Redeye Talent features work from artists and photographers we have worked with or supported over the years. In this feature, we introduce you to photographic artist, light painting expert and Redeye member Tim Gamble. We spoke to Tim to find out more about his practice and the Redeye Academy: Introduction to Light Painting workshop he will run alongside Jérémy Palisse in the Peak District on Friday 25 May. Both avid light painters, they each produce beautifully composed images using long exposure photography in breath-taking locations.

Could you tell us a bit more about your approach to Light Painting?

I tend to go out after dark or to a location with low light conditions during the day. Sometimes I will have a plan in mind or I will just let an idea evolve over the course of an evening depending on the features of the setting. I often use two or three separate tripods in pre-determined spots for the different elements of the image and one or two lenses for a single exposure. Providing it is completely dark I can swap lenses mid-exposure when I require two different fields of view in one image. I create all of the effects in-camera during exposures, which range from a minute to half an hour depending on the intricacies of the shot. I really enjoy the challenge of turning an idea into reality and ending up with a photograph of a scene, which doesn't actually exist. I tend to provide the lighting in 90% of my shots leaving the other 10% using the ambient moonlight to do the work for me.

I have various light emitting toys and DIY torches, high-powered torches, gels, flashguns, a gimbal (which allows me to rotate my camera around 360 degrees), fabrics and coloured card. Having a vivid imagination is the key to success at light painting. If you can imagine it you can create it using light and movement.

Could you explain to us about how you got involved with Light Painting?
I first discovered light painting 5 years ago after a quick Google Search. I came across a video from an established light painter named Denis Smith. The video is on Vimeo and outlines how light painting changed Denis' life. After watching that I was immediately hooked and I have immersed myself in the genre ever since.

Since running the Member-led event last year with Redeye, how has this helped to gain more exposure for your work?
Running the workshop last year definitely gave me more exposure and it was something I really enjoyed doing. Light Painting is not the most popular form of photography so doing events such as that helps raise people's awareness about an area of photography they may not be familiar with.

What sort of things can people learn at Introduction to Light Painting?
We will try to cover as many aspects of this form of photography as is possible in the time.  It is a multi-faceted area ranging from disciplines such as camera rotation and kinetic light painting, light blades, physiograms, silhouettes, ambient exposure (clouds permitting) and light graffiti, using a whole range of different tools which we will provide.
 

To learn more about light painting and Tim's practice, check out the Redeye Academy: Introduction to Light Painting workshop on Friday 25 May 2018.

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Image: © Tim Gamble