Long exposure photography usually involves long shutter speeds and unexpected results. It’s a style widely known for producing beautiful and captivating visuals playing off movement and light—whether that light source is fireworks displays, city lights, or the cosmos. Portuguese interactive designer David Cruz took a more digital approach, using programmed LEDs in his long exposure experiments to produce a stunning, abstract exploration of color, light, and patterns.Set against a black background, the swirling colors and shapes seem to emerge out of nothingness and look more like paintings on a canvas than an image captured in the camera. Since the LEDs were programmed to pulse at varying speeds and move through the room, the patterns and forms produced in the images are somewhat surprising—they don't have the controlled, calculated effect of the light painted scenes produced by someone like Jason Page, for instance. The result is reminiscent of 80s motion graphics à la Justice’s “DVNO” music video) or the work of early motion graphics artists like John Whitney.
Advertisement