Darkness is his canvas, light is his brush - the photographer who created World record in Light Painting through Mobile torch.
"When light kisses darkness, magic unveils." - This magic is being unleashed by a 42-year old man from Kerala. A painting enthusiast and a photographer by profession is creating candid art forms in the air. All he needs is dark space, a beam of light and his partner in artistic crime, the camera! Basically a lens-man who does portfolio shoots and who has worked for the Malayalam films Popcorn, Seconds and Olappeeppi, this man of lens creates waves of unique trends in the field of photography. Let's get into the details of the fashion photographer from Kerala, Anoop Upaaasana.
The Love For Something Opens Doors To Almost Everything:
Once, a celebrity photographer was on sets working for the director Sarathchandran's short film. There, he had to film several shots set against smoky backgrounds. This made him experiment with smoke photography. He went on capturing images of smoke emanating from incense sticks. He drew patterns with the smoke and eventually included a beam of light using the mobile phone torch to draw patterns in the dark. When he used a mobile torch in the dark, he identified that the beauty of smoke under the tiny flame was enhanced and that's how he discovered the art of light painting. This man is Anoop Upaasana and light painting is his love.
A Painting That Has No Physical Existence:
Technically, this painting doesn't exist physically. Unlike regular painting that is made on a canvas or paper, this painting is made in the air. Yes! The invisible air is the canvas. The drawing dances in the thin air. The light source is the paint brush. Now the camera's shutter speed gets both the light beam and the dark space under one roof. This son of Nilgiris flashes a torch and weaves moving beams of patterns on air in the dark. It seems like as if his wavy hand movements are doing some mime in the dark but in reality, the figures he draws are captured by the camera in long exposure.
How It Works:
Firstly, Anoop sets the camera's shutter speed to 30 seconds. Within this short span of time, Anoop sets his hand to work his design in the air. Anoop pre-visualizes his design well ahead in his mind and strokes light beams in the air. This is undoubtedly an uphill task. It doesn't happen in one go. Too many trial and errors result in the best outcome. Sometimes, he draws his visualization on the ground and follows the pattern in the air. "I experiment with a variety of lens depending on what I draw and often go for multiple takes for the perfect composition of his chiaroscuro works." , Anoop says.
A Unique Painting That Focuses On Contemporary Aspects:
What does Anoop touch upon in his unique light painting? He sketches the outlines of historical figures like Mahatma Gandhi with glasses and stick. Mythological figures like Mahabali is seen with his umbrella. When one sees his flash light doing the paintings of an idle woman, or a woman with her pots, men carrying a palanquin, he is sure to experience the peaks of delight. As all of the pictures are made of light in the dark, they appear as if they are the patterns of stars in the night's sky. When floods struck Kerala, Anoop made a series of light paintings that caught the nerve of every Keralite. Those paintings reflected the chaos created by the disaster, the affect of the loss of life and property on people and depicted the vulnerability of lives in a deep sense. He is now working on "Corona Series" - a series of paintings that revolves around "masks and hospitals".
Anoop's work received recognition from the Universal Records Forum for the "Most number of light painting photography". “Anoop Upasana, a talented photographer from Kerala, India, has found a new masterpiece with ‘Light Drawing’, the imaginary canvas of darkness, the thin light coming from the torch instead of the brush – captures that light in about 30 seconds.” - the certificate says.
The Fashion Photographer's Art Exhibit - To Come Soon:
The wanting to add aesthetic appeal to photography got Anoop to explore light painting. This photographic technique is the artistic form chosen by hardly anyone due to its difficulty. It requires huge patience and extreme perseverance. In a dark space, when you don't know where your strokes are going, it lies on you how you remember the previous strokes. One mistake will lead to an overall start over. The final result can be seen only at the end in the camera. If not proper, the whole process must be repeated all over again. Anoop says that he even controls his breathing to get his design into the frame before the camera shutter closes. With daily practice, curating whatever he has painted so far, this self taught artist says that he is planning to hold an exhibition soon. "I haven’t learnt the art from any teacher but it was an integral part of my life,” he says.
Not everyone gifted with talent can make the best use of it. Not everyone can explore different shades of art. Such one or two out of hundreds become the leaders, the pioneers!! May you shine brighter Anoop Upaasana! Our wishes are with you!
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