See One Artist‘s Incredible ’Light Paintings’ Using a Flashlight and a Camera
- Posted on September 2, 2011 at 9:59am by
Liz Klimas
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At first glance, you may think the glowing images below were done on a computer, but a much more skillful method was used to create these free-hand sketches. It’s called light painting.
Imagine the quickly disappearing image left when you write your name with a sparkler on the Fourth of July. Darren Pearson uses the same idea — but mini-flashlights instead — and a camera with a long exposure setting, according to Visual News.
SOOG -- Straight Out of the Grave (Photo: Darius Twin via Flickr)
Now, think about this: Pearson, who’s nickname is Darius Twin, freehanded that image using the mini flashlights. By drawing in the air with the flashlight in a dark or semi-dark setting, Pearson sets his camera to a shutter speed that lasts several seconds. Point-and-shoot cameras won’t work; the lens opens and shuts too quickly. While the shutter is open, the camera captures the light like a brushstroke on canvas. When the shutter closes, the final product is the continuous image created by light.
If you’re still not quite getting how difficult it would be to produce these dinosaur images or if you want to learn to make some yourself, watch this:
Here are some photos from Pearson’s “only the best” collection via Flickr:
Trifling Triceratops (Photo: Darius Twin via Flickr
Gimme the Loot (Photo: Darius Twin via Flickr)
Light for Brains (Photo: Darius Twin via Flickr)
And he does himself one better than just still images; Pearson creates light animations too. Watch:
Pearson is part of a photography group called The Light Painters.
[H/T Buzz Feed]
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Comments (86)
UUes
Posted on September 2, 2011 at 1:41pmI hate to down play some one’s seeming act of awesomeness, BUT…
Report Post »I’ve done these before myself and I will state one observation that leads me to believe these are in fact fake and/or Photoshoped. If you carefully (not that carefully) analyze these images you will notice that they are very clean… too clean. In order to create these you must be holding the flash light and therefore your image will also appear in the image along with the light. Yes your image will be kind of ghosted in and out and be blurry, but there none the less. Just say’n!
If anyone can prove otherwise I’m open to it!
AZTHEDUKE
Posted on September 2, 2011 at 2:30pmSorry man but your wrong I’m a professional photographer and these do not look photoshoped. They look clean because you can make the photo look better with photoshop, take the flare away from the light, make the lines look crisp with adding clarity and so forth. I do these alot mine look exactly the same. If you’ve never taken a class on advanced photog you should.
Report Post »Girard1974
Posted on September 2, 2011 at 3:02pmAlso, look right below the feet of the tricerotops (spelling?) and you can see the “line” that depicts that this is simply an overlay of a picture. Or am I missing something here? Couldn’t these just be some nice .png files?
Report Post »sak905
Posted on September 2, 2011 at 3:15pmAre the images photoshoped? well yes and no. To create the light elements in the “light paintings” the artist would have to do it in complete darkness so his image will not be ghosted. I find it hard to believe that he would be able to create the outdoor scenes in complete darkness. so more than likely he created the Light element in a “dark room” once he has the light part of the “light paining” all he needs is a background. So he takes a photo of a graveyard or a street and takes both images into photoshop and overlays the “light painting” image over the background image remove the dark areas from the light paining and WALLA you got what was featured in the article
Report Post »RavenGlenn
Posted on September 2, 2011 at 3:45pmThe art is both photoshopped and not.
The light painting is not photoshopped aside from simple touch-ups(sharpening the lines, removing the glow around the lines, etc).
The backgrounds are separate images that the light painting is placed on top of. You have to be in a very dark space to do a light painting or you’d be clearly visible behind it as one big blur of muck as you move around.
Report Post »UUes
Posted on September 2, 2011 at 4:23pmThus my statement… fake AND/OR Photoshoped
Report Post »jb.kibs
Posted on September 2, 2011 at 4:28pmi have done these many times too before with a laser pointer and flashlights. and i get more “blur” from the laser over the lines than this guy does… and no, i don’t use photoshop or lightroom to “fix” my photos… that is for newbies. ;)
Report Post »freedomofspeech
Posted on September 2, 2011 at 4:29pmwrong, my kid just showed me using his camera, so freakin cool.
Report Post »scarebear83
Posted on September 2, 2011 at 4:31pmI can say these weren’t photoshopped or at least in the sense you think they are. I’ve done a few of these myself, while not having drawn an awesome picture I have done some scribbly lines with lights as seen here: http://i51.tinypic.com/29wpnd3.jpg cool thing is you can see the lights but you can’t see my hand :)
Report Post »jb.kibs
Posted on September 2, 2011 at 4:32pmthey are cool though… i have done small ones like the smiley, will little blur, such as he did in the demo. but to do a full dinosaur or something… a skeleton… they do seem WAY too clean…
Report Post »UUes
Posted on September 2, 2011 at 4:44pmYes I agree with those that believe this was done as a composite image. Which is fine. I still find it hard to believe he was able to draw the dinosaur so proportional given the amount of time a camera gives you. I don’t know what camera he used, but to my knowledge not may cameras will let you set the exposure over 30 seconds.
Report Post »Plus another observation on the picture of the “Bank Robber” the star/flares… those were most definitely placed in Photoshop.
I’m not trying to knock the guy. I think they are very cool. Just thought I’d shed some light (pardon the pun) what may have been a little miss leading.
t00nces2
Posted on September 2, 2011 at 8:43pm1. Starfields can take a long time. There are cameras that will take extended open shutter shots.
2. I would think the triceratops would have to be shopped. There is no way to capture the dinosaur light painting at that location without those street lights washing out the photo.
Still cool…
Report Post »MistyBlueAngel
Posted on September 2, 2011 at 10:44pmI’m soooo sick of people saying “just sayin”. Can we stop it please?
Report Post »dsmcguire
Posted on September 3, 2011 at 1:24amThe lines at the feet of the Triceratops are crisp at the top and fade away because they are created by the flashlight and the light is reflecting off of the pavement.
Touch ups may have been done in photoshop but he was definitely using a flashlight and a time exposure to draw these images. He also drew them where they appear in the photograph.
Look at some of the night photography/light art that I have done, his look real to me.
http://www.dsmcguire.com
Report Post »hpman
Posted on September 4, 2011 at 12:58pmThe “line” at the feet of the triceratops isn‘t exactly straight if you’ll look at it closely. It was created because of the reflector of the flashlight he used, it’s the outer, lighter, ring of light that any flashlight’s going to have. Since it isn‘t sitting still and he’s trying to make a flat image, he kept the flashlight in as close to a smooth line as possible.
Report Post »red1
Posted on September 2, 2011 at 1:34pmI can’t believe how jaded some of you are. His art is beautiful.
Report Post »crazedbanshee
Posted on September 2, 2011 at 4:34pmNot really beautiful actually, more intriguing. I think the reason people are posting in a somewhat negative light (no pun intended) is because they don’t feel the art is being honestly presented. It’s like taking a photo and saying you painted it. Which is a lie about your painting skill.
Report Post »LibertyWon
Posted on September 2, 2011 at 9:41pmIts also like someone using HGR Photography techniques and claiming not to have done anything different to the end image. Ansel Adams even admitted he used some special darkroom tricks (Burning/Dodging the oldschool way), yet he is world famous. Many of the arts are now fading because like “Magic,” once you know how its done, anyone can reproduce it. Just another ramification of the internet!
Report Post »ConservaTEAve
Posted on September 2, 2011 at 1:14pmBooooring!
Report Post »TheGreyPiper
Posted on September 2, 2011 at 9:40pmOoh, someone’s jelly!
Report Post »SaveOurConstitution
Posted on September 2, 2011 at 1:08pmWe used to do this kind of thing with film cameras. It was best done with a manual shutter setting and 1000spd film. It is also helpful if you take a large piece of cardboard, draw your subject on it then place the cardboard behind the camera as to give you a template so you can “trace” it as fast as possible.
The same works with the new digitals.
Hope this helps someone.
Report Post »johnj1952
Posted on September 2, 2011 at 12:00pmPretty neat. Good to see a young man with an a talent not very well known. And yes I have seen stop motion video and pictures before.
Report Post »brandonvphoto
Posted on September 2, 2011 at 11:43amThis is something you learn in a photography 2 class. Neat but very common. do a little google search.
Report Post »ksferris
Posted on September 2, 2011 at 11:55amFor those of us who haven’t taken photography 2 and have never seen it before, it is pretty cool.
Drifterbill
Posted on September 2, 2011 at 12:22pmI agree I have been doing this kind of thing for years on film.. I got to give him credit that his work and composition a good since that is something you can’t always learn.
Report Post »South Philly Boy
Posted on September 2, 2011 at 11:28amCool
Report Post »Pattondog
Posted on September 2, 2011 at 11:22ampainting at the speed of light who would of thunk it.
Report Post »peaches1
Posted on September 2, 2011 at 11:19amFascinating
Report Post »mohavegreen
Posted on September 2, 2011 at 11:11amNice job, thinking, creating and doing with basic tools. The American way.
Report Post »BeingThere
Posted on September 2, 2011 at 10:58amI appreciate the guys skill and all but the fact is, it’s just not that impressive now that Photoshop exists.
Report Post »texasfarmer
Posted on September 2, 2011 at 10:48amArt that doesn’t involve urine. Novel.
Report Post »8jrts
Posted on September 2, 2011 at 4:25pmHe’s young….give him time.
Report Post »Sy Kosys
Posted on September 2, 2011 at 10:42amthats freakin sweet!
Now light-paint us a despondent Obama losing on 7 November…..
Report Post »NJTMATO
Posted on September 2, 2011 at 2:38pmHA! NOW THAT‘S what I’m talkin about!!!!!
Report Post »LarryofArabia
Posted on September 2, 2011 at 10:23amNice, the guy is very talented. Now lets move on to more important things please.
Report Post »Ookspay
Posted on September 2, 2011 at 10:29amLarry, a well balanced diet is important, now eat your peas!
Report Post »Stoic one
Posted on September 2, 2011 at 1:48pmOOKSPAY
I was thinking more like visual dessert ……
this is not new..it IS cool though and refreshing.
a breath of fresh air.
Report Post »JFC3
Posted on September 2, 2011 at 10:21amHow can anyone be skeptical of this artist‘s work when he gives a tutorial on how it’s accomplished?
Skeptics and cynics aside, if anyone is aware where I can acquire a print I would be interested to know. One of these would look great in my office.
Report Post »R4M0N
Posted on September 2, 2011 at 11:38amAsk and ye shall receive:
http://www.thelightpainters.com/prints.html
Report Post »conservativemom99
Posted on September 2, 2011 at 10:20amI’ve done this…with MUCH less impressive results! Very cool!
Report Post »Carl McPherson
Posted on September 2, 2011 at 10:18amI love the creativity of this guy. The spirit of all Americans has not been fully squashed yet.. there is still HOPE. Real hope.. not that bullcrap hope and changy thing.
Report Post »randy
Posted on September 2, 2011 at 11:39amThis is nothing new, it has been done for years……
Report Post »Granted, he is talented, but not a ground breaker.
TH30PH1LUS
Posted on September 2, 2011 at 10:17amwould be cool to see several artists like this collaborate at once to achieve entire “light paintings”
Report Post »McBreezy
Posted on September 2, 2011 at 1:14pmThat… would be insane. But why do collaboration when one artist can do multiple exposures and combine them the same way he combines the light image with a regular photo? then the individual artist can get it exactly as they want it without having someone elses perspective possibly spoil their intent?
Report Post »ROMANS 10-9
Posted on September 2, 2011 at 10:16amAnd God said, “Let there be light”…
ROMANS 10-9
Posted on September 2, 2011 at 10:15am“If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9)
Carl McPherson
Posted on September 2, 2011 at 10:20amWhile I applaud your dedication to evangelisim… what does this have to do with this article?
Report Post »If you could (or could have) put it into context with the article/subject you might actually be effective. But as is.. it appears to be random and mindless. Please don’t take it as insulting… to have the nerve to stand up for Christ in this world is increasingly pressing… but consider putting some thought behind it.. it means more to people.
gmoneytx
Posted on September 2, 2011 at 10:24amWhat does that have to do with light paintings, just wondering
Report Post »UlyssesP
Posted on September 2, 2011 at 10:43amAre you the same guy selling iPads for 10 bucks?
Report Post »C’mon, you make evangelism look stupid. Please like they say above, some context or otherwise you’re just a loon spewing unrelated stuff to stave off your own fear of damnation and with no concern for your fellow humans.
This_Individual
Posted on September 2, 2011 at 12:17pmAre you kidding me? At least wait for your daily dose of faith postings here at The Blaze.
Report Post »AZTHEDUKE
Posted on September 2, 2011 at 2:49pmYeah guys attack the religious person that has done nothing to you, he shared a verse that’s it and look at the reaction. Hes showing love and your showing hate. Think before you jump the gun again!
Report Post »sWampy
Posted on September 2, 2011 at 10:13amThese look photoshopped to me.
Report Post »gmoneytx
Posted on September 2, 2011 at 10:26amThere is always a skeptic in the bunch…I bet you are a conspiracy theorist too, aren’t ya!
Report Post »sWampy
Posted on September 2, 2011 at 11:21amNo, they just look doctored as someone who has taken pictures for 40 years and uses photoshop daily, these don’t look real, at the very least they were composited together in a computer program.
Report Post »McBreezy
Posted on September 2, 2011 at 1:11pmYes, otherwise it would be light on black. He superimposes the light image over an actual picture to make ones like ‘gimme the loot’ because if you set a shutter speed of ten seconds in daylight, if you got an image at all, you would see a blur of him moving around. He even said he does the light portion in complete darkness, and never claimed that he doesn’t combine images, and you have to do it *somehow* gmoneytx you‘re misreading swampy’s statement, they‘re not saying that he photoshops the whole thing and he’s lying, just that there’s photoshop involved. And has to be, (or another program, perhaps) as I outlined here.
Report Post »for-what-its-worth
Posted on September 2, 2011 at 10:13amVery cool!!
Report Post »Vickie Dhaene
Posted on September 2, 2011 at 10:11amThat was excellent. Simple but very imaginative.
Report Post »Gonzo
Posted on September 2, 2011 at 10:09amDon’t quit your day job Darren.
Report Post »mrfunn
Posted on September 2, 2011 at 11:11amSell some office paintings and don’t stop there Darren.
Report Post »TXPilot
Posted on September 2, 2011 at 10:03amYet another example of how Americans are some of the most creative people in the world.
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