Light Painting Stories - 2025

Here are the cool light painting projects that we have created in 2025 (so far). We'll add more as the season goes along. If you would like to learn more about a particular project, just click on the button below each one. You'll be taken to our sister website's blog at Michael Anderson Photography for "The Rest of the Story". Thank you!

An Amazing 14-Vehicle Light Painting in a Garage Condo
We started 2025 out with a bang! Joannie and I hit the road in late January to exhibit our light painting photography at the Cars on 5th Concourse in Naples, Florida. We had a great time, saw hundreds of amazing cars, and met lots of great car owners too. I even had the opportunity to do a bunch of wildlife photography on the trip!
The person that helped set this up for us was a guy named Steve. We met him at "Back to the Fifties" at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds back in June. (As a side-note, we will be there once again this June.) Steve told us that we just had to attend Cars on 5th, and he actually helped to make that happen!
We had 2 light painting projects lined up for on the way down and back, but Mother Nature had other ideas. They will be rescheduled for much warmer days in the springtime. However, while we were in Florida, we did photograph three light painting projects. This is the first of those that Joannie and I created for Steve in his amazing garage!
Please check out the full story by clicking on the button below.
An amazing 14-vehicle light painted photograph created in a cool garage condo.

Included in this one-of-a-kind light painting project are a 1957 C1 Corvette, a 1960 C1 Corvette, a 1965 C2 Corvette Coupe, a 1969 C3 Corvette Coupe, a 1993 C4 Corvette Convertible ZR1, a 2013 50th Anniversary Edition C6 Corvette Convertible, a 2016 C7 Corvette Convertible Z06, a 2024 Chevrolet Z06 Corvette Coupe 3LZ, a 1933 Ford Sedan, a 1953 Chevy Truck, the shell of NASCAR #24, a 1964 Ford Galaxie 500XL, a 1959 Chevrolet El Camino, and a 1964 Chevrolet El Camino!

An Amazing 14-vehicle Light Painting - The Rest of the Story
Light painting a Route 66 Diorama (circa 1958)
When we went to visit Steve's garage condo, we were greeted by an amazing Route 66 diorama right as we walked in the front doors! As a former model railroader, I was blown away! I just had to light paint it!
It was created by a guy named Don Bonin. It took Don nearly 3 years to design and build this amazing tribute to Route 66! To read a lot more about this cool light painting project, click on the button located under the 3rd section.
Because its a whopping 20 feet wide, and located just inside the front doors, we decided to break it up into a 3-piece panorama. The section you see below is the left side of the diorama. Included in this section are Cline's Garage, Cline's Flying C Ranch, the Flying C Cafe, and Homer's Used Cars Parts Junkyard, all circa 1958.
Part of a 3-image panorama of an amazing Route 66 diorama! Included in this section are Cline's Garage, Cline's Flying C Ranch, the Flying C Cafe, and Homer's Junkyard, all circa 1958.

The left section of the Route 66 diorama features Cline's Garage, Cline's Flying C Ranch, the Flying C Cafe, and Homer's Used Cars Parts Junkyard. Oh yeah, tther''s lots of cool period cars and trucks from the Franklin Mint too!

The center section of the Route 66 diorama (below) features the centerpiece of the display, the Tower Court. This is as it looked in the 1940's. During that time period, it was common for motels to be called "courts". The fancier ones, like this one, all had a garage for each unit. 
The Tower Court is located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and is on the National Registry of Historic Places.
Part of a 3-image panorama of an amazing Route 66 diorama! This section features the Tower Court Motel as it looked like in the 1940's.

Here's the centerpiece of the Route 66 diorama, the Tower Court. It was very common at the time to call motels "courts".

On the right side of the Route 66 diorama (below) we've got the "Don Bonin" Chevrolet Dealership and a Standard Service Station. The Chevy Dealership was located on Route 66 (it was actually a Ford Dealership at one time) in Kansas and the Standard Service Station was in Illinios. The button below will take you to the very entertaining "Rest of the Story".
Part of a 3-piece panorama of an amazing Route 66 diorama. In this section there's a Chevrolet dealership and a Standard Gas Station.

The far left section of Steve's Route 66 diorama (circa 1958). Featured here is the Don Bonin Chevrolet Dealership (named after the creator of the diorama), and a Standard Gas Station, both in amazing detail!

Light Painting an Amazing Route 66 Diorama - The Full Story
A Cool Light Painting of a 2024 Ford Mustang GT Performance
Up next, we have the third light painting project that we created on our Florida trip. This one's a pretty light painted photograph of a 2024 Mustang GT Performance as well as the client's beautiful home in Fort Myers, Florida.
This beautiful combo belongs to Bob and his wife Sharyl. Bob is the brother of our long-time friend Sally and her husband Wayne. We went over to visit Bob and Sharyl and Bob made the "mistake" of showing us his Mustang GT. I just had to light paint it!
It was a little complicated, but we did manage to pull it off. The whole story is on our blog (which is linked below). The unique factor about this project was when the city's sprinkler system came on and got us, and our gear wet! Thankfully, we were almost done with the light painting part, but it did make for some wild moments as we scrambled to protect the camera gear from getting wet(er)!
A beautiful light painted photograph of a 2024 Mustang GT Performance and the client's home.

A cool light painting of Bob and Sharyl's beautiful home, and Bob's "toy", a hot 2024 Mustang GT Performance!

Light Painting a 2024 Mustang GT and a Beautiful Home
Light painting a Watkins Glen Grey 2019 Corvette Grand Sport in a cave in southern Missouri.
I made a return trip to "Corvettes in Paradise" in Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri - my third year in a row. I didn't know it when I left home, but I'd be creating light painting in a location that I never would have imaged, especially for a Corvette! A cool (and huge) cave!
Darin & Krista, along with their friends, Randy and Pam, were wonderful hosts that evening. As darkness approached, we saw lots of bats flying in and out of the cave, but I was unsuccessful in capturing them with the camera. It was simple too dark and they were way too fast!
Darin likes to think of this beautiful Corvette as his "Batmobile". Well, after light painting it in this unusual location, it does kinda resemble that iconic car! Very cool!
Check out the full story at the link below. This project turned out so cool, and it looks amazing printed on metal (as they always do)!
Really cool light painting of a Watkins Glen Grey 2019 Corvette Grand Sport in a cave in southern Missouri.

Darin & Krista's very own "Bat Moblie", a 2019 Watkins Glen Grey Corvette Grand Sport. Light painted, of all places, in a cave in southern Missouri!

Light Painting a Corvette in a Cave!
Light Painting Corvettes and Quarter Horses at Horsepower Farm
This was one of the projects that we were hoping to create for my friend, Jim, back in February. But it was simply too cold.
I've had dogs in several light painted projects over the years. However this time, we upped the ante and added two racehorses with a pair of amazing Corvettes! 
These two Quarter Horses are "Boujee", an 8-year-old, and "Rookie", a 12-year-old. Both of these beautiful horses have competed, and placed, in Amateur Pro Association (APA) women’s barrel racing with Jim's daughter, Madison, at the reins!
The "other" horsepower that we've got are a 1967 C2 Corvette Roadster Convertible L79, as well as a 2023 C8 Corvette 70th Anniversary Edition Z51! Truly lots of horsepower in this beautiful light painting!
I met  Jim last year at "Corvettes in Paradise" at the Lake of the Ozarks Corvette Club Show. His stunning '67 Corvette won me over. I presented him with my "Photographers Choice Award", and plans were made to light paint it sometime in the future. 
Well, after having to scrap the project (twice) in February due to unseasonably cold weather in Alabama (it was in the teens at night), we got it done in the days after the LOCC Show in late April. The weather was far more cooperative, despite the fact that we hit the dew point later in the evening.
Jim, and his daughter, Madison, positioned Boujee and Rookie for their portraits. Both horses handled being photographed with strobes pretty well, although Boujee wasn't exactly thrilled.

A pretty light panting of the client's home, two Corvettes, a '67 and a 2023, and a pair of racehorses!

A pretty light painting project that features the client's beautiful home, as well as a pair of Quarter Horses, and two Corvettes - a 1967 C2 Corvette Roadster Convertible L79, as well as a 2023 C8 Corvette 70th Anniversary Edition Z51.

Light Painting Lots of Horsepower!
Light Painting Logging Equipment for Fornengo Forest Products
It was early May and it was finally getting nice out in the northern states! Back in December, I was contacted by Fornengo Forest Products about creating something cool for them. On my way to Motorhead Madness in March, I met with them at their headquarters in Danbury, Wisconsin to discuss what they were looking for.
We scheduled three different projects, over three nights, in early May. Thankfully, Mother Nature was cooperative and gave us dry weather all three evenings and we got all of them "in the can"!
The first of the three light painting projects had several pieces of forest harvesting equipment in it! Featured in this cool image are a John Deere 2154G Swing Machine, a John Deere 948L-II Grapple Skidder, a Pro Pac Delimber, two SERCO 300 Series Loaders - both with 72" SERCO Saws, a Tigercat 5400 Felling Saw, a Tigercat 625E Skidder, and a Tigercat X830E Feller Buncher.
It took until almost 2 AM to do the light painting part of this project! But boy, is it cool!
This unusual light painted photograph was created for Fornengo Forest Products located in Danbury, Wisconsin. Featured in this cool image are a John Deere 2154G Swing Machine, a John Deere 948L-II Grapple Skidder, a Pro Pac Delimber, two SERCO 300 Series Loaders, both with 72" SERCO Saws, a Tigercat 5400 Felling Saw, a Tigercat 625E Skidder, and a Tigercat X830E Feller Buncher.

A beautiful light painted photograph of six forestry harvesting machines with accessories. This unique image was created for Fornengo Forest Products located in Danbury, Wisconsin. Featured in this cool image are a John Deere 2154G Swing Machine, a John Deere 948L-II Grapple Skidder, a Pro Pac Delimber, two SERCO 300 Series Loaders, both with 72" SERCO Saws, a Tigercat 5400 Felling Saw, a Tigercat 625E Skidder, and a Tigercat X830E Feller Buncher.

Light Painting Six Forest Harvesting Rigs
Light Painting More Logging Equipment for Fornengo Forest Products
The night after we created the image with six forest harvesting rigs, we were at it again! This time, it seemed like a simple one, with "only" two rigs in the image. However, the Waratah HTH623C Harvester Head had other ideas. It's attached to the Tigercat H822E Skidder (the rig on the right).
It was so heavy, and the ground was a little soft, so it moved, very, very slowly, all evening long! Well, when light painting anything, any movement is a bad thing as none of the images will line up in post-production. Michael spent quite a bit of time realigning all of the parts of this log cutting machine. 
The John Deere 1210 Forwarder (on the left side) was a real good boy, and didn't move at all!
A pretty light painting of a John Deere 1210 Forwarder and a Tigercat H822E Skidder with a Waratah HTH623C Harvester Head..

The second light painting project for Fornengo Forest Products had a John Deere 1210 Forwarder and a Tigercat H822E Skidder with a Waratah HTH623C Harvester Head. The "blue hour" sky looks pretty in the one too! We were in Danbury, Wisconsin for this unique project.

Coming soon! - Two more light paintings with heavy forestry equipment for Fornengo Forest Equipment. 
We've also got several other projects that we booked at Motorhead Madness in Duluth. Including one with 10 vehicles (all Fords)! We just need some consistent weather up here in Minnesota and Wisconsin!
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