The more I work with light painting the more excited I am with the possibilities that the technique offers. This latest light painting session was with a replica 1965 Shelby Cobra 427 based on Dick Smiths – #198 CSX3035. The Cobra was built locally using a Factory 5 racing kit. Light painting is not a particularly efficient lighting technique but the unique quality of the results more than make up for the extra time needed in the studio.
The addition of a CamRanger to my mix of equipment helped tremendously. The ability to remotely control the camera from my iPad and to review each shot immediately after the exposure proved to be invaluable. Studio lights have the advantage of repeatability. Once studio lights are set, small adjustments can be made between exposures with predictable and repeatable results. With light painting each exposure is an entirely new creation. Reviewing the previous exposure gave me valuable feedback but the ability to repeat what worked and make adjustments to improve on the previous exposure is dependent on my memory and ability to repeat movement and timing. With exposure times of upwards of three minutes while working around and over the surface of an entire car, that is quite a bit to remember. That is part of what is making light painting so fun and the unique quality of the result is well worth the added time and effort.
There is an almost liquid quality to the light in the final images of the cars I have done that makes the light painted photos brilliantly unique. The full length image above and the images below are the final selection from the shoot with both color and black and white treatments.
