Dear Art,
What was the scariest encounter you ever had while taking photographs?
-L.B., Seattle, WA

Dear L.B.-
My scariest encounter occurred in Nepal while photographing for the book "The Living Wild." A Great One-Horned Indian Rhino and its full-grown calf charged me, my assistant and two guides. We were pinned down behind a tree with the two enormous, enraged rhinos trying to gore us with their massive horns. After about five harrowing minutes they broke off their charge and ran off, leaving behind four rather shaken people. We were later informed that over 30 people a year are killed or severely injured in this particular region. The only thing that kept us from injury or worse were the buttressed roots of the lone banyon tree!
Art

Dear Art,
Please explain the technique of utilizing time exposures while painting with light. I love the effect and would like to try it in my own photography.
Thanks very much!
J.A., Kirkland, WA

Dear J-
painting with lightSimply put, when the shutter is open and you're taking a time exposure in the dark, only light elements (stars and planets) will show up. The longer the exposure the more the pin-point stars become lines of light in the sky which ultimately outline foreground elements silhouetted against the sky.

If one chooses to introduce a second source of light to illuminate these foreground elements, it is quite a simple procedure! Using a headlamp or a flashlight, you can simply wash the subject with smooth motions, bathing the elements with soft light. I usually go over an object 2 or 3 times.

It is important to keep the light in motion to avoid hot spots. It is equally important to shut off the headlamp between each subject you are bathing with light-- otherwise you will have a trail of light between the objects, identifying the path you walked!

Have fun experimenting with this technique!
Art