Light Painting The Still Life - Success Stories - Daniel Remer

 I find it incredibly rewarding to witness the success of my students, whether it's through gallery representation, a featured exhibition, a magazine feature, or just the creation of beautiful images.

I've made the decision to share some of these "Success Stories" through a series of posts, most of which will be in interview format and will include images, of course!

This is the first in that series, and it features the work and words of Daniel Remer. 

Please take a look!

All images © Daniel Remer

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 "The Beginning of Mind"

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Daniel, it's a real pleasure to be able to speak with you about your work.

Thank you, Harold, the pleasure is mine and I appreciate this opportunity.

Please tell us a bit about yourself… where you live, and any other details that you find pertinent.

I was born and raised in London UK but relocated to Israel in my mid-twenties. I have been living here for over thirty years. My interest in photography began at a very young age. I got my first camera when I was ten years old, it was a simple plastic point-and-shoot film camera, but I was always taking photographs. At the age of sixteen, I had saved enough to buy an SLR camera (Pentax ME), and I would spend the weekends going out and taking photographs. At this point, I was shooting rolls of 35mm color film that were developed by the local pharmacist. There were two other boys in my year at school who were also interested in photography, which prompted one of our teachers (an amateur photographer), to take an interest and start giving us lessons during lunch breaks. The first thing he did was to switch us from color to black-and-white film (Ilford FP4), so that we could print our own work in the school darkroom. The darkroom hadn’t been used for years, but he got it opened and taught us how to develop and print stills. At this point, I fell in love with black and white photography, set up my own darkroom at home, and moved away from color completely.

"Feels Like Home"

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Did you have any artistic influence in the home growing up?

Not really. No one in my immediate family was artistic, but my parents enjoyed looking at paintings. As a child, I would go to art galleries or art sales with my parents. My father liked having art in the home and had a good aesthetic eye, not just for art but also for décor and furniture. He was more interested in the way things looked aesthetically than their utility. I think this upbringing set the foundations for my appreciation for art and aesthetics.

"Selfie"

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I understand that you are a professional filmmaker… when did you begin making still photographs?

Well to answer that question, I first have to explain when I stopped taking still photographs.

I was deeply involved in photography until I turned eighteen and had built a strong portfolio of black and white work. I was discouraged from pursuing commercial photography, so I decided to study filmmaking at the London Film School using my photographic portfolio for acceptance. Before the digital era, I learned everything using cellulose film. As a film student, I had success with student films shown at festivals and broadcast on television. After graduating with honors, I worked with Jim Henson on high-profile movies and TV shows in the UK and USA. Following Jim’s death, I left the industry and relocated to Israel. In Israel, I transitioned from working in the commercial film industry to establishing a small company producing films for NGOs and other organizations. Due to the pandemic, my filming work was put on hold, leading me to rediscover my passion for still photography.

I understand that some of your early work in photography was done in black-and-white, and now you are working in Color. Did your interest in light painting have anything to do with that change?

Yes totally. Light painting was the reason that I switched to color.
I always preferred black-and-white to color, and even upon my return to still photography during the pandemic, I went straight back into black-and-white photography. By then I had fully embraced digital technology, so my choice of black-and-white was purely aesthetic. It wasn’t until I saw one of your light-painted images that I immediately knew there was something about your colors that was totally different. At first, I didn’t understand what it was, I just knew that I had found something that would allow me to express myself better than I ever could in black-and-white.

"As Time Passes"

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What inspired you to get into light painting, and has it changed your creative approach to photography?

It was the summer of 2021, and I had just subscribed to Medium Format magazine. There was an article on you with examples of your work, and it just amazed me. I had never heard of light-painting or seen color photography that looked like this before. I googled everything I could find about you and watched everything you had available on Youtube. I then contacted you online and we began a conversation about photography and art that is still ongoing. Fortunately for me, you had just started teaching via Zoom, which meant I was able to take your course.

What is it about light painting that helps you to get across your creative message to your viewers?

As soon as I began light painting, I knew straight away that this was all I needed. The search was over. From then onwards I adopted light painting exclusively and do not use the camera for anything else. Hand in hand with this discovery came the realization that I can also say and express everything through the genre of still-life. And so, I was inextricably drawn towards light painting still life.
Having complete control over every aspect of the process is a huge advantage. Coming from filmmaking, where so much is out of the control of the filmmaker, I was able to appreciate the privilege of a creative process where one never needs to compromise in any way. I think this is rare. But on the other hand, the complete responsibility for the outcome lies totally with the artist. Because of this, it is hard for me to reach the point of total satisfaction with my work. Sometimes after working for hours in Photoshop, if I am still not satisfied, I just delete the masking layers and start all over again. Whenever I do this, it is always better the second or third time around.
I also think that the rich textures and colors that light painting yields engages the feelings of the viewer in a very different way to a regular photograph. Perhaps it is closer to looking at a painting than a photograph. There is a concept of the "aura of art" that was introduced by the philosopher Walter Benjamin (1892-1940), whose idea revolves around the unique quality or "aura" that an original piece of art possesses. I would propose that even though light painting is a photographic process, subject to reproduction without one single “original’, the light-painted prints still possess this "aura of art". So, if one of your pictures was hung in a gallery amongst some Old Master paintings, it wouldn’t look particularly out of place.

"Monument to a Friend"

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I would assume that you pre-visualize much of your work… Is that true?

Yes, it is. I usually have an idea for a picture, and that comes together with its title. So, in most cases, I know the title before I even begin the work because the meaning and visuals are intrinsic to each other. This means that there is nothing in the picture for purely aesthetic reasons, it is all symbolic. On a couple of occasions, I found an object by chance that inspired an image. But the inspiration came from the symbolic meaning of the object, and not from its beauty or any kind of physical characteristic. 

"A Forgotten Memory"

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Do you use sketching or drawing to work up your concepts?

No, unfortunately, I cannot draw, but ironically, I use a small sketchbook where I write down all my ideas as soon as they come to me. I create a picture in words by describing how I see it in my mind so that I don’t forget. Sometimes I make a very simple diagram of the position of objects.

Can you briefly describe the process that you go through when creating a composition?

Yes. First, I must source the objects or props that I will need for the picture. My first port of call will be flea markets and junk stores. There aren’t that many here, so if after a day of searching, I don’t find exactly what I am looking for, I begin to search the internet. eBay has been the best source for many of my props due to its huge array of choices. Because it takes many weeks for items to arrive, I have to plan ahead and make sure I order everything for upcoming projects while I am still working on other projects so that I don’t spend days in between waiting for things to arrive.
Once I have all the components, I set them up in my studio on a wooden table (stage) that I built. Before I even switch the camera on, I spend a lot of time setting up the composition. Often objects need fixing down, or hanging, so I must first build a simple rig, or device to hold them in place. Once I have everything roughly in place I then tether the camera and find the right camera position – height, angle, and distance. This whole process takes me a lot of time as I am constantly trying to improve on the composition, sometimes making tiny changes and moving things with tweezers. It takes enormous patience. During this process I am using Live View (in Capture One) and making captures under room lighting to check the composition. I also make a quick light painted capture as you suggest, just to see how it might look. I never shoot the composition on the day that I set it up, unless it contains something perishable. The reason for this is that I found that if I leave it for a day or two and keep looking at it, I will always find ways of improving it.

"Feeding the Mongoose"

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What do you find most challenging about light painting?

As I mentioned, before I begin a new image, I have a vision of how it will look. However, this pre-visualization does not usually include the background. The background is something I must work at and for me, it is most challenging part about light painting. I usually add the background using your technique. I think it is because there are so many possibilities to choose from that it takes me a long time to make the final decision. I usually end up changing the background many times until I am completely satisfied.

"The Horror of Mortality"

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I believe that your work is inspired by the surrealist painters… Can you name some of your main influences?

Yes, I am inspired by the early surrealist painters, but I would say that I am more inspired by the precursor to surrealism, namely Georgio de Chirico (1888 – 1978) who founded the Metaphysical School of painting in 1910. Although this genre was very short-lived, it became the main source of inspiration for the surrealists, and had a profound impact on 20th Century art. The surrealists were focused on images that emerged from the unconscious mind and dream states, whereas the metaphysical painters were concerned with symbolism. Similarly, I am using objects as symbols rather than trying to tap into the unconscious. Therefore, I don’t consider my work to be surrealistic according to the original definition of the genre. Other artists that inspire me very much are Magritte and Edvard Munch.

"Intrusive Thought"

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Can you tell me what motivates you to make photographic images?

This is a good question. Probably the thing that motivates me has its origins in that place that drives us all to do what we do. I think it’s a mixture of my specific mental disposition, which I believe is made up partly by genetics and partly from my past experiences. When I get an idea that I feel is meaningful and has a purpose, then it is difficult for me not to do it. I think my ideas are a motivating force that together with the immense satisfaction that I feel when I successfully complete an image, drive me forward to the next project.

"The Contours of Nature"

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Do you ever have periods of time during which you are struggling with inspiration?

So far, I haven’t.

I understand that you have met with a good deal of success, and that you are represented by more than one Gallery… can you tell us a bit about that?

Well, success is a word that can mean different things to different people. I would say that so far, the response to my work has been very positive.
When I first started experimenting with digital photography during the lockdown, I had no ambition to become a photographer or artist. I was mainly taking portraits of my family, and I had some of them printed and framed to hang on the wall. One image that I posted online was seen by a known UK artist who asked if he could include my image in an exhibition that was being held at the Museum Rijswijk in The Netherlands. I was so surprised, and this really opened my eyes to the idea that my work could hang in galleries, something that I had never considered before.
Soon after I began light painting, I entered my work into various international photography competitions and began to accrue awards. In early 2023 I participated in an online portfolio review organized by the Griffin Museum of Photography. My reviewers were very encouraging and suggested that I approach galleries with my work. So, during the past year I set aside some time to contact and meet with galleries to show my work. The response has been very positive, and I am represented here in Israel by The Lemon Frame Gallery who exhibit and sell my work. In the U.K., my work is exhibited and sold by The Hancock Gallery, and my work is also available from Petra Gut Gallery in Zurich, Switzerland. I am still looking for gallery representation in the USA.

"Cynara"

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If you were forced to choose one of your images to represent your work and photography, what image would that be?

That is a very difficult question because I don’t think there is a single image that represents me any more than the others. Not yet anyway. My images deal with subjects that I struggle with, such as death, mortality, aging, belief and existence. So, each image represents something about me. Because your question is “If you were forced to choose ….”, it demands an answer, so I would have to choose, “The Origins Of Faith”. This was one of my early light paintings and has several layers of meaning.

"The Origins of Faith"

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What advice would you give to a beginning photographer/artist?

I don’t feel qualified to give advice to photographers or artists. I’m barely used to the idea of being called an artist myself. What I can do is offer two pieces of advice specifically to people who are starting out on the journey of light painting after taking your course.
One, is to be patient and be prepared to invest a lot of time. Although light painting is photography, it is not like taking pictures. The picture has to be made, albeit with a camera. I think it is more akin to painting in terms of the investment of time that is required. My images take an enormous amount of time. I don’t believe I have produced an image in less than a week. Often, I spend several weeks on an image and I don’t begin a new work until I have finished the current one. I never start out on an image with the thought of finishing it. The idea of setting aside a day or two to make a light painting is alien to me because I have absolutely no idea how long an image will take to get it to the point where I am satisfied with it. Obviously, following through all the stages in your method will culminate in a finished image, but I think that it is important not to put any time limits on light painting.

My second point would be that it is crucial to follow all the steps and guidelines in the “Harold Ross Method”. Otherwise, the work won’t have that “look” that your pictures have. There is no shortcut, and there is no “better” way. People who have taken your course would be mistaken to think that they can improve on the process or take a shortcut and get the same results. Having said that, I think it is possible to “make it your own” but only by way of the subject matter and composition of the images, and not by any personal “tweaks” that someone might consider making to your workflow plan.

I remember when I finished your course and went off and did my first light painting. It was January 2022, and I sent it to you to get your opinion, and your first comment was, “I wasn’t expecting to see an image like this”. I don’t think your comment was about how well (or not) I had executed the light painting technique. I think you were commenting on the content and the composition, which comprised of a real lobster and an old telephone. The work is called “Farewell To Surrealism”, and it was meant as a gibe towards a concept invented by the surrealists known as “The Surrealist Object”.

“Farewell To Surrealism”

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The beautiful compositions that you create have their own very special character and visual language, making it very easy to spot a Harold Ross from other light-painted images. What I was aiming for was to make pictures that speak a different language, but to use the same alphabet as you. The "alphabet" being your technique in light painting.

Harold, thank you again for this opportunity and all of the help, encouragement, and friendship that you have shown me. 

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(All images by Daniel Remer)

Creating light-painted still-life images is incredibly rewarding, and I teach it in great detail:

Light Painting The Still Life Online Video Course

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