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Tackyshack's Epic Light Masterpieces Are A Feat Of DIY Ingenuity

Using light as his brush and nature as his canvas, Jeremy Jackson Illuminates an alternate reality.

Jeremy Jackson (a.k.a. Tackyshack)'s glowing vistas are saturated with beauty and wonder. Awesome in the traditional, meaningful sense of the word, his recent Fire and Light Masks series--created using the reflections in various bodies of water--captivated us so much we needed to know more. Recently we were able to catch up with Jackson to talk about art, commerce, and light junkies, and learn what drives him to create these fantastical images:

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The Creators Project: What art influenced you when you were growing up?

Taddyshack: Dr. Seuss, MC Escher, comic books, fractals, geometric designs, and patterns of all sorts. Honestly, I was never that great at art as a kid but I enjoyed doodling patterns in class to pass the time.

When did you first start light painting? Why did it appeal to you?

I honestly didn't know it was light painting when I discovered it. I messed around with my point and shoot camera in my shack one night and figured out I could set the exposure to 15 seconds. I experimented with glow sticks and lights and was blown away by what I was seeing on the back of the camera. It wasn't until I discovered the light junkies flickr group back in 2008 that I figured out what light painting was, and even more blown away by what others has already done with the art form. From that point on I was hooked.

How would you describe the process in its simplest terms?

Light is the brush and the environment is the canvas.

How often do you go light painting? Does it sometimes lead to a lack of sleep?

Well….I light paint a lot.  More than I should probably. I'd say 2010-2012 saw a 300 nights per year average. Now I think it has dropped closer to 200 nights per year. If I had the time and energy, I could do this every night. As far as the lack of sleep, it was bad but it's gotten better. I can cut myself off most nights but every now and then, I get into a really good situation with a frame and obsess over it until it comes to completion. It's worth it to feel satisfaction.

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It seems that light painting is generally a solo pursuit is the a meditative or even spiritual element to it?

You are absolutely correct. Light painting is my outlet. My means of escaping the ordinary and creating a supernatural world. I seek out the comfort of being in that moment of focus and clarity when my eyes are on the prize of the next trip to an alternate reality through lights and long exposure. This being said, light painting is almost BETTER with more people. One of the greatest aspects of the art form is its capability of being a collaborative effort.

Do you plan each design in advance or are they spontaneous?

It's a combination of both planning and spontaneity.The location, frame, and ambient light are all factors that force you to change plans.There are times when it takes lots of test frames and tweaking of techniques and lights to nail it down, and other rare times when things fall into place and you're able to stick with the plan. Of all of my light painting, the masks are the most spontaneous because of the scale and empty space to fill. Regardless, there's always joy in the journey.

What's the time range for creating an image, from the simplest to the most complex?

The simplest light painting image can be setup and created in a matter of a few minutes.The more complex images usually take 30 minutes - 1 hour to setup and 1 hour - several hours to create. At this point, my longest exposure has been 45 minutes. That was the time spent on painting the scene for the single exposure photo. We spent at least an hour setting the camera up and testing the lights before finally executing the 45 minute exposure.

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The natural world is clearly important to you, how does it influence your work?

Every place I visit gives off an energy. It's a combination of the natural elements in the environment, the weather, and the lines I'm able to follow as I'm moving about with my lights. Sometimes I feel stuck and doubt my ability to bring the scene and lights together. Often this is quickly resolved once I am at my location in the woods or next to my pond. More importantly, I live in a small country town next to the Blue Ridge Parkway. Urban settings are not common in my neck of the woods.

Describe the light painting scene and the kind of people involved it.

The light painting scene is filled with an eclectic bunch of night owls. We all have our own styles and learn from each other along the way.Some have found their path and have perfected it and others are still exploring their techniques. I have gotten to know light painters from all around the globe and know that there are many more I have not seen. I believe most of us have the same spirit of exploration in the art form and joy of creating.

Does it ever get spooky being outside at night all the time? Has anything notably strange ever happened?

I get spooked almost every night I'm out. I'm always hearing noises and imagining animals creeping up behind me but it keeps things interesting. In terms of anything notably strange, I ran into a raccoon one night while in the middle of a light painting photo.That in and of itself is not uncommon but this guy was standing his ground and sizing me up. Every advance I made toward it was answered with an advance. The critter was within 4 feet by the time I finally backed off and gave up on the light painting for the night.

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Do you ever have shows of your work? Is there a market for light painting photography?

I have showed a few prints locally but haven't explored that avenue much. I also don't feel there is much of a market for prints of any kind in today's society. We view photos on screens. I made the decision a long time ago to make all of my photos freely available for download because the art itself should be free to the public. My plan is to make income from workshops that I hope to continue to develop and offer to various populations.

What places has light painting has taken you?

So far, I have made it into caves and walked along trails and streams that I never would have ordinarily ventured into at night. My dream is that light painting will one day offer me the opportunity to travel to places I wouldn't have made it to otherwise.

While we wish we could you each and every one of Jackson's amazing images, below we've culled a few of our favorites:

All images courtesy of Tackyshack.