All images by Gabriel Torney. Used with permission.
Lasers, strobe lighting, and a beautiful starry background–what could be better? Gabe Torney shared this image on Reddit and it quickly hit the site’s front page.
“I have been really impressed with astrophotography and recently had a family vacation in Lake Tahoe where the stars are abundant. A family friend who was staying with us had brought his awesome laser and I figured it could play a big part in some photos.” says Gabe about how the image came together. “One of the nights, we drove away from the lake until we found a clearing deep in the wilderness. We hopped out of the car and looked up to see the sky glittering above.”
Gabe’s brother was the subject in the photo and used a Wicked Laser Arctic 3–which otherwise can be dangerous. Luckily, no aircraft were around and it was a clear sky.
Gabe used a Canon 5D Mk II with a 28mm f1.8 on a tripod with a shutter remote. To ensure that his brother (the subject) wasn’t completely whited out, his niece held a flashlight just off center. Gabe continues to tell us that after he posted it online that the community gave him other tips on how to better capture his subject in a crisper way.
It’s a fun idea and plays with lighting, long exposure technique, composition and backgrounds quite well.