Yes! This Coimbatorian can paint using a camera & light and he calls it ‘Light Painting’t
Whilst there are photographers every nook and corner these days, there is a commerce graduate, a 26-year old Jeswin Rebello, who is not just a mere photographer, but one who brushes his paints in any given place just using a light and camera. If you think that it is just the well-known Bulb Mode Photography, then this camera painter will prove you wrong.
Although it requires similar settings and conditions as Bulb Mode, it requires a lot of patience to paint using attractive colors and interesting shapes.
“When I started this in 2010, there was neither real exposure nor any idea about light painting among people. Even I came to know about it accidentally.Those were days when I used to have only point and shoot camera,” says Jeswin who saved his pocket money that his father gave to buy a DSLR Camera, which he required to learn photo painting.
“During my college days, I used to go to Chettiplayam Race Track with friends to click photos and while learning about action photography, I saw an article about photo painting on the web. It was then that I started researching insights into the art for more than a year. Eventually, it required a DSLR Camera and light equipment to explore and I ended up buying them with the pocket money I had managed to save,” says Jeswin with a wink.
He and his team created a World Record for having more number of Orbs in a single photograph, which is 900, back in 2016. Although the record is broken now with a thousand orbs in a single photograph, Jeswin is not going to rest. He works tirelessly on developing his skills in creating geometrical shapes on light painting using different lights and subjects.
“I used to do basic drawing, which is helping me a lot to try and explore and create new shapes in this art. It may look easy. But, the real challenge in light painting is that there is no board or place or point that you can start from or end with. Everything has to be done by assumption,”elaborated the camera painter.
In light painting the camera is fixed in a dark room or a dark open space. Then the one who paints has to stand in front of the camera has to draw the shape using the light with his hands moving in the way that he wants. It will take only a few minutes to draw a shape, but to see it as a photograph it requires a minimum of three hours of meticulous work, according to Jeswin.
“Before I draw, I will practice for hours to get the right photo that I have in my mind. But again to practice and to do light painting, night time is the only option. There should be no light, so I practice and work only at night to get the appropriate photographs,”says the imaginative light painter.
Jeswin now runs his own photo studio in the city named ‘Signature Moments’ with his team, which did a visual advertisement for the renowned Car Manufacturer Skoda, for their face-lift model Octavia in 2017. The lucky light painter got his prowess in light painting skill as the concept for the advertisement, which also became a huge success for its innovative idea. The advertisement has over 714k views in YouTube.
“Earlier, I used to post my photos in light painting groups on Face Book Flickr from where I got in touch with international light painting communities. It really motivated me and it was then that I took to light painting seriously, which has now earned me recognition from all quarters,” says a down-to-earth Jeswin.
He has exhibited his light painting photos is Mumbai and Spain all with the help of Social Networks. “Unlike all parents, my parents did not encourage me doing photography, which they didn’t consider as a profession. But, when I started proving myself, they relented and agreed with me,” recalls Jeswin about his initial days.
However Light Painting has gained some popularity in recent years. But now-a-days there are many computer software and mobile applications available, by which anyone can create his own light painting without much fuss.
‘Even now, when I show my photos, people would ask whether it is graphics or not. I would take it sportive and at times I will explain to them, if necessary,” says a cool headed Jeswin.