What to Expect

This one-day light painting masterclass is a must for nature lovers looking to experiment with their photography practice. Participants will learn ways of interpreting the landscape before an indoor ‘painting with light’ demonstration. Finally, once it gets dark, participants will have the opportunity to try light painting in the RACV Goldfields Resort’s forest surroundings.

Schedule
12–1pm: An audio-visual presentation of how to create great light painted images. Discussion will follow about the principles of night photography and the recommended lights and equipment required to create stunning night-time images.
1–2pm: Lunch break. Lunch will be supplied by RACV.
2–4pm: An initial session playing with lighting effects and photographing various props inside the RACV complex to gain confidence working with your equipment in the dark.
4–5pm: Afternoon tea break. Afternoon tea provided by RACV.
5-7pm: Participants will break into smaller groups and head out to photograph the local landscape at the RACV grounds.

Torches and light tools are supplied.

This workshop has a capacity of 10 students.

What to Bring

• A camera that can be operated manually
• A tripod
• Your laptop (optional)
• Warm clothes and sturdy shoes
• A head torch if you have one

Learning Outcomes

• At the end of this workshop, students will be able to:
• Re-imagine the landscape by controlling how their camera interprets a scene.
• Apply light to your subject in measured and intricate ways.
• Demonstrate confidence in managing the technical skills and opportunities that light painting can offer.
• Develop and alter the way they think and work as a photographer.

About Your Teacher

Peter Solness is a multi-award winning photographer, artist, educator and writer who specialises in the photographic method of light painting. This involves mounting his camera on a tripod and working in darkness to allow long camera exposures of between 4 to 60 seconds. These long exposure times mean he can hand-illuminate his chosen subjects using small torches to create visual effects not generally associated with traditional methods of photography.

An enthusiastic teacher and exponent of light painting as an art form, Solness has run regular workshops and presentations at The National Arts School, TAFE colleges, and the Head On photo festival. He also mounts large-scale public light events for community celebrations, such as Sydney World Pride 2023 and Science Week in 2018. Solness has also developed specialist light painting workshops for secondary and primary school students, to inspire younger audiences.