What Is Light Painting?

Light painting photography is essentially the lighting of a subject in a manner that enhances its detail. This photographic process is usually created in the dark. In its simplest form, the light painting effect can be created in a single exposure. However, Michael has developed a method of light painting that really pushes the envelope! His unique method involves lighting everything in the scene from multiple angles. And he does so in very small sections. By combining dozens, sometimes hundreds, of those exposures, he’s able to capture an amount of detail that is truly remarkable! Much more about this unique photography process is described below.

A beautiful light painted portrait of a 1957 C1 Corvette and a Sheltie name Chaos in brilliant fall colors.

A stunning fall color light painted photograph of a mint condition 1957 C1 Corvette, nicknamed "Chaos 2" and its name sake, an adorable Sheltie named Chaos.

As mentioned above, light painting photography is a unique and complex photographic process that is created in the dark. Micheal’s method utilizes specially modified LED lights and powerful high-speed strobe lights to create a series of images of a stationary subject.
Once the subject is placed, both it and the camera cannot be moved until all of the exposures have been made. With each exposure, Michael will light small portions of the image from different angles to bring out the details of the main subject. Then, he will do the same thing, all over again, to light the rest of the entire scene as well.
Behind-the-scenes of a Plymouth Police Department squad car before light painting it and City Hall.

This is a typical light painting set up. The camera and tripod are placed where they won't be touched until the light painting is done. To ensure that, our iPad Pro will fire the camera remotely and show the images that are captured as we go along.

He will often make 250 to 400 images (sometimes more!) during the actual photography session. The whole photographic process typically takes 3 to 4 hours for one vehicle.
Michael then takes the best of those images, usually about 100 or so, and combines them in post-production. The entire photographic process creates an amazing one-of-a-kind, ultra high-definition image. 
Post-production typically takes anywhere from 8 to 12 hours, and sometimes much longer! It all depends on the number of vehicles, and the size and scope of the entire scene.
A 14-vehicle light painting project created in a Garage Condo.

This light painting project was a doozie! In all, there's14 -vehicles (including 8 Corvettes) in this amazing Garage Condo! It took over 7 hours to light paint (with 646 images taken), and over 40 hours of post-production to complete the final artwork. And, it was worth every minute!

This unusual photographic technique highlights the subject’s details in a way that is simply not possible with any other photography method.
The icing on the cake is when we print your finished light painted artwork on aluminum! It's done through a sublimation process. Your finished image is infused onto a coated aluminum substrate and looks absolutely stunning!
Michael is one of a very select group of photographers worldwide to employ this type of image creation. He's studied this very specialized photographic technique for many years and has perfected a light painting style that's all his own.
Light Painting Photography at Weddings
To our knowledge, Michael & his wife Joannie, are the only wedding photographers in the world who employ this unique image creation technique! The light painted images they create for their wedding couples are truly one-of-a-kind!
Light Painting with Santa Claus!
Michael and Joannie have even incorporated light painting into the artworks that they create during The Best Santa Experience every holiday season! Some of the proceeds from The Best Santa Experience go to help find a cure for Cystic Fibrosis. They’ve donated well over $30,000 to Cystic Fibrosis in the past few years alone!
Check out those amazing Christmas images, and, if you like, sign up for a visit with Mr. Kringle, by clicking on the button below.
In conclusion, virtually anything three-dimensional can be light painted. A light painted image is a stunning piece of art that will be cherished for generations to come.
Click here to visit The Best Santa Experience
A beautiful Christmas photograph of a little boy in Santa's Workshop. The photograph was created, in part, using a photographic process called light painting.

Yes, this whole scene is light painted! A wonderful Christmas photograph of a little boy, Adam, with Santa in Santa's Magic Workshop.

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