I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to incorporate my hobby into this project. My goal was to perform a range of pole dance moves in varying lighting conditions to see what interesting visuals I could create. I started out taking pictures with my Pixel 4 camera and progressed to taking photos and videos using a Canon EOS R6. I experimented with parameters such as shutter speed, aperture, and ISO and learned how to edit photos and videos. The pole dance movements behind the photos and the corresponding results can be seen in the video. I used Adobe Premiere Pro to edit the video and used music from Youtube’s Audio Library Channel. The songs and artists are listed in the video description.

The photos shown below were taken over multiple sessions. I wasn’t sure what I wanted the subject of the photos to be, me or the light sources, so I created photos that featured both. For my body to show up more clearly in the pictures, I had to be well lit and hold a pose for about half the duration of the open shutter period. This series used a warm white lamp directly above me. The outcome was a ghostly appearance with moments of clarity. For the next series, I wanted to create vibrant LED color streaks. To achieve this, we kept the lights off or used a dim indigo background during which I wore RGB LED wrist and ankle bands. All photos were edited using Adobe Lightroom.

I believe I have only scratched the surface when it comes to exploring what can be done with long exposure art on the pole. My favorite photos were the result of moves with limited motion, such as the handstand. I also preferred the photos where you can see the background, since the purpose of this project is to explore the light shapes that can be created on the pole. Without visibility of the pole, the images appear as pretty color streaks in a black void. Taking videos of the combinations added to the appeal of the art. One of the most amazing parts of long exposure light art is that you can create beautiful visuals by taking simple light elements and applying movement. Without the videos, especially for the RGB LED series, it may not have been apparent what the subject was and the corresponding pole dance moves that were being performed.

Lastly, I’d like that thank my friend Dave Connors. My results would not have turned out as well as they did without his help. He provided the camera and lighting equipment, helped me take photos, and advised me on editing techniques.