When Denis moved to South Australia he took up photography as a hobby but needed a niche and style of his own. I am no photographer so I don't really know the exact science involved here, but what I do know is that Denis gets hold of a LED light and swings that light around him in a circle while he rotates.
These images are always taken on a full moon, Denis uses single and long exposure the take the picture so that the length of exposure captures more light. "Every Ball of Light image is taken in a single exposure. Not one pixel is added or removed from the image. The only adjustments made are minor saturation and brightness tweaks. There is no blending of images or use of any HDR software." shares Denis.
I like the fact that he has not kept this procedure as a secret or created a mystery around it, in fact he gladly shares how you too can try this artform at home, here's how:
"I am simply swinging a light around in a circle whilst rotating. There is no magic, simply experimenting with camera settings and light sources. Start by opening the shutter and wave a torch or light wand around. Once you get used to taking long exposure photos without over exposing the image, then start incorporating different types of light sources. Kids shops are a great place to find all sorts of colors lights. Tie them to a string and wave them around. Experimenting was and still is the most fun part of what I do."
Here are some of my favorite Ball of Light photographs by Denis Smith:
Here's a 15 minute documentary that tells the incredible story of Denis Smith:
Visit his website to learn more about him and his artwork.
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