Lightpainting
Artist's Statement
For this series I created a collection of photographs using the process of light painting. I chose this medium because being both a digital artist and a painter I’ve found that light painting is an interesting intersection of these two forms of art. The image is created using a camera, but as the photographer, I get to draw and interact with the image as a painter.
However, the process of light painting is fickle. The lighting designs rarely come out how you imagine they will. The outcome is nearly impossible to predict or control. You need to look at the designs your light source is creating and the images that you are producing and then respond. From here it is simply a matter of trial and error, tweaking camera settings and the movement of your lights until you get an interesting image. It’s much more difficult if you have a strict idea of what you want your images to look like ahead of time.
What I learned through this process is that restrictions on resources can foster creativity. As an artist, it is important to be flexible and to be able to problem solve and respond to what you are given. It's important to recognize that you can’t control every aspect of your work. Art isn’t just about creating something beautiful out of nothing, it’s also about recognizing beauty that already exists and working with it. It'ss an unpredictable process. And in the end, the process is what the project is all about.