Light Painting

Abstracting forms using a combination of slow shutter speeds and camera movement can sometimes lead to very pleasing results. It is a technique I have used in the past, but rarely in the genre of landscape photography.

Golden Tree

Having trained originally as a painter I love the way this technique abstracts the photographic image, shifting concentration away from recognizable detail to the formal elements of colour, texture and tone.

Tree Forms

The level of abstraction created by this technique depends on the length of exposure and the amount of camera movement during the exposure. Personally I like to retain some degree of recognizable elements in my composition. Choosing a shutter-speed  around the 1/15s to 1/4s range allows me enough time to create movement in the image while still retaining enough detail to make the image look recognizable.

Linear

Along with the relatively long exposure time used to abstract the image, the direction you "drag" the camera during that exposure is also very important is defining the overall effect you get.

A good rule-of-thumb is to move the camera with the natural lines in the landscape. This will help you maintain the integrity of the forms in the image while blurring their boundaries to give a more abstract effect.

Reed Mace

This time of year really compliments this technique, especially in woodland areas where there is a broad pallet of colours to play with. On a bright autumnal day the results can be stunning, with complimentary colours merging into one another to make really strong and beautiful imagery.

For more examples of this technique visit my website at: www.kevinlangan.ie