'Tackyman' to Visit Clifton Forge and the Alleghany Camera Club on January 27   The next meeting of the Alleghany Camera Club is the last Friday of the month, Jan 27 at 7 pm at the CF School of the Arts. There is no assignment due for this meeting, so the pressure is off! The club is kicking off the New Year right with a special guest speaker who is going to demonstrate some absolutely incredible photographic techniques in painting with light and ultra-long exposure. Say Hello to “Tackyman” Jeremy Jackson, also known as “Tackyman,” is a photographer from the Floyd area who has a world-wide reputation in the unique ïŹeld of light painting. While there is a functional side of light painting that is used to lighten shadows and to even add highlights to still life and product shots, Jeremy (and those interested in serious light painting) take it to another level altogether. While George Eastman may never have envisioned this branch of photography, Pablo Picasso deïŹnitely did appreciate it and even used it. So What is Light Painting Light painting is using light to make a photograph. And if this seems obvious and much of what we do already, here are some qualiïŹers: the images are made in the dark, the light is added (manually) by the photographer, the light sources are incredibly simple and usually inexpensive (think ïŹ‚ashlights, colored gels, party lights, light sabers, burning steel wool, etc.), and the photographer “paints” each portion of the scene with the light (and the color) they choose. The results will boggle your mind. This is stretching the realm of traditional photography to it’s absolute limits while at the same time making it clear that a camera simply needs light and time to make an exposure. While most of us put away the camera or pull out the ïŹ‚ash when there appears to be little light, light painters lock open the shutter and add whatever light they want to make their image. Specialty Equipment Not Needed Unlike many areas of photography that require expensive or specialized equipment, any camera will work (digital cameras work best because of the immediate feedback) and the lights can come from the local hardware store. A tripod and cable release will help. Jeremy says he ïŹrst started with a point and shoot and now uses an entry level DSLR. Why You Should Attend You may never have an interest in light painting, or you may just see it as an interesting but arcane branch of photography that you’ll never have a use for. However, learning the concepts behind how and why light painting works and what technical issues and problems arise is fundamental to understanding basic exposure. This will help in landscape, still life, and even portraiture. More than that, it will open you up to another branch of photography that you may not have been familiar with and will get you to see and think about light in a totally different way: it’s not always about how much light, sometimes it’s about allowing enough time for exposure. Open to the Public Because Jeremy’s art is so unique and well received by light painters throughout the world, I am opening this meeting to the public both to highlight the Alleghany Camera Club and also introduce this fascinating area of photography to a wider audience. To that end, please invite your friends and anyone else you think might enjoy a fascinating evening learning about a unique art form that can be practiced by anyone with a digital camera. ACC members will be admitted free to the meeting, non-members will be asked for a small donation at the door. To Preview Jeremy’s Work . . .His website is www.tackyshack.net where you’ll be able to see lot’s more of his work -- and there is plenty of it. Here's an excerpt from his About link: "I’m a light painting fanatic. I live in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia and spend great amounts of time waving lights in front of my camera. It's been more than a hobby since I started in late 2008. "My aspiration is to share this art form with the public through interactive workshops and outings so that they too can create their own light painting photographs. Something as intriguing as this should be shared by all."

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