Community Spotlight: Creativity And Long Exposure

Our World can be both mesmerizing and dreamy and ViewBug community member Alan Osterholtz (Osterholtz) wants to share these magical moments with people all around the world - many times using a long exposure for that extra magic. Enjoy our conversation!

I love photography because...

It is something that is totally from my perspective. The image I take is what I am seeing, with the settings on the camera you can change that view and share the world a little differently than what someone can expect. I got the bug for photography when I wanted to start with aerial photography. I always wanted to see what the world looked like from above. This was well before the advent of drones or go pros. I was using a canon point and shot with a customized CHDK that I had to write a intravoltimeter script for. As with everything there were experiments and trials and errors but every time I learned something new and figured out something to try the next time.

My camera lets me...

Share a moment in time and a place with people around the world. I love seeing pictures from all over and sharing my little corner of the earth with others.

I find inspiration when...

I have something odd happen that is unexpected and almost surreal. This image was completely unexpected. It was taken from my kite when I got caught up in some wind and wasn't able to bring down the kite when I wanted. The image is a long exposure shot of city and car lights of Albuquerque NM blowing in the wind, giving it a surreal natural flow and pattern.

One of the photos I am most proud of is Milkyway Over the Hoodoo:

This image was captured about 3 am in the New Mexico wilderness on a cold morning in April, after planning for two weeks. The location was amazing! Wandering around in the dark far from camp I found these hoodoos and I thought it would be an amazing shot that would be something to inspire and share.

My favorite place to shoot is...

I love the wilderness but I find that any place outside will shift and change with light and color of the day.

One of my favorite photos on ViewBug is Hole of Stars by Simonedecillia:

It is a great view a relaxing shot with great contrast and color.

One of my favorite photographers on Viewbug is Seansylvesterphoto because...

I like these images because they remind me of the wide range of photos that I take.

These are 3 quick tips I’d like to share with fellow photographers:

1. Try and fail, and try again.

2. Never be afraid to try something new.

3. If someone says that is a bad idea that means that you are on the right track!

One photo that was difficult to shoot was A Circle Framed because:

Portrait photos are a new realm for me. And this one was a experiment with light painting. The image is a long exposure (something that I am very familiar with) and the model needed to be still for 5 seconds without moving. It is harder than it sounds. Perfectly still is not a easy thing to accomplish. Lights flashing and moving around a person reflexively blinks and moves slightly. This shot came out amazing!

The tips and secrets behind this photo:

Patience.The desire to try something that I had never seen before. A great model that was willing to listen to the crazy sounding photographer that explained a concept that was in my mind with no visible examples anywhere.

Check Osterholts's profile for more dreamy photos.