Light Photography with @dariustwin
To see more of Darren’s light illustrations, follow @dariustwin on Instagram.
When it comes to light illustrations, Darren Pearson (@dariustwin) plays both photographer and magician, achieving a how-did-he-do-it aesthetic by merging surrealism with technological prowess.
“I just like looking at the back of the camera and not knowing what’s going to appear,” says the 31-year-old Los Angeles-based artist, who creates his dreamy, hallucinatory photos using long exposure, a tripod, and a LED light he fashions himself. “If it appears way better than what I was thinking, that’s like, ah! That’s a victory!”
Darren began exploring light-work eight years ago after spotting a long exposure photo of Pablo Picasso taken by LIFE magazine photographer Gjon Mili in 1949. In it, the Spanish painter stands shirtless while wielding a light that traces a path in the air. “I was like, ‘What the heck is this?’” says Darren. “It kind of blew my mind.”
Darren’s first light illustration experiments began with stick figures. He eventually graduated to more intricate characters — dinosaurs and skeletons in particular, having them dance across expansive desert landscapes, wading through beachfront locations and perching themselves above city skylines.
“I was a kid just looking up in natural history museums, just being totally overwhelmed and inspired and awe-struck at these huge beasts that lived on Earth,” says Darren, describing his inspiration for drawing prehistoric creatures. As for the skeletons, “It’s a very expressive way to place a human being in a photograph,” he says. “There’s no race or gender or specific thing. This is a universal thing that we all have.”
andulkaphoto
annaxmalina
prguitarman
stormborns
gummygunk
baratheonpilled
ellievsbear
snowghoul
