15 seconds f 5.6 ISO 400

15 seconds f 5.6 ISO 400

15 seconds f 5.3 ISO 400

I'll admit it: I don't think I've ever been so intimidated by a photo assignment in my life. Although the concept of painting with light was not unknown to me, I had never experimented with it and had a preconceived notion of total failure. Much to my surprise, after I spent some time in the dark with my camera and a small red laser pointer, I was actually capable of producing some interesting photos - who knew?

Going into this assignment, I really had no conception of what I wanted to portray or express through my photos. Once I got the name writing and swirly lines out of my system, I began to settle in and actually create real photographs. In a sense, my final photos exhibit the natural state of something. I tried to convey things in their unrefined form, from the bones in a hand to the stems and roots of a flower. When painting with light, it's easy to make an image extremely surreal, but why not make it as real as it can be? 

There is a clear sense of simplicity to my photographs, but I feel there is equally a sense of depth that is understood. I found that when painting with light, it becomes habit to try and (both literally and figuratively) spell things for your viewer. Through my own process and experimentation, I found that is isn't always necessary, and even a beginner like myself can find ways to express ideas without them being too obvious.

In the end, I found there was nothing to fear when painting with light. A shutter speed adjustment here and a laser pointer there, and I can finally say I've conquered the challenge. Congrats, me!

All photos taken with a Nikon D3000