Light Painting A Darkened Woodland Into A Magical Wonderland

Light painting is a photographic technique that has exploded in recent years. Although it dates back to artistic heavy weights like Picasso and Man Ray and the early part of the 20th century, with the rise of digital cameras and the ease with which you can look at the image you've created and then share it, its popularity has surged.

Anyone can have a go at it, but to create the complex and stunning images that wow you takes time to think up, set up, and execute. Long-exposure photography is at the heart of the technique and in the documentary above light painter Jason D. Page talks about his love for this type of photography, discussing how he creates his intricate and fantastical images. Page likens the concept to traditional painting with oils and acrylics, but translated to a three dimensional space.

Remarkably the images aren't photoshopped at all, instead what you see is what Page creates in real-time right there in the woodland, composing the images while the shutter is open. Setting his images in woodland gives them a magical, fairyland-type quality, highlighting the mystery and allure of a darkened forest. But it also has other connotations for Page, as it's a place where he can exorcise the demons from his past.

Below Page picks ten of his favorite images.

Images courtesy of Jason D. Page

@stewart23rd