Light Painting, take 1[ish]

Photos made using a combination of glow sticks and laser pointer, shooting at very low shutter speeds and high ISO sensitivity in darkness. Thanks to Gilbert for his help in taking these photos. Hoping to find some better tools, like, say fluorescent or glow-in-the-dark make up.

I had been very interested in light painting since seeing an excellent youtube video about it like 2 years ago. This is a different video I found that is even cooler than that last one (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4SWfPoITlP8&feature=related for the actual video, and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4TBMWzqjLxs&feature=related for the behind the scenes to show that they actually did this with photography).  So I thought I would give it a try, though obviously it doesn't even approach some of the photos and videos I've seen. It definitely can take a lot of time, but the fun of it makes it all worth the while. Especially if you can get a bunch of friends to join in, I would say this would make for an epic hangout activity.

Related to this is my interest in fluorescence. I've been pretty into it for years, since learning about the science of it and expressing fluorescent proteins (i.e. Green Fluorescent Protein) in cells. Then also doing chromatography and seeing the natural fluorescence of small molecules when they are exposed to UV. And more recently, my mind was blown by seeing fluorescence as an art form. Since visiting the fluorescent Art museum in Amsterdam back in May, I've also been thinking about new forms of fluorescent art that could potentially be made. For one, human-safe fluorescent make-up might allow for an interesting theatrical experience. Or even fluorescent light painting, for those who might want to be free of ghosting and other difficulties inherent in normal light painting (though of course inserting light drawings in different contexts is pretty awesome, this is just something different). Also, imagine a living piece of fluorescent art: if somehow, a bacteria engineered with fluorescent protein genes that could be specifically activated by sensing some property of nearby observers. Basically it would be alive in a literal sense of the bacteria producing those fluorescent proteins, but also in that the art will change from minute to minute as different people observe it. In this new form of audience participation, literally the art will be a product of every observer's presence. just have to figure out what a bacteria could be engineered with to react differently to each person. Pheromones? Odors molecules? hmmm. This requires a bit more thought.

From the website of the fluorescent art museum: http://www.electric-lady-land.com/