Troy Paiva
Troy Paiva is an American photographer and pioneer of night photography. Paiva has been using light painted, full moon-lit night photography to capture the abandoned American West for over 25 years. Telling the story of the ghosts of America’s Western Expansion, from a post-wild west, post-Route 66, 21st Century perspective has become a never-ending source of inspiration.
His documentarian, yet surrealist work examines the final days of decommissioned military bases, NASA installations, derelict ocean liners, airliner boneyards, and Hollywood prop graveyards. Paiva also photographs abandoned amusement parks, train stations, factories, hospitals, gas stations, hotels, and even entire towns. He says that it is ‘the intensely exhilarating, yet strangely comforting act of sneaking around in the middle of the night, creating art from their ruins’ which he likes the most from photographing these places. Paiva has also written a few books about his time spent light painting in these forgotten places called ‘Night Vision; The Art of Urban Exploration’ and ‘Boneyard: SoCal’s Aircraft Graveyards at Night’.
Light Painting Artist Troy Paiva | Light Painting Photography
Steven Gallagher and Naomi White
Steven Gallagher is a London based still life photographer who has a graphic and minimal style to his work. His photographs are about showing a single product in its ‘glory’. Colour is a key part of his photography style.
Personal work — STEVE GALLAGHER PHOTOGRAPHY
Naomi White is a visual artist, photographer, and educator based in Los Angeles. Her work investigates themes of consumerism and identity construction in our camera-bound world. Focusing on the transformative power of photography she examines how photography affects materials, memory, culture, and self.
One of Whites’ projects is Plastic Currents where everyday plastic bags are transformed by light, turned from something familiar into something strange. Naomi’s project shows how she can make non-biodegradable, reviled plastic bags into seemingly organic forms, imitating the very nature they threaten.
Image Analysis
This image is from Troy Paiva’s ‘Night Vision; The Art of Urban Exploration collection. I really like how he has illuminated the photo by using neon pink and blue instead of just taking it during the day. The different lighting gives the photo a nice atmosphere, one that you wouldn’t get from taking in white or natural lighting. By having the upper level and stair blue and the pink coming up through the opening it creates a faded purple in the background which I think brings the whole picture together because it helps blend the colours and lets the photo flow better making it more appealing to the eye. I also like how Paiva has kept the abandoned building the same and has either left the rubbish or moved it creating different textures and a more eye-catching foreground. Another feature to look at in this photo is the window in the background which shows the outside world and lets the viewer see the drastic difference between what is in the building and what is outside. It looks like Paiva did his photoshoot while the sun was setting because the sky seems warmer and has more orange tones, by allowing the window to stay in the photos it shows the comparison that I think he was trying to convey to the viewers.
This photo is from one of Naomi White’s collections called Plastic Currents. I like how she has managed to get the bag to look like it is floating on water or through the air, which creates abstract shapes and lines making the photo more interesting. Going from the darker red at the front to a lighter more bright orange towards the back creates an ombre effect throughout the photo adding more elements which relate to her description of her whole collecting, where she states that she wanted to make them ‘seemingly organic forms’. I also really like how the plastic is the centre of attention as she hasn’t used patterns or bright colours in her backgrounds. The position and texture of the bag allow the photo to seem more 3D and that it’s jumping out at the view which helps and gives a more direct message and what White is trying to tell her viewers and supporters. Having a bright and ‘in your face photo’ will catch people’s attention, which is what Naomi wants as she is using her collection and these photos to raise awareness of plastic pollution around the world.