L.A.C.E IS THE COMBINATION OF TWO CREATIVE MINDS, FORMED BY A PASSION FOR LIGHT PHOTOGRAPHY AND A RELENTLESS HUNGER TO EXPLORE HIDDEN LOCATIONS
Paul Spencer
Light Painting is only part of the story. The created images are just one element of the whole process. Many enjoyable hours have been spent developing tools, techniques, finding locations to explore and then there’s the preparation for the shoot.
I had been interested in photography for a few years, before stumbling on the technique of light painting. In 2009 I was making visits every 2 weeks to a chiropractor, for my back problems. After a few sessions we began to talk a little more about our interests and I told him I was passionate about Hip Hop culture and that my reason for visiting him was due to injuries caused by breakdancing into my 40’s! (I’d started when I was 14). He then told me that he was a keen photographer and pointed to the pictures around the treatment studio which, I had previously thought were bought-in high quality landscape art prints, but they were his. I noticed one smaller framed image above his desk, which had him dressed in a white rolled-down boiler suit with a arc of 15 parallel vivid blue lines in front of him. When I asked about it he said it was his tribute to Picasso and explained about some of the early history of light painting photography. It took a little more searching on the internitwit and a couple of early test shots on a compact camera before I got fully hooked. As soon as I got a couple of strings of battery operated fairy-lights and a 120 lumen led torch, I was ready to invest in my 1st DSLR, a Sony Alpha A230.
I spent about a year so, going out alone to some of Dorset’s historic landmarks, such as Knowlton Church and the Helstone to practice my newly discovered art-form, before combining two of my passions, Breakin'(dance) and light painting. I worked with dancers from different genres including Ballet, Ballroom and Streetdance and produce a series of 12 light painted images titled “Dancing Light”. I exhibited these at Pavilion Dance in Bournemouth and was pleased with the feedback. Around this time I had got to know Matt Preston through another friend and after showing him a few of my early shots he said he enjoyed photography and wouldn’t mind coming out on a shoot. So in early 2011 we started to make it a regular Fri/Sat night venture and got on really well with our different styles complementing each other. shortly after that we decided to form L.A.C.E. and really push our light painting as far as we could. 2015 and we’re still experimenting. It’s more of an addiction than a hobby!
Munkymitz
Originally from Mid-Wales, we moved to Bournemouth when I was 5 years old. My family are keen amateur wildlife photographers, and I grew up with us spending time trying to capture what caught our eye. It is like hunting I guess, but with out any of the harm and more of the calm. Of course those were the days of film, and my first camera was an Olympus Om10.
I studied in graphic design, and started working for companies as a designer in my late teens. During this time I had the opportunity to experiment with studio photography, producing product shots for catalogues. It was a challenge to deal with the various materials and their surfaces, adjusting constantly for the reflections and shadows; but really enjoyable all the same.
After some time away travelling and exploring, I ended up back in Dorset, working full-time for a printers as their designer. After 5 years the job went sour, and I set up on my own. Providing printing, design, websites, hosting, and of course photography as a list of services. It was around this time when I met Paul, and he introduced me to light painting. It was mind meltingly mental, and I couldn’t wait to try it. Since then It’s been a weekly, if not, fortnightly event.
Light painting has become a key part to my weekly routine, as it is the only time when I can creatively be free; and most importantly, for myself, instead of for other people. Not that I don’t enjoy creating things for other people, it’s just not the same . Another aspect to the light painting that Paul and I do, are the locations, we tend to frequent derelict and abandoned spots; Which when you’re noseying around at night, can get pretty interesting!