Last summer, my assistant, Gavin, and I had talked about trying to light paint something. However, as life often does, time slipped through our fingers, but we made time this year to light paint a friend’s old car against the backdrop of my Dad’s cornfield.

We set up the car and our tripod about an hour and a half before sunset and waited for the sun to go down. The setting sun painted the sky with hues of blue, orange, and gold, infusing the landscape with a touch of magic. The old car, a testament to days gone by, stood there, patiently waiting for our artistic touch. With every rusted edge and faded paint, it whispered stories of a forgotten era. It was the perfect subject for our first light painting adventure.

To light paint, you have to light up each area and take a photo, and then in post-processing, you build the photo. While taking the 176 photos we took that night, uncertainty lingered in the air, Gavin and I both thought it was not going to work. But we were determined to try and lit the car 4 times trying a few different things each time. Oddly enough, I decided to try using the photos from our first try to build the photo.

Each layer of light, meticulously captured, has been seamlessly blended using the magic of Photoshop using layers and erasing areas not needed. It takes MANY photos. This photo has 27 layers. As I was editing, I was amazed that it had worked on our first try. Crazy!

In the end, this photo reminds me of the beauty in trying new things, of embracing the unknown with an open heart and an open mind. It’s about stepping into uncharted territory, whether it’s within the realm of art, personal growth, or life itself. Each new endeavor provides us with an opportunity to learn, to grow, and to unlock hidden potentials that lie within us. Never stop learning….