Photo: Fiery Hearts

Fiery Hearts
I had this idea of drawing a heart with a laser pointer. I set the camera up on a tripod, set the timer to ten seconds, and then drew this with the laser in the 3.2 seconds the picture was exposed.

Actually, it wasn’t easy like that. It took me 50 tries to get right. Have you ever tried to draw a heart on the wall with a laser pointer? I did two of them, and getting them to look anything like hearts, timed to 3.2 seconds, is quite a feat itself. This was the best I could do. I like the hearts—they look jagged, which is good because hearts aren’t perfect, nor is love. Perfection just doesn’t exist, and life would be boring if it did. The only perfect state is continuous personal growth; you can’t become perfect and then stagnate, wallowing in your perfection.

I drew the hearts on a window because the reflections on the glass turn up much brighter in the camera. In Photoshop, I brightened the laser trails and heart outline to make it more distinctive, while adding contrast and darkness to the surroundings. This was at ISO1600, so the end result is grainy and riddled with artifacts, but spirited nonetheless.

When your hearts meet, let them have fire!

Canon Rebel XTi, Sigma EF 105mm 1:2.8, 3.2″, F2.8, 105mm, ISO1600, 2008-09-06T02:26:48-04, 20080906-062648rxt

Location: Thripp Residence, Ormond Beach, FL  32174-7227

Download the high-res JPEG or download the source image.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License. Please credit me as Richard Thripp.

11 thoughts on “Photo: Fiery Hearts

  1. Simple creativity. Sometimes it so happens that when you start drawing you get led to different approach and pattern you never knew existed. Keep experimenting this way!

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  4. That is really pretty and unique. I use a laser point to play with my cats, and that just fills me with all sorts of ideas on how capturing a funny kitty photo. Thanks! 🙂

    1. Thanks! It will be funny if you can get one of your cats to look at the laser with a confused look.

      For shots like this, I suggest setting up a tripod and doing a long exposure with the remote timer. As soon as the camera beeps, start moving the light around. Try keeping it in one spot for a second and then moving it quickly; that spot will be much brighter then.

    1. Thanks—that’s why I like this one too. There’s hardly any gradation of tone, but it’s cool because you know from the outline that they’re shoes.

      I’m getting a bunch of 4×6 copies printed; I think they’ll turn out pretty nice with a lustre finish.

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