Hannu Huhtamo is a Finnish light artist from the Helsinki region. The first light painting he can recall was in the 90s, when he made a promo for a death metal band of a pentagram with a lighter, but he truly started light art photography in 2008. He was amazed by the experiments his friend Janne Parviainen had shown him with small LEDs and extended exposure times on the camera. They produced cool images, so he bought himself some equipment and created new shapes and forms that jump started his career. Now, he has created many pieces of organic figures set to highlight the surrounding landscape around the shot.

What’s pretty cool about light painting is that you can use whatever tools emit light, it doesn’t require expensive equipment to start. Hannu’s toolbox includes a DSLR Camera the Olympus E-M1 MIII, and various light brushes. Some of his light brushes are attached to an adapter to attach fiber optics for different thicknesses. He has a special light pen that can change to a color of his choice- something handy so he doesn’t need to hold onto multiple light pens of different colors. To create the staggered lines, he has a strobbing, flexible light rod to bend into whatever desired lines. And pictured below, he is holding a crystal-looking sphere, something he believes is just a Christmas decoration. These are just a few of the many tools he owns to create dazzling imagery.

In the artistic process, he uses a mix of planning and improvising to create all his pieces. Typically, he will sketch a rough idea with a paper and pencil. Sometimes, he will take a few sections of his piece and practice the drawing motions like a choreographed routine. Then, he will go to a location with his equipment and begin shooting. Depending on the location and the feel of the environment, Hannu will be inspired and improvise while the exposure is ongoing. He has shot in many locations and has travelled far to draw a certain piece, such as the Kulala Wilderness Reserve in the Namib Desert

(1:04, 6:06, Full video)

Hannu dislikes the idea of Photoshop or any form of photo alterations, he believes all light painting photography should be Straight of out Camera (SOOC). He once said, “Don’t say the P-word, it’s forbidden. For light painting it’s not suitable, because everything should be straight out of the camera.”

Works

“Light painting technique captures the journey of light through time and space. Instead of one decisive moment, it’s more like a series of moments that all create the meaning as a whole.”

Hannu Huhtamo

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References
https://www.hannuhuhtamo.com/
https://lightpaintingblog.com/artist-of-the-month-hannu-huhtamo/
https://loupeart.com/collections/hannu-huhtamo/products/stranded-print-d7955
https://lightpaintingphotography.com/light-painting-artist/featured-artist-2/hannu-huhtamo/
https://therooster.com/articles/the-magical-light-art-of-hannu-huhtamo/
https://www.wildernessdestinations.com/journal/photography/light-painting-with-olympus-in-the-namib-desert
https://mymodernmet.com/hannu-huhtamo-light-painting/
https://lightpaintingblog.com/artist-of-the-month-hannu-huhtamo/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/hhuhtamo/51857181414/in/photostream/