big Book! Together the East Coast Light Painters created 200 Orbs in a single image. Now the record has been shattered with 900 Orbs in a single image from a group of 6 Light Painters from India! The Indian Light Painters created 900 orbs in a single exposure using a very smart approach and some good old DIY Light Painting innovation, read on for all the details from group member Dr. Satwik Sharma!

LPP ∇ Congratulation on being the new Guinness World Record holder for the most Light Painted Orb in a Single Photograph! Can you tell me who all were involved in creating the record?

SS ∇ We were a team of 6 guys. Myself (Satwik Sharma), Ankur Bansal, Sanchit Kapur, Shobhit Tiwari, Jeswin Rebello and Arun Pandit

LPP ∇ How many orbs did you create in the record breaking image?

SS ∇ In the record breaking image we made 900 orbs. Though we did create a second image that day, and in that we made about 1450 orbs. But sadly, both the cameras recording the video, were interrupted mid-way, so we couldnt submit the footage from it to Guinness.

LPP ∇ How many attempts did it take?

SS ∇ This was our second attempt. In our first attempt we managed close to 600 orbs (594 to be precise). But me, along with a couple of team mates, were not satisfied with the pictures we got. So thought of making the attempt again. And with a new attempt, the target number of orbs was also increased to a minimum of 900. In our second attempt we did a trial run first, and made 210 orbs in that trial run. Adjusting the exposure we made the final run, and succeeded in making 900 orbs. In the second attempt the number was raised to 1500. Sadly, the batteries started to run out, by the end of the second attempt bringing down the number of orbs to about 1450. So we abandoned the third attempt.

LPP ∇ I know that you had tried to break the record once before in a different way. Can you tell me about that experience?

SS ∇ To be frankly speaking, our first attempt was heavily influenced by the ideas of the East Coast Light Painters World Record. So we tried replicating those tools, and those methods. And thankfully, we had the help of my Alma Mater, Sainik School, Kunjpura. We gave a crash course of light painting and making orbs to about 100 students over there (or as much as we can teach in an hour). After dinner, we had them gathered at the school grounds, and we did our attempt. The most amazing thing about this failed (partially) attempt was the enthusiasm and energy of the students. They seemed to be even more eager to break the record than we were. I still remember what one of them said to me after the attempt “Bro, This was an awesome experience! Why don’t you come back in couple of months with more preparation, and we will make a record of 2000 orbs” It still gives me the goosebumps. That was the level of enthusiasm I saw in the eyes of the students. And it is something, I would love to see again and again. To teach them the joys of waving lights in the dark, and see those lights magically form Art.

LPP ∇ Thats really cool I would say that was a success just for the experience! The idea of making the orbs smaller was a really smart way to go about breaking the record how was the idea of making the miniature light orbs introduced?

SS ∇ After that attempt, we started analysing the shortcomings. Where did we go wrong, and how can we improve upon them. One thing was sure, the way we had gone about with the first attempt, that way was good for only about 300-400 orbs. Because as the number or orbs start to increase, the orbs at the back start to become less distinguishable from the nearby orbs. As I was adamant on creating a minimum of 500 orbs, we needed an elevated platform of about 150 feet to overlook a big flat surface, to get the proper angle. But, as we could not find any place like that, we moved to the next logical choice. Decrease the size of the orbs. The radical idea of reducing the size of the orbs was proposed by Ankur Bansal, and it was readily accepted by the group. But, as we had never seen a tool which would create miniaturized orbs, let alone create more than 500, it presented a new set of problems. So after brainstorming for a couple of days, we came up with the design of the tool, and started working on it.

LPP ∇ Can you tell me a little more about the tool you guys built, it looks like a piece of DIY Light Painting genius… was it computer controlled, hand controlled, or a bit of both?

SS ∇ From the outset, we had planned to make the attempts with as much frugal resources as we can. For the two attempts we made, our total expenditure did not cross the $200 mark (excluding the air tickets, ofcourse). With such a shoe-string budget, using a computer controlled tool, was out of question. Also, it was out of the area of our expertise too. Our tool was made of wood, PVC, and simple DC motors. And was controlled manually only.

LPP ∇ So who did what in the group, how many people did it take to operate the orb tool and how long did each orb take to make?

SS ∇ Out of the six of us, Me, Shobhit and Jeswin, were handling the cameras. I was on the highest perch, while Jeswin was on the other platform. Shobhit was on the ground, clicking pics and making video for use in the video presentation. Ankur, Sanchit and Arun were involved in manually making the orbs and moving the tool in unison. The tool made 30 orbs at a time, in about 30 secs. It also needed to be moved to the next marked location, after making a row of orbs. We made a total of 30 rows of light orbs.

LPP ∇ What was the most difficult part of the process?

SS ∇ The most difficult part of the process was the complete lack of knowledge on how to go about it. We would create one tool, build it up from scratch, test it, and after finding one fault or the other, junk it. Also wiring up the whole tool was a mess. DC motors we got our hands on were not standardised. One would run faster than the other, the other would be slower. It was a complete nightmare. And above all, we had no mechanism whatsoever to control the speed. So it was just a game of mix and match, trying all sorts of combinations to get the motors running at optimal speeds. On top of that we made the mistake of using aluminium core wires. Aluminium having higher resistance than copper, would make the matters even worse. The current and voltages just seemed to vary at every single point.

LPP ∇ I know you needed to have a high angle to capture all the orbs how was the location selected?

SS ∇ By the time we started looking for a location for our second attempt, we had decided on miniaturizing the orbs. So we just needed a flat surface with some kind of platform with a minimum height of 25 feet. We found a flat ground, with double-storey houses on three sides giving us a height of about 35 feet on one side and about 20 feet on the other. That was sufficient for our attempt, and few test pictures from these vantage points just proved it.

LPP ∇ How long was the exposure for the final image?

SS ∇ The exposure of the final image was 830 seconds.

LPP ∇ What was the best part of the experience?

SS ∇ The best part of the experience. Now that is a difficult one. In our first attempt it was definitely the smiles on the faces of the students. In the second it was the bonhomie developed between people from different distant parts of India, who had gathered in a small town in North India, with one goal in mind. 900 ORBS!! (or more)

LPP ∇ Thank you for taking time to answer these questions and Congratulation again! You guys crushed the record! I guess the East Coast Light Painters better get to work 🙂

SS ∇ Thank You.

Part II of the of Inspirational Light Painting Artist series featuring Light Artist from all around the world created by Jannis Sid. P.S. I was honored to be included in this 🙂

This is the second part of my compilation of Inspiring Light Painting Artists. Again not a competition of any kind or top something list. There is so many great light painters out there and the fact that their work is not featured here doesnt make them any less great of significant. My purpose for this compilation was to get more people inspired to got out and try more stuff with some of this artworks that have been an inspiration for me.

Huge thanks for all music to George “ Bandoek” Apostolakis. You can check more of his music here:
http://bandoeknoises.tumblr.com
bandoek.bandcamp.com

A little info about the artists:

Alexandr Gnezdilov / Russia

Nuremberg based Alexandr Gnezdilov started lightpainting with a normal, non dslr camera. He is a perfect example that light painting is about creativity and experimenting even with simple tools. Great unusual combinations of colours and shapes are defining his artworks.

http://www.lightpaint.in

Jason D Page / USA

When you search in google about light painting you are for sure gonna land in his site. One of the coolest people in light painting, I believe the first who started creating and selling tools for light painting. His page is full of resources and inspiration and its worth to follow no matter if you are beginner or advanced in light painting. His work is also very inspirational, trying always new techniques and mixing nature elements with light painting.

http://www.jasondpage.com
https://lightpaintingphotography.com

Mart Barras / UK

If i would be giving any titles he could easily get “The master of indoor light painting”. Not that he hasnt produced a huge body of works outdoors too , but his creativity indoors has definitely took light painting for me to a different level. Unique use of toys / objects together with light painting techniques .. Definitely one to follow

https://www.flickr.com/photos/martinbarras

Dan Chick / USA

Dan is a Denver based photographer with many years experience. Experimentalist is a term he describes himself with. Open mind , trying to share his craft and learn more way to express it ,he is the creator of many visually stunning images. He also started a dedicated site about light painting with tutorials and more.

http://www.danchick.com
http://www.hackthelight.com

Chris Searle / UK

Another one of the new era of artists, Chris is one of the people I discovered in flickr. Great geometrical awareness , perspective and highly creative ideas, he is another great example of what experimenting together with creativity can do.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/108404544@N07/

Tim Gamble / UK

Based in Manchester , Tim has the “creative eye” . He started last year one of those 365 days challenges and thats how i discovered him in flickr. Great vision and use of various techniques and ways to achieve always visual satisfaction. He teams up often with other UK based light painters and collaborate in even more complex experiments.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/fadetoblacklp/

Chris Bauer / USA

Another american photographer , Chris has his own style. Light painting addict, he finds joy in creating an imagined image in a single exposure. Thought him i learned the use of manual lenses during one shot and his work has been always inspiring.

http://www.thefloweroflight.com
https://www.instagram.com/chrisbauer_lightpainter/

Sergey Churkin / Russia

A man with a vision. He is the creator of LPWA ( Light Painting World Alliance) a global organisation bringing together light painting artists from all over the world with the goal of making light painting more known to everybody. He has been experimenting himself with different techniques and styles.

http://www.lpwalliance.com/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/chukos/

Chris Thompson / UK

Another brit with a huge body of light painting work. Various use of tools and techniques his stuff are both impressive to watch and inspiring. With the amount of work his is creating I think he must be constantly out lightpainting!

https://www.flickr.com/photos/fastchris/

Horyma / Russia

Horyma is a project created by Igor and Irina, Moscow based artists . Started in 2004 they have created a vast amount of work with light painting. Their mix of theatrical atmospheres, costumes and light is amazing and very dramatic.

http://www.horyma.ru

There were more artists that i wanted to be included in these videos , but for different reasons I couldn’t at this point. You can check some of their great stuff here:

Dana Maltby aka TCB /Usa
http://www.twincitiesbrightest.com/index.php?/tcb-who/

Rewolf Pezi / France
https://www.facebook.com/PeZiPeZa?fref=ts

Julien Breton: / France
http://kaalam.fr

Ivan Lucio Boluda / Spain
http://ridersoflight.com

This is a great video compilation of Inspirational Light Painting Artist from all around the world created by Jannis Sid. Stay tuned for part 2…

This is an Inspirational Light Painting Artists Compilation (Part I )

A big thanks to all the artists for letting me use their artworks for this video. Stay tuned for Part II ( coming very soon..)

All music by Max Lilja
“I sound my sound” from “Plays Electronica by one Cello”
“Silent Highway” from “Morphosis”
“A state of mind” from “Plays Electronica by one Cello”

you can find more about Max and his music here:
http://www.maxlilja.com

One of the reasons why I love light painting is exactly the amount of people creating amazing and inspirational works. There are many more great artist out there ,this is just a personal selection , no competition of any kind.

A little info about the Light Painting artists themselves:

Patrick Rochon /Canada

Patrick is one of the first artists i started to follow. His unique style and approach has made him one of the most recognisable light painting artists globally. From abstract to fashion portraits to lightpainting campaigns to artistic experiments he continues to amaze with his works.

www.patrickthelightpainter.com

JanLeonardo /Germany

JanLeonardo is also of of the old school artists. As a co founder of the LAPP PRO and as a single artist he has been a pioneer in lightpainting. His work has received international recognition and have a permanent place in the historical development of Light Painting art.

www.lightart-photography.de

Vicki DaSilva /Canada

Vicki DaSilva is a light graffiti and light painting pioneer. She has been making single frame time exposure photographs at night since 1980. She is credited with the term ‘light graffiti’ as well as being the first artist to make deliberate text light graffiti photographs beginning in 1980.Her signature style is easily recognised.

www.vickidasilva.com

Janne Parviainen /Finland

Janne Parviainen aka jannepaint is a Finnish lightpainting artist and painter .One of the most known light painting artists his work has been featured in various magazines and art blogs such as The National Geographic, The Guardian and many more. His dedication and devotion to his art is amazing and he is in my opinion on of the most influential artist around.

www.jannepaint.com

Eric Pare /Canada

Based in Montréal , Eric mixes light-painting, bullet-time, stop-motion and time-lapse photography techniques.Again easily recognisable style and a person who likes to share his craft.

www.ericpare.com

Fran Cisco /Morocco

A Marrakech based artist, Fran Cisco style is very distinctive . His creative vision combines calligraphy and elements of arabic culture. One of the first people to create Light Painting photocall his has a vast amount of fantastic work .

www.500px.com/ciscolightpainting
www.flickr.com/photos/ciscolightpainting

Diliz /France

Vincent Delesvaux aka Diliz is an explorer of long exposure photography and light painting. Using gestures and creating spaces with light in combination with reality, his style is full of visual surprises.

www.diliz-light.com

Hannu Huhtamo /Finland

Another Finnish artist , Hannu gets his best kicks from nature and urban landscapes. His flower like figures is like a trademark of his although many times he surprises his viewers with something totally out of his usual style.

www.hannuhuhtamo.com
www.500px.com/hannu_huhtamo

Xiao Yang /China

An urban explorer , light painting photographer , global traveller and part time human being .. Xiao Yang is an amazing artist producing dreamy images, almost out of this world. She travel globally to find fantastic locations and the results are speaking for themselves.

www.flickr.com/photos/inhiu

Pala Teth /Belgium

The Belgian Local representative of Light Painting World Alliance,
Pala has created fantastic works with use of fireworks and other elements. His ideas and executions has been a big inspiration for me

All images and music are copyrighted by the artists. I have their approval to use them for this video.

www.flickr.com/photos/palateth