Light Painting Break Down: Tim Gamble for “Stroma”

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 Tim Gamble talks us through how he created the above image titled “Stroma”

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

GEAR USED:
Canon 650D
Tamron 17-50 f2.8
Yongnuo 565 ex + snoot
Samsung Tab 2
Tripod
Light stand with clamp for tablet
Yongnuo radio triggers for flash.

Patience 🙂

Settings
F-stop 14
Iso 100
63 seconds
Manual white balance

Firstly I took an image of a synapse and mirrored it for symmetry using a drawing app on the tablet. Next I used the same app to draw a head shaped space in black where I wanted my head to expose in the shot.

Set up the camera at head height and worked on the flash aspect of the shot. Ensuring my head was in the right place, focus was good and no light was spilling onto the wall behind me. I snooted the flash for this to concentrate the light from the flash onto my face. I used my radio triggers to fire the flash as this was the second part of the double exposure and therefore I wanted to choose when it went off. I also used my torch to illuminate under my chin to eradicate any shadows. Once happy I placed a marker on the floor and noted focus and focal length before moving onto the tablet.

I clamped my tablet to the light stand and used image 1 from before. Framed and focused and worked on the exposure time for this part. 1.5 seconds was enough to burn this part in. Once happy with everything I was ready to go.

Lights off and shutter fired. Counted to 1.5 seconds and put the lens cap on. Moved the tablet out of sight, reframed and focused for my head. Lens cap off and took up my position on my marker. Torch in one hand and radio trigger in the other I fired both at the same time ensuring I kept my head still.

The process took about 2.5 hours from start to finish.

Check out more of Tim’s incredible work HERE.