A Long Journey to a Technical Breakthrough

This session represents the culmination of an idea that has been evolving for nearly a decade. Back in 2015, when I first experimented with UV bodypaint photography, the basic concept was already taking shape: creating photographs that resemble hand-painted artworks with the use of bodypainting.

However, something was still missing. It was only later, when I started integrating light painting into my work, that the idea truly came to life. The combination of UV bodypainting and light painting created a unique visual language that completed the original vision.

For years, I shot all kinds of different Bodypaintings, trying out different lighting setups and a variety of UV light sources: bulbs, LEDs, and modified speedlights. It was a process of trial and error, constantly pushing the limits of what was possible, discovering new things every time.

Only recently, with the UV modification of my powerful studio flashes, was I finally able to fully realize this concept (and much more). The ability to freeze the bodypaint details while painting with light in complete darkness opened up creative possibilities that had previously been out of reach. This session marks not just a technical step forward, but the realization of an idea that’s been growing for years — and it’s only the beginning.

Light Painting meets Body Art

An idea that has been in the making for a long time. It’s a perfect blend of bodypaint art and light painting. Below you can see both the inverted and the original image. The editing is limited to basic adjustments like color and contrast — no Photoshop needed.

The painting was done using fluorescent bodypaint colors. In order to achieve an inverted image that looks like a normal photo, the painting was intentionally done to resemble a real-life negative. The light painting strokes — white on black in the original — appear like pencil or brush strokes when inverted.

The image is a long exposure shot of 10 to 20 seconds. I used a custom-made UV attachment for my studio flashes. This effect wouldn’t be possible with constant UV lights, because you need to freeze the bodypainting and paint with light in total darkness.

i shot the previous test session with my bullettime camera system. sadly the rig shut down minutes before the recent photoshoot and i could only take pictures with my Sony camera. Another reason to to more images. I really want a 3D image that i can print on a lenticular sheet.

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