Painting With the Camera

A photographer whose work I admire introduced me to the concept of "painting" with the camera a few years ago. It's all about utilizing movement to create the image. It might be that the camera itself is in motion while the shutter is open, or it could be a matter of allowing the elements (the wind, for example) to put the subjects in motion. The final results can be wildly different from one frame to the next depending on how much or little movement there is, its direction, and so on.

You can't be absolutely certain what sort of image you'll have painted until afterward. Christmas lights are especially fun to experiment with. Here's an abstract rendering of the amazing 85-foot Faneuil Hall (Boston) Christmas tree: