Jordan Pond Road Bridge

Posted on March 2, 2013 by Howie Motenko

We’ve arrived at our last shoot of this eight month project. We decided to end on a quiet note, much in the same way we started this project, with just a few folks. The last bridge is one of the smallest, and it’s right down the road from our house, so we decided to invite some of our most faithful light painters to come and light this last bridge. It was a snowy, rainy night and Brenda commented that if this wasn’t the last shoot, people might not show up. We had 20 people for the shoot, which was more than enough. We had done our first bridge, Bubble Pond, with only seven!

Here’s the preshot:

I had Carol and Mary, with their bright lights, lighting the walls behind the bridge. Lighting inside the barrel was a concern, so we got creative with where we placed people (they affectionately referred to themselves as ‘groundhogs’). The veteran light painters were all willing to do whatever it took to get the shot.

The final shot:

Once again, I took some video of the process:

The group shot, under the barrel, with the date stone visible:

I couldn’t help but run into this picture, just like at Bubble Pond

Linda won the print of Waterfall Bridge. We all went back to our house for a final celebration. Wow – we finished the project. Thanks everyone – you all made it happen!

Look for updates on the event page for the exhibit in May and sales of prints.

Waterfall Bridge Light Painting

Posted on February 23, 2013 by Howie Motenko

We had a perfect evening to shoot Waterfall bridge: it was cool, but not too cold, there was no wind, there were only a few inches of snow on the carriage roads so the walk in was pleasant and it wasn’t snowing. Twenty three people made the mile-long hike to Waterfall bridge. There was still a large amount of ice in the falls, and the water was pouring down. Good thing we had the walkie talkies to communicate over the noise!

The preshot:

I went down by the stream to set up my camera, and then climbed back up to greet people. We split into three groups: behind the bridge lighting the falls, to the left of the bridge, and to the right. We safely got everyone in place and then took a few shots. We had to rearrange a few folks and lights, but overall, the shoot went smoothly.

Here’s the final shot:

I took another video after we captured the shot. Click on video to play:

We took the group shot on top of the bridge. It was too treacherous with ice, snow and rushing water to try and get everyone under the bridge. Four new light painters joined the project. John won the raffle, a print of Eagle Lake (which he ran out and framed)!

Brenda baked a new recipe, cheesecake brownies, which were a big hit.

On the walk out, some of us were looking towards our next shoot, the last in the series, and reminiscing about the project. It’s been quite a journey, this painting bridges project!

The light painters:

Eagle Lake Bridge Light Painting

Posted on February 10, 2013 by Howie Motenko

The blizzard caused some havoc with our latest bridge shoot. When we first heard the forecast for a big snowstorm, we decided to change from our scheduled shoot of Waterfall Bridge to Eagle Lake Bridge since Eagle Lake is right by the road and we wouldn’t have to trudge through feet of snow. Then, when the storm was upgraded to a blizzard, and it wasn’t supposed to end until 7 pm Saturday, we made the call to change the shoot to Sunday, still at Eagle Lake. We think we made the right call, because Sunday evening was clear, cool, and with no breeze. Thanks to the 26 folks who showed up, we had plenty of people to light the bridge.

When we arrived, we noted that the “peep holes” were filled with the plowed snow from the road. Thankfully we brought a shovel, and Tom brought one too. Here’s Brenda and Tom shoveling while I’m directing them from my spot below:

There were plenty of people skiing and snowshoeing by us as the light painters arrived. This was the busiest we’ve seen the carriage roads at any of our shoots. It was great to see so many people out enjoying the park with the fresh snowfall.

I set up my camera and computer, and Brenda got people in place. Some folks were on snowshoes so they climbed the hills to the sides of the bridge.
Here’s the preshot:

And the final picture, with the clear, blue sky and fresh snow:

Click on the video to play:

We went back to the cars for the raffle and treats. Nancy won the shot of Brown Mountain Gatehouse (her fiancé Matt won the Jordan Pond Gatehouse last fall, so now they have a matched set!). Brenda baked Key Lime Bars, and I think people enjoyed them because I heard more than one person ask for her recipe.

Brown Mountain Gatehouse Light Painting

Posted on January 26, 2013 by Howie Motenko

Brenda and I arrived extra early on a frigid Saturday afternoon at the gatehouse. I had to get the camera angle just right, and Brenda was lining up where people would be standing. We were also meeting the chief ranger, Stuart West, and he was allowing us access to the gatehouse for lighting purposes. We had plenty of time to get everything in order outside, and then turn on all the lights inside the gatehouse to ensure the yellow glow in the windows. People started arriving, and we realized there was really not too much to do to get them in place other than having them stand behind the line we set up. Boy, was it cold!

The preshot:

After a few adjustments of lights (Mary’s bright light along with Carol’s were too much for the face of the house), here is the final shot:

We were all excited that Stuart allowed us to have our drawing and snacks inside the warm gatehouse. It was a perfect night to have a warm shelter right there!
Joel won the extra large print of Stanley Brook Bridge. Joel and Jen have been light painters since the very first bridge, and we were pleased that he won the print.
The thermoses of warm drinks that Brenda brought went fast, along with the raspberry bars she baked.

The project continues to grow with 15 new folks. Some of them being the oldest light painters (Julie and Pat Krevans). In all we had, 38 light painters for evening. Lili isn’t pictured because she helped light the gatehouse during the portrait.

Stanley Brook Bridge Light Painting

Posted on January 5, 2013 by Howie Motenko

Snowshoes helpful, not required. That’s what we told folks after we checked out the snow conditions a few days before the shoot (scouting link).

Plenty of folks came, and lots of them were wearing their snowshoes. We were pleased to see that the snowy “frosting” was still on the bridge. There were a few more tracks in the snow, but mostly the scene was undisturbed.

I set up my camera in the new location on the north side of the bridge, then actually used my second camera to snap a few shots of people as they arrived.

The preshot:

Word is still spreading, and we continue to have new folks at every shoot. 10 first time light painters tromped through the snow for this shoot. We hid people in and behind the barrels, then rearranged one or two people for the final shot. There were plenty of flashlights on the face of the bridge too, and Carol lit all the trees in the background with her very bright light.

Here’s the final shot. I must admit, this is my new favorite:

After I saw that I had a great shot, I tried a new technique: a video clip from the same position. The light painters weren’t aware that a video was being shot, so this is an authentic “light painting”. Click on the window below to watch the video.

Thanks to all 38 light painters who helped create this fantastic image. I only counted 37 in the photo. I wonder if Charlie was hiding behind someone?

We drew three names of people who weren’t present, then Alice won the Duck Brook Bridge photo. Yeah Alice! Brenda baked a family recipe, Black and White Bars, which might have been a little frozen by the time we ate them, but were enjoyed by all. Once again, Sean had his stove to make hot chocolate.

A Snowy Scouting Mission

Posted on January 1, 2013 by Howie Motenko

On New Year’s Day, Brenda and I strapped on our snowshoes to assess the conditions for our next shoot at Stanley Brook Bridge, since there had been two significant snowfalls after our original scouting mission. The area was truly a winter wonderland, with snow clinging to all the trees. There was a single set of snowshoe tracks, so the area was relatively untouched. The bridge was beautiful! On the north side, the snow clung to every stone, and filled the vertical cutouts at the railing. During our original scouting mission, we picked a site from the south side of the bridge, down across the small stream. We couldn’t even find the site with all the snow. And some of the snow had melted from the south face of the bridge. So we scouted out a new vantage point from the north.

Here’s the shot:

I was concerned the snow would melt before the scheduled bridge shoot, four days later. Brenda suggested that we try to light paint the bridge tomorrow evening. I started rabidly calling the light painters for an impromptu bridge shot on Jan 2^nd, the day everyone returns to work and school. I could only find a couple of folks on such short notice. We would have to wait until Saturday and cross our fingers hoping for cold, clear days without any rain or melting.

Duck Brook Bridge Light Painting

Posted on December 15, 2012 by Howie Motenko

Fantastically Freezing Fun for Fifty Folks! The temperature was a chilly 21 degrees with a stiff breeze. Brenda and I arrived an hour early to assess the ice conditions and determine how risky the placement of people would be. After surveying the entire area, we thought it would be safe for folks to venture around the bridge and avoid icy patches, so long as they were careful.

We asked folks to arrive at 3:30 allowing time for logistics and organization. At 3:40 only ten people had arrived and I started wondering if we were going to have enough light painters to illuminate the bridge – the estimate was at least 35 needed to bathe the bridge in light. My fears quickly waned as more and more folks showed up, by 4:00 we had critical mass – a rough count of 45 people.

Duck Brook Bridge is the largest bridge of the project to light paint. While on top of the bridge, I divided the group into 4 teams each armed with a walkie-talkie and a designated location. Brenda had the great idea of putting all the little kids in the far barrel – there was no ice and no way for the kids to fall off a cliff! Each team assembled in their respective location and checked that they were out of view of the camera. The before shot.

There’s a lot of area to cover on this bridge, with a long expanse and three barrels. We have never shot three barrels before! After a few shots and lots of adjustments, the image was starting to take shape. There was one final adjustment, I asked Kevin and Amy if they could run across the bridge and light the far wall from the stairs above. They said, “No problem” and ran off in a dash. Here’s the final image.

A huge heartfelt thanks to everyone who participated! We really needed all 50 light painters for this bridge. Even with that many people, we still had to shift folks around to cover the entire bridge. Brenda started baking Snicker-doodles cookies early that morning and everyone enjoyed them. Others brought holiday cookies and brownies to share even before the bridge shot. Scarlett was trying to negotiate holding onto her cookie while having to perform the serious responsibility of picking the winning raffle ticket with Eric Taylor’s name. He won the Amphitheater Bridge print.

Twenty new folks joined us for this bridge. Everyone had fun. Everyone was safe and there were no injuries. All in all a very successful bridge shot in every way possible, in spite of our wind blown rosy cheeks.

The Gear List

Posted on December 5, 2012 by Howie Motenko

Ever wondered what we actually bring to the bridge shoots?

Can you spot the items in the picture:

Camera with wide angle lens
Tripod and ball head
Laptop with tethering software
USB cable to tether camera to laptop
Remote shutter release cable
Laptop bag
Camelbak as camera bag
Eyeglasses
Headlamp (with red light option, for nighttime)
Pad of paper and pen for sign-in sheet / emails
Bag of raffle names (I see Mike and Dexter tickets)
Business cards for anyone who wants one
4 – Walkie talkies for easier communication
A roll of gaffers tape
Flashlights:
- HID Green Force dive light
- 2 LED Halcyon scout dive lights
- UK 1200 dive light
- Nite Rider 10 watt bike helmet light
- UK 4C LED dive light
- UK pocket backup dive light
2 bins filled with treats (currently, two cookies from the last shoot)
10 Vivtar strobe flashes
Speedlight strobe flash
Spare AA batteries
Raffle print 12 x 18
3 Glow sticks to help light the path
Coil of rope

Thinking back to a simpler time, the gear for our first shot at Bubble Pond Bridge:

Camera with wide angle lens
Tripod and ball head
Eyeglasses
Camelbak Backpack
Headlamp
One container of cookies
3 Flashlights

Amphitheater Bridge Light Painting

Posted on December 1, 2012 by Howie Motenko

Holy Guacamole! Forty-two people took part in light painting the bridge – crushing the previous record! Thankfully they made the 1.8 mile hike; we needed all of them and their flashlights. We had 9 light painters positioned at the top of the bridge shining their lights through the ‘peep-holes’ and more folks under the big barrel, others lighting the face and some behind the bridge lighting the icy waterfalls.

Here’s the before shot.

Given all the light power, my first shot was incredible bright – brighter than ever before! I had to change the settings on the camera (or that’s what I first thought) to adjust for all the additional lights (22 new people came out for the shoot). I tried all different settings: smaller apertures, down to the smallest, f/22 and shorter exposures, a quick 3 seconds. The results were the same – the bridge always seemed blown out.

Tom, who was close by, overheard my concerns and came over to assess the situation. After showing him the images and explaining the camera adjustments, he said “What about ISO?” Oh yeah, I had adjusted the ISO earlier in the evening, before the actual shoot. I looked directly on the camera, rather than the tethered laptop and sure enough, the “ISO-Auto” was set – ignoring my manual setting. Thanks Tom, issue solved. In hindsight I laugh at the thought that I kept asking Carol to turn down the brightness setting on her “Fenix Tactical” flashlight! Here’s the image, beautifully illuminated by many light painters:

Click on the video below, taken by Jenn Booher, to see the light painting:

Did I mention, 42 folks involved, including 22 new folks.

Brenda baked 7 dozen Triple Chocolate Cookies for the shoot. Apparently, as the motto goes, “If you bake the cookies – they will come!” and they came. Sean brewed up a gallon of hot apple cider for all to enjoy. And speaking of Sean, he won the raffle of the Chasm Brook Bridge print – Chris pulled the winning raffle ticket.

Chasm Brook Bridge Light Painting

Posted on November 17, 2012 by Howie Motenko

This bridge shoot was filled with firsts. It was the first time Brenda baked a previous snack, lemon squares. The first time we had a newspaper reporter to write about the story. Dick said he had so much fun that he’d be back again to help us light paint. The first time I told someone about the project at 8:00 pm the previous evening and Brian showed up the next day ready to light paint. The first time someone came with a camp stove and jug of apple cider, ready to serve hot apple cider after the shoot – thanks Sean! I am still amazed with the positive community sprit surrounding this project.

After the 2.5 mile hike in, the furthest hike for a bridge, I explained the setup for the shoot to Brenda – she was away during the scouting mission. I had scouted the bridge about three weeks ago and I forgot where I wanted to place my camera. It took me a few minutes to find the spot. As I was setting up my gear, folks would lean over the bridge and say hi to me – that was fun, I kept seeing more and more familiar faces.

Here’s the pre-shot.

After most folks climbed down into the chasm and streamed past me getting into position and a bit of waiting for the blue light of dusk, here’s the shot we got.

Yet again we broke the record for the most people at a bridge shoot. We had 28 light painters for the event, including 5 new folks.

Afterward we enjoyed Brenda’s baked lemon squares and hot apple cider heated and served by Sean. Oliva won the raffle. As I understood it, her parents were more excited about winning the raffle than she was about all the attention focused towards her.

Painting Bridges

Uniting Community with Art

Author Archives: Howie Motenko