What not to do when trying to do light painting and not succeeding:
1. Try to make something you don't like work enough to post. Waste about an hour and then give up.
2. Do not let go of wasted time or original image you had in mind. Criticize yourself harshly at all attempts to do anything with other photos.
3. Do not start doing any of this editing until at least 11:30 p.m. (23:30 for my international friends). Being tired helps increase crankiness.
4. Post what you consider to be the two 'least worst' photos from the day and make the point to entire site that you aren't happy with the photo day.
5. Go to bed finally about 1:30 a.m.
6. Lie there thinking about what you were not doing in the light painting.
7. Get an 'aha' and decide it's perfectly normal to sneak back downstairs quietly so as not to disturb hubby and guests and set up camera on tripod with remote shutter release, facing into the very dark mudroom from the kitchen.
8. Try several things before the glow sticks wear out (note -- because they were going to wear out by tonite, my logic at 2:00 a.m. is that I needed to do this last night)
9. Look with relief at a few that 'might work'
10. Move tripod setup into the mudroom so no one knocks it over during the night by accident.
11. Go back to sleep.
12. Wonder throughout the day why you are feeling a bit tired!
@lisay@calm Thanks Lisa and Kathy...well...it's a little after midnight again and here I am! But, I'm off to sleep shortly. Thanks for the kind comments -- I'm glad you thought the shot worked!
@mikegifford Thanks Mike -- colorful was what I was going for with all the different colored glowsticks. Glad it worked!
@eyesmile Yep, it did help tonight!! I'm off to sleep, satisfied at last! Thanks for the kind comment re the result!
That's true dedication! I'm impressed - I wouldn't be half as determined to get my imagined shot and my real shot to line up, or as articulate as you are in the middle of the night!
Loved your story! Might you have a touch of OCD?? I suspect many of us do! Your perseverance definitely paid off! It's a wonderful image. I love the rainbow colors in the light that you captured.
Hi Taffy. I would like to challenge you to shooting using intentional camera movement in whatever way you choose- just have a play around with that. If you don't like that challenge my next option is high key, as I can see you have dabbled with it once or twice and it would be cool to see you explore that further. Or combine the two! Have fun!
Your comments had me laughing too! OCD, obsessive versus dedication and creative??? I like the latter two better but think the first two are the most accurate. Thanks for viewing, commenting, and taking the time to read through and seeing the humor in the situation. I was also glad to read how many of you have had similar experiences. What is 365 doing to us???
Creating your own fireworks I see. It's just plain fun, despite what seems like a rather laborious evening. Ever the over achiever, I'm sure there was lots of learning embedded in the whole experience. But I'd check this one off as a success.
@taffy ha! Totally!!! 365 is making us crazy! I was trying on skirts today and instead of actually trying them on, I found myself artfully draping them on hooks in the dressing room to take pictures of the textures instead. Sheesh!
@amrita21@cathrinemitch@vankrey Mmmm...don't know if being an overachiever and passionate outweighs obsessive and OCD, but I feel I"m getting there! This shot has ended up being so much fun -- not the shot, itself, necessary but the whole thing getting to that point.
@mikegifford Thanks Mike -- colorful was what I was going for with all the different colored glowsticks. Glad it worked!
@eyesmile Yep, it did help tonight!! I'm off to sleep, satisfied at last! Thanks for the kind comment re the result!
Just, please don't stop doing it - the result is great!
I think 365 drives us all slowly mad. ;)
Your comments had me laughing too! OCD, obsessive versus dedication and creative??? I like the latter two better but think the first two are the most accurate. Thanks for viewing, commenting, and taking the time to read through and seeing the humor in the situation. I was also glad to read how many of you have had similar experiences. What is 365 doing to us???