{"id":347,"date":"2022-08-29T12:35:44","date_gmt":"2022-08-29T16:35:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.joshuarosenstock.com\/teaching\/lightart-a22\/?p=347"},"modified":"2022-08-29T12:35:44","modified_gmt":"2022-08-29T16:35:44","slug":"light-artist-hannu-huhtamo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.joshuarosenstock.com\/teaching\/lightart-a22\/ljstearns\/light-artist-hannu-huhtamo\/","title":{"rendered":"Light Artist – Hannu Huhtamo"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Hannu Huhtamo is a visual artist from Finland, who has been developing light art since 2008. Huhtamo uses long exposure photography to create organic shapes with high contrast from their surroundings, often creating captivating paintings of flowers and animals.Light painting is an advanced photographic technique, where long exposure times and darkness allow for the ability to paint with light.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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According to Hannu, this form of art is similar to that of drawing blindfolded. You must rely on your muscle memory and body movements. He had stated, \u201cIt’s challenging, but also rewarding. Such experience makes you want to push the limits higher and higher. I still find it a really inspiring way to express myself.\u201d What Hannu really loves about his work is that it is influenced by practically everything. A finished project can be the product of seeing something in nature, dreams or even other light artists’ works. \u201cThere is always something new to be discovered.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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In order to accomplish such a task, one does not simply go in front of the camera and attempt to draw. It takes at least a week of preparation, with each work starting by sketching on paper. While sketching, he is adding all of the important details from his inspirations as he tries to accurately imitate and represent the subject. Once a sketch is complete, Hannu practices the drawing in sections, similar to dance choreography in order to build muscle memory. Once ready, he makes his way to his canvas and begins his masterpiece.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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For his Camera, Huhtamo uses an Olympus E-M1 MKIII for its quality and live composite feature, as photoshop is never used in his works. Tools such as lightsabers and blinking kids toys have been used in the past;however, he now uses custom tools which he has created. Many of the tools which he has designed turn flashlights into different types of\u00a0 \u201cbrushes\u201d, where the brush could be in the shape of a simple pin\/glow stick shape or a snowball. His arsenal of tools also consists of different plexiglass shapes, light strips or tubes, or even flashlights themselves. Many of his tools are found at light painting paradise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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When choosing his canvas, Huhtamo has to choose a location with little to no light pollution. In addition to the light, a location is desired to be open as an overcrowded one may look messy and distract from the subject.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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When on a trip to Namibia, Hannu learned about peoples efforts to restore and preserved the wildlife of the desert. This inspired him to create many works, one being of 2 oryxes painted in blue. This was done to represent what he learned about their tolerance to extreme heat and their ability to survive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The following is a light art demo, performed by Hannu Huhtamo himself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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