I have a great deal of interest in digital photography, but my life is as crazy as anyone else’s. My son, family, and work keep me busy from dawn to midnight every day. I’ve never had time to cultivate any photography skills, even though I’ve always been very interested, sitting on the edge of my seat, if you will, for a chance to take some digital photos in order to learn a little about how capturing light can create astonishing works of art.

My interview with Matthew Danser had given me my long sought “excuse” to try out some photography techniques. But it also required that I put in an honest effort. The thought in the back of my head: These photos are going to suck. Probably a lot. And they will most likely be seen by the thousands of people who visit this blog monthly. Second gulp.

But I’m the kind of person so riddled with ADHD that even my paranoia about being judged on a mass scale can only last about three minutes before the audacity to try anything resurfaces and action is taken. So here’s what happens when a total amateur who has no idea what he is doing tries to “Paint with Light.”

A one-dollar flashlight from – you guessed it – the Dollar General. One dollar. Even. Gotta love it. Especially since it’s all I could afford, seeing as how I’m still paying off the aforementioned Nikon that I bought to take photos of our baby son. (True, a million pictures have been taken of him during his first year-and-a-half on Earth. However, 999,999 of those photos were taken with an iPhone. Go figya.)

THE PLAN, STAN:

The plan was to wait until it was dark in the apartment and do some light painting. I knew that I could use the Shutter mode on my camera to set it to take exposures of up to thirty seconds. I saw that my camera also had an option for bulb release, so, invoking Danser, who recalls how his girlfriend had to hold down the button on his camera for a full thirteen minutes, I determined that if I asked really nicely, I might be able to persuade my wife to hold down the trigger to get exposures longer than thirty seconds. Otherwise, thirty seconds was my window of time to do all the light painting I could.

I started off pretty timidly. I had seen photos online in which people used long exposures to create squiggly lines. The most popular examples are pictures of traffic at night, headlights and tail lights streaming, giving you a sense of the fluid motion of busy intersections. You’ve also seen those nature pics in which streams and rivers and clouds and stars become gauzy with movement because of long exposures.

But what I really like about Danser’s work is the use of color. The effect of running inside the hut and popping off red-gelled flashes shown at the beginning of this blog post (Matthew Danser! And happy lightpainting, everyone!

Our hope is for Light Reading to be a place you can come for inspiration and guidance as you plan your next lighting project.

The thing is, we are incredibly inspired by our readers!  Your kind words, and contributions to “11 Beautiful Photos of Under Cabinet Lighting”

11 Beautiful Photos of Under Cabinet Lighting: This one definitely falls under the “inspiration” category, but it can also be helpful if you’re trying to determine what type of under cabinet lighting is your favorite for the kitchen. Puck? Linear? LED? Fluorescent? Be prepared to gaze at dreamy kitchens. “How To Have Great Lighting In a Rental”

Here’s How To Map Out Your Recessed Lights (An Infographic): Those who decide to add recessed lighting to a new or existing home are presented with a seemingly impossible task – laying them out on a blueprint. This infographic will clue you in on what every lighting designer knows about recessed lighting placement. You’ll be ready to install in no time. Read More >>

Although the great bamboo may look more like a tree and its strength and height do measure up, it is actually classified as a grass plant.  It is the largest of the grass plants and one of the fastest growing plants on earth. Bring the natural essence and lucky aura of the bamboo plant into your environment.

New lamp styles weave natural bamboo into ingenious illumination.  Here are some of the top pics to update your home or office environment with the latest nature-loving styles:

•ELK Lighting brings the “Modern Organics” collection to light…

Bamboo rings graceful and light in the “Modern Organics” wall sconce from ELK Lighting.

Bamboo strands present a natural linear elegance to the “Modern Organics” pendant from ELK Lighting.

•Wildwood Lamps emboldens portables with a natural bamboo flair in grand fashion…

“Intricate Bamboo Splits” table lamp from Wildwood Lamps

“Inlaid Bamboo” table lamp, a handsome combination with real wood and bamboo from Wildwood

•Oggetti Luce rocks the bamboo-style with glass hand-screened in Germany…

The “BAMBDRUM” pendant  features elegant shoots of bamboo hand-screened in Germany and available in white or green glass from Oggetti Luce.

The “BAMBOO” table lamp from Oggetti Luce

•Minka Aire’s ceiling fans breeze in naturally with comfort and sophistication…

All-weather bamboo blades make the grade with Minka Aire.

•From Murray Feiss, natural bamboo pendants are attracting major attention…

“Denmark” pendant orbs in natural bamboo from Murray Feiss

•Justice Lighting’s bamboo-embossed series yields the most flattering illumination…

“Limoges” wall sconce features bamboo glass embossed in porcelain from Justice Lighting

•Meyda Lighting’s bamboo chandelier makes a giant tropical presentation…

“Banana Bamboo” chandelier from Meyda Lighting

•Frederick Ramond’s “Zen” series is still growing strong…

“Zen” LED natural bamboo chandelier from Fredrick Ramond is the ultimate in eco-friendly, sustainable design.

Visit a Capitol Lighting showroom or 1800lighting.com to see these and more custom crafted lighting designs inspired by nature.