Light Grafitti 101: How To Light Paint

 Light Graffiti or 'Light Painting' is a fairly simply technique, based on long exposure times and the manipulation of a light source.
  Occasionally nicknamed 'ghosting', Light Graffiti  will become a fun new skill in your photographer's toolbag.




  Any decent digital camera will work just fine for your first attempt at light painting, and the only strongly recommended tool is a tripod, to keep the lens steady during the extended exposure times, especially if you would like to be the 'ghost'.

  First, set your exposure timer to no less than 3 seconds. Also known as 'shutter speed', this is the length of time that the shutter remains open after you click the release button. For action shots, this is normally set very fast (a split second).
 For most cameras you will need to bypass the auto settings and move to 'manual' and the "TV" setting (for Time Value) to slow the exposure enough for light painting.

 Setup your tripod or on a steady base in a mildly lit setting ("dusk" lighting) and collect your light source(s). An LED flashlight works well, but with the right contrast between a dim background and a bright source light, just about any lights will work to varying degrees. Set your focus to about 3ft from the lens, or leave auto-focus on.

 *This is also the same basic technique used to get those cool blurry motion pictures of waterfalls and similar intentional 'in motion' blurs.

  With the shutter speed set to 3-6 seconds, stand in front of the camera with your flashlight in hand. Turn on the flashlight and reach out to click the shutter release, which will remain open for 3-6 seconds. In that time, you will draw your name in the air with the flashlight pointed toward the camera.
 Remember to keep the light moving, and if your painting is to be small and simple, then make your pattern and drop the flashlight down or turn it off until you hear the shutter close to avoid over-exposed spots in your image.
 

 If you stand fairly still during the painting process, you become your own model and part of the image.

  You can also move your self around a bit for those few seconds so as to become a ghost in your own image.
 When you're ready to experiment with that part of the painting, here's an idea for you to try:
 Double exposure ghosting with a light painting.

Now that you have the basics under your belt, experiment a bit with traffic, children, fireworks, or any other light and/or motion source that contrasts a dim background that doesn't move. *Complete darkness makes for a completely different result.
  My garage samples above were shot under a dozen fluorescent bulbs, so your bedroom with the lamp on will work just fine. Make sure to keep the room light behind the camera, and if it's still a bit too bright, try a smaller bulb (swap a 100Watt for a 60watt) for the shooting session.
Be aware of the background, and hang a sheet as a backdrop if it will help to keep the viewer's eyes on your art rather than the dirty underwear in the background.

 Have fun with it!

copyright, JBStran.com

Baltimore: Welcome to Hampden, Hon!

modest beauty revealed

Cierra, a local model

Small Town Pride, Meet City Neighborhood:

Welcome to Hampden, Hon!

   Only a select few Hampdenites* ever realize this, but that small and mostly obscure little stream that runs alongside I83 is the sole reason for their neighborhood's existence.

  *(Yeah, Hampden-ite is a real term...but you gotta be one to use it: DatOKwiju?)

  At the start of the 19th century (around 1802), James Hughes was the first to harness the Jones Falls to power his flour mills, and his workers needed homes.

  The invention of the cotton gin saw the conversion of local grain mills to produce cotton duck for sail-making, and by 1890 Hampden was the largest producer of this product in the world, with an 80% market share.
  The workforce that supported the mills grew to one of the largest in the nation by the turn of the 20th century, as did the need to house these workers locally ('commuter' was a term yet to be coined or even comprehended), and Hampden-Woodberry expanded to become the neighborhood it is today. 

Baltimore Ravens are recipients of that small-town pride

  

  The mills still exist today as well, but have been renovated by forward-thinking investors to house artists' studios, health clubs, and high-tech companies.

 The original mill housing community known as Stone Hill, in the 2900-3000 block of Keswick Road, is a perfect example of that small-town pride you can find all over Hampden.
 Well preserved and cared for by each generation, these handsome stone houses date back to their original purpose about 160 years ago.

 The busy mills of the early 1800s spawned a benevolence in the investor David Carroll who owned about 200 houses in the Jones Valley and rented them to the workers. 

  Some were built west of the Jones Falls, where today they cluster at the foot of Television Hill; others were built on a hill north of Mt. Vernon Mill No.2, and the final group was built on a hill on the other side of the mill.

This last group of houses had two-feet-thick stone walls, and gives Stone Hill its name.

 Hampden has always been a nearly self-sufficient community with local work,  places to worship, to recreate and to shop.
 Residents could find just about everything they needed in the shops along 36th Street, locally known as "The Avenue."

  The Avenue was the main street of Hampden and a focal point for residents. On any Saturday night the street was thronged with people shopping, seeking entertainment or visiting with friends. When the mills began closing for good in the 1960's, residents moved out of the area and the stores that were once filled with customers became vacant. 

 In the early part of the 1970's, The Avenue clearly needed a shot in the arm to help get going again. This did not come until the 1990's when, attracted by low rents, a few entrepreneurs with an eye on future growth opened for business.

 Since then the Hampden commercial district has been on an economic upswing. Today, The Avenue and the area in general are a  thriving, refreshed city neighborhood. 

 One such visionary whose name, merely muttered at any social gathering, will create a love-hate brew in the room that quickly takes over as the 'subject of the day', is the owner of Cafe Hon on the Avenue.

Resistance to change is a common thread in any small town, and most old-school Hampden residents feel exactly this way as well. The wave of entrepreneurs as new investors that followed the Cafe Hon sparked a bit of controversy among many life-long Hampdenites, but controversy is rarely a bad thing for an entrepreneur, don't you agree?

 However, whether it is fueled by dusty book stores, glitzy eateries, or retro shops aimed solely at the college students, Hampden is to this day the beating heart of Baltimore City proper, and one of first choices of city residents who want to settle down and raise a family in a close-knit  and self-reliant community convenient to everything.

  The pictures herein are from the recent Mayor's Christmas parade on Sunday Dec 4th 2011.  This annual celebration of local creativity has become a Baltimore staple event that, even after leaving Hampden many years ago, my family insists on seeing in person.

  ...We had to visit our hearts after all, didn't we..?

                                    Welcome to Hampden, Hon.

copyright, JB Stran