The Stories Behind the Light Paintings - Part Four

Here is the recap of our major light painting projects from 2021, and 2022. Each image is linked to its full backstory found on our sister website's blog at Michael Anderson Photography. Simply click on the button under the photograph and you'll be taken there! Thank you!

Light Painted Wedding Photo at Golden Valley Country Club
Due to COVID, weddings didn't make much of a comeback in 2021. However, the few weddings that we did get the opportunity to photograph were really fantastic!
Alex and Alyssa's pretty wedding at St. Phillip the Deacon in Plymouth, Minnesota was our first of the year (and it was May).
Their wedding day was awesome, culminating in this pretty light painted wedding photo created at Golden Valley Country Club!
A pretty light painted wedding photo of the bride and groom, under a moonlit starry sky, at Golden Valley Country Club in Golden Valley, MN.

Alex and Alyssa's pretty light painted wedding photo, under a moonlit starry sky. Joannie and I created this pretty image at their wedding reception at Golden Valley Country Club in Golden Valley, MN.

Wedding Light Painting at Golden Valley Country Club
Light Painting Wedding Photography at JX Event Venue in Stillwater, MN
April and Dillon's wedding day in Stillwater, Minnesota was incredible! Between the venue, our cute couple, the crazy (in a good way) wedding party, and fabulous families, this wedding truly was a treat to photograph!
Their wedding ceremony and their beautiful reception were at the beautiful JX Event Venue in downtown Stillwater, MN.
Their light painted wedding photograph on the Grand Staircase was the whipped cream and cherry on top!
We would be returning to Stillwater the very next day for another fun wedding! Tina and Ryan's wedding would be held on the Jubilee II Paddleboat!
A cool light painted wedding photo created on the Grand Staircase at JX Event Venue in Stillwater, MN.

Dillon and April's pretty light painted wedding photo was created during their wedding reception on the beautiful Grand Staircase at JX Event Venue in Stillwater, Minnesota.

Wedding Light Painting Photography at JX Event Venue
Light Painting a 1953 Ford Crestline Victoria
As we mentioned in the previous light painted wedding photo for April and Dillon, we photographed Ryan and Tina's wedding the very next day. Ironically, also in Stillwater, Minnesota.
However, Ryan and Tina's wedding light painting would be created on a different night from their wedding for a few good reasons.
Their pretty wedding was on the Jubilee II paddleboat so there's not much room to navigate (pardon the pun) onboard. But, the main reason that we delayed their light painting was that theirs would include a car. And, not just any car, but a wonderful 1953 Ford Crestline Victoria!
Light painting a car properly takes at least a couple of hours or more, and there's simply not enough time on a wedding day for that. So, we created it a couple of weeks later on a nice quiet weeknight in Stillwater!
A beautiful wedding photograph of the bride and groom with a 1953 Ford Crestline Victoria in downtown Stillwater, MN.

Ryan and Tina's beautiful light painted wedding photograph with the family's 1953 Ford Crestline Victoria in downtown Stillwater, MN.

Wedding Light Painting with a 1953 Ford Crestline Victoria
Light Painting a 2017 Corvette
In June, I returned to Stevens Point, Wisconsin for another light painting class with a bunch of John's former students in attendance. The focus of this class to share was to share ideas and tips on light painting.
 John always lines up some fun light painting projects that we can do as a class. The caveat is that we cannot share the images on the internet. So, you'll have to ask us to see those when we meet.
However, this particular year, one of the photographers in attendance drove there in his 2017 Corvette! Well, we gotta light paint that! So we did!
Since we students did this project all on our own (kind of like "extra credit"), I can post this one!
A pretty light painting of a 2017 Corvette at a park in Stevens Point, WI.

A pretty light painting of Don's 2017 Corvette that we created as an "extra credit" project on our own. This image was created at a park in Stevens Point, Wisconsin.

Light Painting a 2017 Corvette
Light Painting Five Construction Vehicles
It was late summer, and the big construction project was still going strong near our daughter Jen's home. I had already created some cool images of heavy equipment used on-site the previous year in 2020.
Well, this group of bulldozers and excavators were getting parked like this for several nights in a row. So, of course, I had to light paint them!
I sent a texted a photo to Jen to show her where I was that night and about two minutes later, our grandkids Riley and Ryder were there in their pajamas to say hi to Grandpa!  If you check out the backstory on this one, you'll see that the setup photo has Ryder in it wearing his Batman pajamas!
I have two versions of this light painting! After sunset, the moon and stars were all that was left (below).
These rigs are owned and operated by North Pine Aggregate in Forest Lake, MN.
A cool light painted photo of five construction vehicles, 2 bulldozers and 3 excavators, under a pretty sunset sky with a sliver of a moon. These rigs are owned and operated by North Pine Aggregate in Forest Lake, MN.

A cool light painted photo of five construction vehicles, 2 bulldozers, and 3 excavators, under a pretty sunset sky with a sliver of a moon. These rigs are owned and operated by North Pine Aggregate in Forest Lake, MN.

A cool light painted photo of five construction vehicles, 2 bulldozers, and 3 excavators, under a sky with a sliver of a moon. These rigs are owned and operated by North Pine Aggregate in Forest Lake, MN.

Five construction vehicles, 2 bulldozers, and 3 excavators, all light painted under a starry sky with a sliver of a moon. These rigs are owned and operated by North Pine Aggregate in Forest Lake, MN.

Light Painting Five Construction Vehicles
Light Painting at a Lake Elmo Event Center Wedding
Matt and Grace's wedding was more than a bit different (in a good way)! They actually got married twice! And both times, it was to each other! The first time was in 2020, and then again, one year later in 2021.
It was a COVID thing.
Wedding #1 was with just a small group of family and friends. Joannie and I were there too, and we photographed their wedding at Lake Elmo Event Center with all of the restrictions that were in place at the time. Those wedding images really turned out wonderful!
Well, one year later, they got to do it all over again! Except that this time everyone could come to celebrate with them! 
Because this was a luncheon affair, this would be our second-ever light painted wedding photograph that was created outdoors in broad daylight! Pretty cool!
A pretty light painted wedding photograph in the pretty garden at Lake Elmo Event Center in Lake Elmo, MN.

A pretty light painted wedding photograph in the pretty garden at Lake Elmo Event Center in Lake Elmo, MN.

Light Painted Wedding Photo at the Lake Elmo Event Center
Light Painting Santa's Enchanted Forest
Yes, once again the Man-In-Red was in here to help us to raise money to find a cure for Cystic Fibrosis! 
We had a brand new them, "Santa's Enchanted Forest", and once again, it was light painted to add realism and dimension.
Here, you see Santa giving a ride to three cute sisters on his Magic Flying Sled!
Santa's Magic Sled is just one of the highlights of The Best Santa Experience each and every year!
Please consider joining us for an amazing holiday experience and it's for a great cause too!
Three sister's take a ride on Santa's Magic Sled at The Best Santa Experience. This is "Santa's Enchanted Forest", one of the yearly themes at the event that raises money to find a cure for Cystic Fibrosis.

Katie, Lucy, and Charlie take a ride on Santa's Magic Sled at The Best Santa Experience. This set is "Santa's Enchanted Forest", one of the yearly themes at the holiday event that raises money to find a cure for Cystic Fibrosis.

Light Painting Santa's Enchanted Forest
Light Painted Wedding Photo at The Mill Site
John and Lisa's pretty June wedding was held at The Mill Site in downtown Anoka, Minnesota.
After a wonderful wedding ceremony and reception (that included a marriage proposal), Joannie and I tackled a light painting that included a rather tall building in it.
That grain elevator was a tall one!
I've created photographs in this area countless times for high school seniors, wedding photos for other couples, and family portraits too. However, this was the first time we'd light painted anywhere in Anoka.

A pretty light painted wedding photo of the bride and groom at The Mill Site in Anoka, MN.

John and Lisa's cool light painted wedding photo that we created during their wedding reception at The Mill Site in Anoka, MN.

Light Painting at The Mill Site in Anoka, MN
Light Painting a 1956 Ford Victoria
Lyndon and Kalley found us at Motorhead Madness in Duluth that March.
They reserved us on the spot for a cool light painting project with the family's 1956 Ford Victoria. Of course, it was March in Minnesota, and nobody was bringing their cool cars outside until it got nice out.
So, in July, we met at the site of Alan White's 2019 Dyke Delta airplane light painting project, the Richard I Bong Airport in Superior, WI.
As you can see, this is a really cool car, and she light painted beautifully!
A cool automobile light painting of a 1956 Ford Victoria at a hangar at the Richard I Bong Airport in Superior, WI.

A cool automobile light painting of a 1956 Ford Victoria. We created this awesome image in front of a hangar at the Richard I Bong Airport in Superior, Wisconsin.

Light Painting a 1956 Ford Victoria
Light Painting a 1940 Chevy 2-Door Sedan
This was another cool car that was a result of the Motorhead Madness show in Duluth, MN that March.
This stunning car was the 2022 "The Best of Show" winner!
Luke and I put our heads together on a location scouting trip and found this abandoned lumber yard to place this amazing car for its light painting!
Such a cool photograph of an amazing car!
A stunning light painted photo of a 1940 Chevy 2-Door Sedan at an abandoned lumber yard.

Here's Luke's stunning light painted photo of his 1940 Chevy 2-Door Sedan at an abandoned lumber yard.

Light Painting an Amazing 1940 Chevy 2-Door Sedan
Light Painting a 1980 Chevrolet Camaro Z28
I met Cody at the "Discover Victoria Classic Car Nights" show in beautiful Victoria, Minnesota. His stunning 1980 Camaro nick-named “Mr. Blue Sky”, really caught my eye!
We talked about one particular location for his light painting project and it was one that was pretty familiar to me, Little Log House Pioneer Village in Hastings, Minnesota.
I'd already created two light paintings there for April and Darrick! The first one was an engagement photograph in 2019, and the second was at their wedding reception in 2020! I knew how cool Cody's light painting was going to be before we even created it!
Cody had recently become engaged to Sierra, and so we met earlier in the evening to create traditional engagement photos of the two of them.
Then, once it got dark out, we completed the evening with their amazing Camero light painting.
A cool light painted photo of a 1980 Chevrolet Camaro Z28 created at Little Log House Pioneer Village in Hastings, Minnesota.

Cody and Sierra's light painted engagement photo with their 1980 Chevrolet Camaro Z28 at Little Log House Pioneer Village in Hastings, Minnesota.

Light Painting a 1980 Chevrolet Camaro Z28
Light Painted Senior Photo at Totino-Grace High School
Nate, a 2023 senior at Totino-Grace, already had a bunch of great senior portraits created on Lake Superior a couple of weeks earlier.
While up north, we talked about doing something unique with his drum set when we got back home. I asked if we could use the football field at the school as our location. Mom checked into it further, and she got it ok'd!
So, on a nice September evening, we set up these very unique light painted senior photos, right on the 50-yard line!
As a side note, Nate can REALLY play those drums!
A cool light painted senior photo of a senior boy playing his drum set. This unusual senior photo was created on the 50-yard line at Totino Grace High School in Fridley, MN.

A cool light painted senior photo of Nate and his drum set on the 50-yard line at Totino Grace High School in Fridley, MN.

A cool panoramic light painted senior photo of a senior boy playing his drum set. This unique senior photo was created on the 50-yard line at Totino Grace High School in Fridley, MN.

Here's a panoramic light painting of Nate, and his drum set, on the 50-yard line at Totino Grace High School in Fridley, Minnesota.

Light Painted Senior Photo at Totino-Grace
Light Painting a 2007 Kenworth T600
This is another project that came from the Motorhead Madness car show in Duluth back in March. Bill reserved our services right there at the show. Then, it was just a matter of getting it scheduled once nice weather arrived.
"Nice weather" became the issue for Bill's 2007 Kenworth T600 light painting project. It took us three attempts to get this cool project off the ground. Both of the first two times, we got rained out. On the second try, the rain wasn't even in the forecast!
On our third attempt, we finally got it done! Although, when you look at the sky, we had some doubts that night too!
Bill drives his amazing rig for Jeff Foster Trucking, Inc. in Superior, Wisconsin.
A beautiful light painted photograph of a 2007 Kenworth T600 in Duluth, MN.

Here's Bill's fantastic light painting of his 2007 Kenworth T600. We managed to dodge the rain this time!

Light Painting a 2007 Kenworth T600
Light Painting Santa's Cabin
Winter was once again upon us and that could only mean one thing, Santa Claus was back!
Santa invited kids and their families to his magical cabin to have lots of holiday fun!
"Elves" Michael and Joannie hosted The Best Santa Experience at Santa's Cabin, and of course, it all was light painted!
And, once again, Santa helped them to raise thousands of dollars to help find a cure for Cystic Fibrosis!
A pretty light painted Christmas photo of Santa Claus and two cute boys in "Santa's Cabin", an adorable set that's part of The Best Santa Experience in Mounds View, MN.

A beautiful light painted Christmas photo of Santa Claus and two cute boys in "Santa's Cabin." This adorable set is part of The Best Santa Experience at Michael Anderson Photography in Mounds View, MN.

Light Painting Santa's Cabin
That concludes our major light painting projects for 2021 and 2022. While COVID made it somewhat light, quantity-wise, quality-wise, the projects that we did create were pretty darn cool!  Our cool 2024 light painting projects can be found in "The Stories Behind the Light Paintings - Part Five". Thank you for taking the time to check these out! - Michael & Joannie
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