I’ve always liked trying new techniques, and personal projects are where I get to do that. Light painting is one I keep coming back to, and this evening in Lowestoft was a good excuse to practise it.
Joining Like-Minded Photographers
Being part of East Coast Creatives has given me the chance to work on projects I’d never tackle alone. This time the subject was the giant bronze head on Lowestoft Beach, a sculpture called the “Chthonic Head” that sits in the sand and is covered by the sea at high tide.
Adrian ran the shoot. His Instagram, @nite.eyz, shows work done in camera, without Photoshop or editing. I don’t mind a bit of Photoshop myself, though his experience shaped the whole evening.
The Adventure Begins at McDonald’s
We started at McDonald’s, my weakness, before heading down to the beach at 9pm. Meeting a talented group like this was a highlight on its own, and the mood was genuinely buzzing.
Timing mattered. We needed the sun to set before adding light to the shots, so as the last of the daylight went we set up on the sand.
Creating Magic on the Beach
The 1.8m (6ft) head weighs around 750kg (1,650 lbs) and is embedded in the sand, almost a marker for the tide. The sculptor, Laurence Edwards, designed it to become part of nature, visible at low tide and under the waves at high water.
I’ve photographed Laurence’s portrait before and used his foundry in Halesworth twice, once for a wedding dress shoot for Martin Dobson, so working around his sculpture felt fitting.
The evening ran on laughter and collaboration, with the group working easily together to capture the head and the atmosphere on the Suffolk coast. We left just before 11pm, and the images we came away with hold as much of the friendship as the light.
A Personal Project to Remember
This was more than a shoot. If you’re interested in light painting or a personal project of your own, find a community like East Coast Creatives. That’s where the growth happens, and where the more memorable work tends to come from.