Painting With Light
Ranked #14,453 in Arts & Design, #285,391 overall
Inspired Accidents Whilst Painting With Light - an incredible photographic art
John N. Cohen's highest valued pictures were inspired accidents whilst 'painting with light', a description of photographing projected images - not always projected on to a screen. Now his amazing pictures are for sale as limited editions.
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Painting with light is all about photographing projected images that surprisingly are not often projected on to a screen. John discovered the projector really is a 'magic lantern'! Computers and digital images were unknown at the time when some of his finest pictures were created nearly 50 years ago. Yet they have stood up to the test of time and are still considered exceptional, making quite a statement!
Photography was just a hobby, but a very successful hobby, as John Cohen won the most important international awards and attracted the attention of Cecil Beaton C.B.E., Sir William Russell Flint R.A., Sir George F. Pollock Bt., M.A., and Lady Clementine Spencer Churchill amongst others.
It was by chance, seeing an image projected, partly on the curtains and wallpaper that started this unique art form. By moving the projector and focusing on to other objects, noting how they distorted the image and influenced the texture and shape, led to the idea of photographing what could be seen. Then by adding more projectors he was also able to blend different images too and so 'painting with light' began.
John started with an idea and experimented with various images, but sometimes something unforeseen happened, that sent him down a totally fresh route to create a very different picture than were originally planned, it is these 'inspired accidents' that have since turned out to be his very best works.
The London Salon Trophy
The first time this much coveted International artistic photography trophy had ever been awarded for a colour photograph was in 1967. Presented to John N. Cohen for his creation 'Spirit of Spring' he was also the youngest salon member ever to have received it. 'Spirit of Spring' was created by his own technique of 'painting with light' that enabled him to blend a portrait transparency with a negative of a tulip on the same emulsion. This technique involved photographing projected images that were not always projected on to a screen.
He subsequently had over 20 One-Man Exhibitions of his photography (some were sponsored by Kodak) 2 held in New York, 4 in London, The Edinburgh Festival and many other UK & USA Cities.
He received favourable reviews and comments in 'The Times', 'Arts Review', many other newspapers and photographic magazines.
His original 'Painting With Light' pictures intrigue and make quite a statement so now they are just becoming available for sale as limited editions. http://www.artist-john-cohen.net/index.htm
"Indeed, since the photographic image is made by the action of light, truth to light is truth to the medium of photography! All John Cohen's photographs are made, simply and solely, by the use of light. His magic is the magic of the luminous, his poetry is that of the chiaroscuro. The attractions of his work is all the greater for the purity of the photographic technique, and its appeal all the more universal for being couched in an imagery common to all men and intelligible to all." Sir George F. Pollock Bt., M.A., F.R.P.S., F.R.S.A.
John used 'painting with light' (rather than computer manipulation) to express ideas, or thoughts, instead of reality and a free clearly illustrated article 'The Magic Lantern' fully explains how anyone can do it, without a computer, or a darkroom: - http://www.jncohen.net/photmagi/cg030001.htm
____________________________________
Painting with light is all about photographing projected images that surprisingly are not often projected on to a screen. John discovered the projector really is a 'magic lantern'! Computers and digital images were unknown at the time when some of his finest pictures were created nearly 50 years ago. Yet they have stood up to the test of time and are still considered exceptional, making quite a statement!
Photography was just a hobby, but a very successful hobby, as John Cohen won the most important international awards and attracted the attention of Cecil Beaton C.B.E., Sir William Russell Flint R.A., Sir George F. Pollock Bt., M.A., and Lady Clementine Spencer Churchill amongst others.
It was by chance, seeing an image projected, partly on the curtains and wallpaper that started this unique art form. By moving the projector and focusing on to other objects, noting how they distorted the image and influenced the texture and shape, led to the idea of photographing what could be seen. Then by adding more projectors he was also able to blend different images too and so 'painting with light' began.
John started with an idea and experimented with various images, but sometimes something unforeseen happened, that sent him down a totally fresh route to create a very different picture than were originally planned, it is these 'inspired accidents' that have since turned out to be his very best works.
The London Salon Trophy
The first time this much coveted International artistic photography trophy had ever been awarded for a colour photograph was in 1967. Presented to John N. Cohen for his creation 'Spirit of Spring' he was also the youngest salon member ever to have received it. 'Spirit of Spring' was created by his own technique of 'painting with light' that enabled him to blend a portrait transparency with a negative of a tulip on the same emulsion. This technique involved photographing projected images that were not always projected on to a screen.
He subsequently had over 20 One-Man Exhibitions of his photography (some were sponsored by Kodak) 2 held in New York, 4 in London, The Edinburgh Festival and many other UK & USA Cities.
He received favourable reviews and comments in 'The Times', 'Arts Review', many other newspapers and photographic magazines.
His original 'Painting With Light' pictures intrigue and make quite a statement so now they are just becoming available for sale as limited editions. http://www.artist-john-cohen.net/index.htm
"Indeed, since the photographic image is made by the action of light, truth to light is truth to the medium of photography! All John Cohen's photographs are made, simply and solely, by the use of light. His magic is the magic of the luminous, his poetry is that of the chiaroscuro. The attractions of his work is all the greater for the purity of the photographic technique, and its appeal all the more universal for being couched in an imagery common to all men and intelligible to all." Sir George F. Pollock Bt., M.A., F.R.P.S., F.R.S.A.
John used 'painting with light' (rather than computer manipulation) to express ideas, or thoughts, instead of reality and a free clearly illustrated article 'The Magic Lantern' fully explains how anyone can do it, without a computer, or a darkroom: - http://www.jncohen.net/photmagi/cg030001.htm
Painting With Light - Photo Gallery
Madam Butterfly (01)
"When Love with unconfined wings
Hovers within my gates;"
Richard Lovelace
A unique and little known way of Painting With Light
Pure Photographic 'Special Effects' Without a Computer or a Darkroom!
This description 'painting with light', as used by photographers, has usually referred to the process of leaving the camera on a tripod, set on a long time exposure, with a very small aperture, whilst the photographer moves around the darkened scene illuminating different parts of the picture with a flash, or some other light source. This way the picture is gradually created by a series of short light bursts on only the selected areas.Another method of 'painting with light' is also done in a darkened room, or outside at night, but this time by using a hand held torch whilst the shutter remains open, the torch is moved about to create an image (rather like the effect of streaks of light made by car headlights, on a busy road at night) this can also be used to light just very selective small parts of the scene. This form of painting with light is possible with just about any kind of light source such as; matches, candles, mobile phones, sparklers, laser light, or glow sticks, just about any light source can be used!
A third method is achieved by moving the camera instead, whilst keeping the shutter open, in this way one can add a sense of movement to the scene. Or if the subject is moving, by using a long exposure, a picture with the blurred movement is also obtained, this too has been referred to, by photographers, as painting with light.
These are the most well known 'painting with light' techniques. But there is a very interesting different photographic technique to create special effects that also really justifies this description too!
This technique is based on using projected images that are not always projected on to a screen, sometimes more than one projector is used and then the projected images are photographed. For example a projected portrait can be focussed on to a shell and then this scene can be photographed. This way the screen (in this case the shell) becomes part of the new picture. With careful masking more than one image can be blended, when more than one projector is used. So with two or more projectors it is possible to blend parts of different images, but it is also easily possible to mix black and white images with colour and even negative images with transparencies.
These techniques were discovered in the mid 1960's, well before computers were available for photographers; it all began when the photographer noticed how a picture looked that he had projected (before putting up the screen) so that this image appeared partially on the wallpaper and the curtains. He then started moving the projector around and focused the image on to various different items in the room and soon decided it would be interesting to photograph some of the effects he could see. So began a fascinating way of creating amazing photographs.
This photographer won the London Salon Trophy in 1967 for a transparency of a portrait of the profile of a girl, blended with a negative of a tulip, all achieved as a transparency. This picture and many other award winning photographs created in this way can all be seen on his web pages where these 'painting with light' techniques are more fully explained, with pictures, in another article 'The Magic Lantern'.
http://www.jncohen.net/photmagi/cg030001.htm
" ...regarded as one of Britain's most original photographers." The Times
"To Cohen, the impossible in colour merely takes a little longer..." Photography Year Book
Please add your comments or feedback here. Thanks
Painting With Light
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science_fiction_novels_cyberpunk Feb 11, 2010 @ 3:23 am | delete
- Fashinating pictures. Thank you for sharing. 5*
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BisDak
Feb 8, 2010 @ 12:06 am | delete
- Didn't know that there is such thing as painting with light. Great work of art!
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ElizabethJeanAllen
Feb 6, 2010 @ 3:11 pm | delete
- I love to take pictures but when it comes to turning them into a work of art, all I can do is crop them. I would love to see more of your work posted here.
Thanks for sharing
Lizzy
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MysticTurtle
Feb 6, 2010 @ 12:53 pm | delete
- My dad was a hobby photographer, and this sounds like the kinds of things he would play around with. This kind of photo art is so much more impressive than computer-enhanced photos. It really requires thought and skill.
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Flynn_the_Cat
Feb 5, 2010 @ 4:53 pm | delete
- Oh this is fascinating! I hope you add some more pictures - adding this on my art on squidoo lens, as even though it's not quite finished, there's nothing there about this and you look like you're going to improve fast :D Also, if you haven't found it yet, the forum is a good place for feedback. http://www.squidu.com/forum
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by John_N_Cohen
"I use pure photography to express ideas, or thoughts, rather than reality. I trust that my pictures will intrigue, cause interest and be appreciated... more »
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