If you've looked at any of my posts on Hive, you will see that I'm a big fan of capturing motion in a photo. Whether it's the subject moving or the camera itself, I'll shoot anything that moves!
The same can be said for traffic. I've shot passing vehicles in the dark in various ways and this is a little selection of images where I've stood on a bridge or half frozen to death waiting for a car to pass on by!
The Highway to Hell
This is a camera rotation of the M1 motorway in Derbyshire, England. I rotated the camera on it's lens axis using a home made rotation tool and replaced the lens cap between each segment without ending the exposure. It's all shot in one photographic exposure but with this one I added the circle by first shooting a pre-prepared image on my iPad located in the back of my car. After I bagged the circle I replaced the lens cap and swapped to the tripod overlooking the motorway.
Nervous Dispostion
I shot this with a camera rotation tool stood on a bridge overlooking the Sheffield Parkway....I noticed the traffic was slowing down as they approached and not wanting an unexpected appointment with the Rozzers I scarpered and made do with this shot....
Event Horizon
This was a 2nd choice location on this evening due to fighting bulls in a field and rutting stags right where I wanted to shoot a tree in a landscape shot. Improvise, overcome, adapt and settling for this shot. Flares enhanced a little in post...
Breaking the rules of composition
I like to break rules, especially where compositon is concerned. This was shot in Liverpool on an evening walkabout and I'm pretty certain someone will come along and tell me I've inadvertently followed an obscure rule of composition I didn't know about!
Close but no Cigar!
This was an attempt at lens and tripod swapping where the intention was to make the traffic trail point directly at the circle of lightpainting. It took a lot of effort to shoot the trails then walk half a mile to the tunnel and when I clicked the shutter I realised I'd damn well missed the target!!
I couldn't be bothered to walk the half a mile there and back again so gave it up and drove home annoyed with myself haha!
The Speed of Light
I thought I'd lost this image and researching images for this post I'm pleased I found it! This is the motion created by 120 runners clad in RGB LED light suits running in unison around Salford Quays in Manchester. The lights were all centrally controlled and it made a great spectacle for a lightpainting photographer like me; right up my street!
Rotating Big Ben
Another image found I thought had been lost. This has probably never been done before in the history of the famous landmark and I've used a camera rotation tool to rotate the passing traffic. I'm surprised I wasn't stopped by armed police to explain what the gadget was on top of my tripod. My camera rotation tool is home made and is somewhat of a monstrosity which people wouldn't know what it was!
Zoom Pulling the Wheel
It's probably been done before but capturing motion on a ferris wheel then zoom pulling at the end of the exposure I quite liked the effect:
Welcome to the Planet Sheffield!
Stood on a bridge in the middle of Sheffield with luminous reflective tape on my tripod legs does tend to make me stand out to passing traffic. The cars passing by tend to slow down after they see me with a camera and I'm sure they think I might be a traffic cop with a speed gun!
This is a simple 4 way camera rotation where I had to wait for passing traffic to fill the spaces with motion on each segment. All shot in one photographic exposure.
Shooting from the hip, literally
I have been known occassionally to take the camera off the tripod and shoot from the hip. Literally.
This is a 1 second exposure taken as I walked through Lincoln's Christmas market. I love the effect and keep promising myself to do this again!
About me:
I usually specialise in shooting lightpainting images but occasionally dabble in urbex and artistic model photography. I'm always on the lookout for someone to collaborate with; please don't hesitate to get in touch if you'd like to create art.
Social Media
https://www.facebook.com/fastchrisuk
https://www.flickr.com/photos/fastchris/
If you want to see more examples of lightpainting, feel free to check out these guys: @fadetoblack, @mafufuma, @stepko, @gunnarheilmann, @lichtkunstfoto, @yo-hoho, @oddballgraphics, @martbarras, @rod.evans.visual, @stabeulight, @maximepateau, @lacelight and @ryuslightworks
Follow the Hive Community Lightpainters United to be introduced into the world of light painting.
Woooaah nice! I need to get out there more 🤩
Very inspirational! Thaaanx!
Thanks mate, glad you find them inspirational. Posting here gives me also the kick up the backside to get out and shoot too!
Impressive pictures.
Thank you @marlasinger666 night street photography is where I started before I started to lightpaint. :-)
Very great shots.
Thanks pal, quite a few oldies here...
Excellent work matey, as always!
Cheers pal, I have hard drives full of this stuff lol