Is This the Coolest Photo Series Ever?
Attention, earthlings. We have just been invaded by aliens… at least that’s what it looks like. In actuality, these light spirals are all part of a series by 25-year-old British photographer Martin Kimbell called Lights.
Believe it or not, these are actual photographs — not digital renderings on Photoshop. Using long exposure techniques and hoops lined with LED lights, Martin is able to create these crazy-looking light forms. He leaves the camera shutter open anywhere from 30 seconds up to an hour while he tosses the lit up hoop up into the night sky. The result? Intricate ribbons of light that sort of remind us of our favorite childhood toy: The Slinky. Everyone loves a slinky…
The concept of tornado lights was inspired by Arizona photographer Stu Jenks, who uses light and fire to create a similar effect in his work. Kimbell calls this technique light painting. “What I love about light painting is that it gives me a level of control and creative freedom which is rare in most forms of photography. Through the adding of different light patterns, or by illuminating it differently, I can completely transform the scene,” he says.
We don’t know about you guys, but we are totally inspired to do some light paintings after seeing these bad boys. They make us think back to when we were kids (ahem — last week) and tried to spell out our name in the air with sparklers while our friend snapped a photo. It’s like capturing the speed of light!
Imagine hiring this guy to take your wedding photos! Even if you’re not planning a space-themed affair, we can envision some pretty creative stuff happening with Martin behind the camera, LED hoop in hand.
We’d love to see a version of this with something non-round, like a stick lined in string lights. We can only imagine what that would look like, but one thing’s for sure: The chances of it looking like space invaders is very, very high. And we’re not complaining!
What do you think about Martin Kimbell’s photographs? Talk to us in the comments below!
(h/t This Is Colossel + Metro)