Ponomar Photography

One of my favorite things to do when I shoot night time photography or long exposures is to mess around with light(s). The reason I like it so much is because I never know what to expect. Usually I have a general idea, but the most exciting part about it is not knowing. When the shutter is open for long periods of time, light (even small amounts) can affect the picture drastically. This makes experimentation even more exciting since even mistakes can turn out favorable. Not only is it great for learning new techniques, but sometimes the end result can be so unique and crazy it is almost unimaginable.

The camera can pick up much more than the human eye since it has the ability to let in more light over greater lengths of time.  Typically, when playing around with light, or light painting, no two pictures are identical. Even if I have the camera positioned in the same spot the entire night, the possibilites are endless and no two shots look exactly the same.

This shot was taken in a campground just outside of Castlegaar, B.C. I had the camera on a tripod while I set a 15 second self timer so that I could get in place. Once the countdown started, I ran off into the woods and made sure I was out of the frame. When I heard the shutter open, I turned on my lantern and at a semi-fast pace, walked randomly through the woods. I was really impressed with how the photo turned out, especially since it was my only attempt at this particular shot that night. The exposure itself was 32 seconds long.