If you happen to be in Astana, Kazakhstan July 4th-6th 2015 be sure to check out the LPWA special event, dedicated to International Year Of Light. The light painting exhibition will be a part of the Astana City Celebration Day, and a part of the National ArtFest with the theme “Future Energy: Solar Fire, Earth, Wind and Water”. With 25,000 visitors expected to pass through the LPWA exposition and live light painting show (photo booth) it is sure to expose many new people to our art form! Light Paintings from 54 artists from 17 countries will be on display.

If you are not a member of the LPWA you should check them out. The organization presents many opportunities for Light Painting artist all over the world! Click here for more info on the Light Painting World Alliance.

From time to time we come across a light painting and just stare it wondering how the F@#! did they do that?!?! Break Down is a series if which I only ask the artist one question “How the F@#! did you make this” its up to the artist to tell as little or as much as they want. For this Light Painting Breakdown Janne Parvianinen talks us through how he created the above image titled “Crying Light”

So Janne how the F@#! did you make this?

Gear Used
Camera Sony Alpha 850
Konica Minolta 17-35mm f2.8Benro Tripod extended with work ladders and duct tapeLed Lenser P7qc
Light Painting Brushes black optic fiber
Herramientas Light Painting rgb led spray
Olight S20 Baton
Handful of cheap Chinese finger led lights in various colors

Settings:
F 18
Exposure 827 seconds
ISO 100

“Crying Light” belongs to new 3 Image series in which I combined forced perspective drawings with light paintings. The technique is quite time consuming as in this case too, with the drawing taking up to 20 hours to create and then adding the time to get the lighting and the light painted effects right, which might total about 30 hours of work for one photo. In this case I worked in three phases, creating three different photos while expanding and transforming the drawing further and further in my studio. I wanted the three photos to be kind of a continuous story so I decided to work this way.

I first set up the tripod almost into the ceiling in order to get the forced perspective drawings to work on as wide area as possible. I had to continue the tripod with work ladders in which I taped it with duct tape. I splashed white paint onto the studio floor and walls in order to create the feeling of space with stars and galaxies. The first light painted version was made by lighting the paint splashes with RGBW Led Lenser and then lighting myself into the photo. Finally I painted the white fog effect with a Light Painting Brushes black fiber optic.

In the second version I continued the drawing with a forced perspective three dimensional cube and inside it a genie shaped tail disappearing into the distance.

In the light painting version I lit myself into the photo over the genie drawing and then traced half of my body with a purple colored led light. After that I colored the genie shaped drawing with the purple led in order to make it look like a continuos figure around my body. The rest of the drawing was lit with the RGBW Led lenser except the cube drawing which was lit with a green colored led light. After that I made the blue stars by pointing a blue colored led light at the camera and I created the yellow fog with a yellow plastic bag and a flashlight.

In the final version of the series I continued the drawing by transforming the genie shape into a lotus flower and then continued the sides of the cube with hundreds of characters disappearing into the distance.

Finally I composed a mosaic of broken mirror into one of the flowers petals in order to get the models body reflecting from it to the photo. I wanted to have as physical position as possible from the model for this photo so I asked a Finnish dancer and actor Unto Nuora to model for the photo. We worked out a position in which Unto seems to be lifted up by two of the characters in the drawing and leaning towards his broken reflection in the mirror petal. In the light painting version I first lit the model and then illuminated the flower petals with white led light. After that I lit the cube drawing with purple led light, lit the characters by Herramientas light painting’s RGB led spray and the star paint splashes with RGBW Led Lenser. Finally I continued two of the drawing characters with green colored led light in order to seem like they are continuing into three dimensional space and then painted the blue strikes with a blue plastic bag and a torch.

Check out more of Janne’s mind blowing work on his Website, Facebook and Instagram.

Shhhh don’t tell anyone but we have a man on the inside! Light Painting Photographer Eric Paré is probably best known for his 360 Bullet Time Light Paintings, in which he sets up an array of cameras to capture his stunning visions from a full 360 degrees like these HERE. Recently Eric contacted me because he wanted to share an opportunity for light painting artist to get some exposure. Eric LOVES light painting. He is passionate about creating his own innovative work but he is also passionate about sharing the Light Painting art form with others! Here comes the good news for us… Eric has been selected as a guest editor for 500px this month! What the hell does this mean? Well… it means that Eric gets to pick what images are featured on the Editors Choice main page and he wants to share your Light Painting Images. Check out Eric’s blog post here to get all the info you need.