Painting with Light

Book excerpt: Master the skills you need to transform everyday scenes into breathtaking works of art Throw your preconceptions about light-painting out the window and prepare for a creative journey that will revolutionize your photography. Light painting is a classic photography technique that involves selectively illuminating sections of a dark subject by moving a light source (like a flashlight) over the subject during the course of a seconds- or minutes-long exposure. This results in uniquely nuanced depictions with a high level of technical artistry. As Eric Curry shows, however, today's hardware and software allow you to produce light-painting images that are anything but traditional! In this book, you'll learn, step by step, how to plan and execute incredible, nuanced images using simple gear, a whole lot of imagination, and today's powerful postproduction software. With these techniques, your imagination is the only limit to what you can create! AUTHOR: Eric Curry earned a BA in photography from the Art Center College of Design in 1980, then moved to Copenhagen, Denmark, where he ran his own advertising photography studio for over ten years. There, he worked with the largest agencies in the country, shooting brands such as Novo, Bang and Olufson, Pfizer, Maersk Line Shipping, LEGO, and Philips Electronics.Upon returning to the U.S. in 1992, Eric gradually transitioned to location industrial photography, because it afforded, as he comments, "a much broader palette of avenues for creativity." After thirty years of shooting as a professional, and an additional five years working on the series "American Pride and Passion," Eric is now sharing the secrets of how some of his most effective shots were made--and how you can make similarly powerful photographs yourself.Currently, Eric creates photographs exclusively on location for select clients and himself, taking full advantage of the depth and possibilities afforded by each and every new challenge. SELLING POINTS: * Learn to choose the best light sources for the shape and texture of the surface you're lighting -- and for the effect you want to create * Devise a detailed plan for lighting each frame and maximize your post-production finishing options * Determine the optimal exposure settings for the scene and light sources you've chosen