Webzine CFYE is getting ready for the holidays with an art sale featuring photographs by our good friends Trevor Williams and Dana Maltby.

Join CFYE at Club Canvas in Amsterdam on December 20 for a drink and an outstanding collection of original art.

International light painting group, Fiz-iks, has managed to create some of the most incredible light painting images with little more than a vision. Without any light-painting-specific tools on the market, Fiz-iks depends on their own ingenuity—and a lot of electrical tape—to create the “brushes” with which they paint.

Recently, Fiz-iks teamed up with cultural webzine CFYE to provide light painters with a cool new spray can tool. Check out Fiz-iks’ tutorial for step-by-step instructions on making the spray can tool. Then, get your own Fiz-iks/CFYE spray can label.

In previous guest posts for diyphotography.net Dana Maltby, aka {tcb}, has given us an introduction to light painting, as well as a look into his arsenal of tools. Now, he brings us a how-to on one of the dynamic staples of light painting, the orb. Check out {tcb}'s tutorial here.

Ok...picture, if you will, being alone in Japan....picture being late for a train...picture carrying a massive backpack and 2 suitcases through train stations and airports.....picture being an independent documentary film maker on a solo journey into the "land of the rising sun" and needing to take pictures while simultaneously dealing with tickets, customs, luggage etc....how do you lug around all your crap and still be ready for a great photo at any moment?  That was the 64,000 dollar question I had while preparing for my trip to Japan to film for Luminary.  I was very worried that I would have to sacrifice my camera carrying because it would be too cumbersome and dangerous. I was concerned that I just wouldn't be able to have my camera out as I traveled.

Enter the Black Rapid Camera Strap!!! The Black Rapid Strap is a dream come true!  Using it I was able to carry my massive Lowepro backpack stuffed with the Canon XHA1, wireless mics, surround recorders, shotgun mic, tapes, batteries, steady stick, a tripod strapped to the outside and STILL have my D300 comfortably and safely at the ready all the time!  I am able to strap the backpack on, pull the Pelican case behind me and have the camera riding comfortably at my hip practically begging to get used.  The moment the Black Rapid Strap arrived and I put it on I was 100% hooked; I wondered how I ever lived without it.  It makes all other camera straps seem like "old technology".  The Black Rapid is a revolutionary product that immediately threatens to make all other camera straps obsolete! It's that good.  It makes me want to take pictures just to feel super cool like "Quick Draw McGraw" when I sling the camera off my hip and into position with a gliding, effortless motion.

The Black Rapid has details built into that make a remarkable difference when working in the field and in challenging fast paced shoots.  The picture above is me in the Bikan District using the Black Rapid. I was following my "subjects" through the city and also grabbing snapshots along the way.  I am using the RS-7 strap that allows you to attach accessories......The "Brad" accessory really makes the strap feel rock solid on my body.  I NEVER worried about the strap slipping of my shoulder or felt in any way uncomfortable while wearing it.  The picture you see above would just not have been possible using another strap.  The slim design allowed the strap to fit comfortably underneath the backpack straps and remain in position at all times.  When I needed to "run" I adjusted the quick release clips so that they held the camera in one place on my hip, keeping it from sliding around on the strap as I moved.

I really can't say enough about what the Black Rapid Strap has done for my work flow as a "one man band" documentary shooter.  It has literally allowed me to get shots that I would never have been able to get before as I easily transitioned from video to photo shooting on the run!  I love this product, I'm only 3 days into the 10 day trip so I'll post another article later with more examples and details about just how awesome the Black Rapid is!

I am rushing out the door right now,but I must stop for a moment and report on this very cool discovery related to Man Ray and light painting, or as he called it “space writing”.  I was forwarded this information by the Man Ray Trust.

Man Ray is the first light painter.  His “space writing” images are the very first recorded light painting images that I can find.  You can see his 3 “space writing” images here.

Well, in a recent article in The Smithsonian Magazine there is news about an interesting new discovery in his “space writing” images.  Quoting from the article, “…Ellen Carey, a photographer whose working method is similar to Man Ray’s, has discovered something that has been hidden in plain sight in Space Writings for the past 74 years: the artist’s signature, signed with the penlight amid the swirls and loops.”

This is a link to the article. Be sure to check out the interactive demonstration at the right hand side of the page to see his signature outlined clearly.

I’ll have more about “space writing” later as I work to include these images, and analysis of them, into Luminary.