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I just tried to post my 'Light Painting' pics on The Packard Club website. Only three of the five pics would post, due to their size limitations.

It's OK, as I rarely go there, I'm a PackardInfo guy

Have you posted these "light painting " pictures on this site?

I must have missed them.

EDIT:
Just look to the right!

They look nice, but what makes it a light painting?

At a Model A monthly club meeting a gentleman that creates these 'light paintings' gave a presentation on the process. To boil a 20 minute presentation down to a few bullet points . . .
? The scene is set when there is adequate ambient light.
? The photo sequence is created when there is little or no ambient light.
? A camera is placed in a fixed position, that is, on a substantial tripod.
? The camera is adjusted for a smaller than normal aperture, and longer than normal shutter speed. The shutter is triggered remotely.
? Multiple photos are taken, and are digitally combined into one final image.
? Each one of the multiple photos is a time-lapse where one, and only one small area of the car is 'painted' with a portable light . . . hence 'light painting'. That photo will only contain the painted areas, while the rest of the scene is very dark.

'Light painting' photos will have a characteristic of the subject seems to be illuminated in every nook and cranny, with little or no areas in shadow. While the subject is well illuminated the background is quite dark. It takes a while to paint an object the size of a car. The gentleman suggested the 'stitching' of the multiple photos may be iterative, that is, the artist may reject incorporation of one or more of the photos if that content detracted from the final objective.

The views of the '56 with the spiral white light accents are examples where the person holding the light walked through the frame with the light moving. The photo with this feature could be added to, or left-out of the final image. The photos with the white and blue spirals and the rear view of the car appear to have too few individual sub-photos. The ? front view would approach the desired final effect, although the shadows on the hood might have been filled in. Note a few of the photos were taken with only the interior illuminated. These might have been taken while the 'painter' was inside the car shinning the light onto the headliner, but they could be standing in the un-illuminated section of the photo. Equally, not all photos need to have the car's lights on . . . only enough to have illumination appear in that area of the photo. The 'painter' is normally dressed in dark clothing.

I believe the final effect could be categorized as; the subject is presented in full light, while nothing in the background is illuminated. From what I understand these photos take an hour or so to 'capture', and some amount of time for the 'stitching' into a final image.

My neighbor, a photographer, liked my Packard and asked if could try something 'new'. I said yes and he said he needed to take the photos at night with a new moon.

We took these photos in my front yard with a crab apple tree as a backdrop. It was about a quarter moon but the photos came out awesome, in my opinion.

I watched as he setup the camera on a tripod. He then set it for a time-lapse (at first for 30 seconds.). Then he was off 'painting the car with a flashlight. He then took out his son's light sabre (blue) and looped it in the background. It seemed crazy, but he said that he didn't appear in the photo because he was moving and not illuminated.

I love the headlights, taillights, and parking lights on. I've not seen this in other pictures.

I hope you enjoy them,

Bob Freeman

EDIT: We also layed a light on the floor in the back seat and on the front seat. This illuminated the interior. We had to roll the side windows dow because of glare.

He took a lot of photos and I'm sure that some didn't make the cut. These are a gift so I think there are others (I know he took some of the dash and interior).

Hi Bob,

Very interesting photography process. I like them very much. They're the kind of pics one could get mega enlarged and use for decorating a retro themed restaurant. Very cool. Thanks for sharing. (nice car too, BTW) Chris.

Thanks Chris,

That sounds like a cool use for the pics.