Light City Baltimore
While the success of Light City Baltimore may not be measured in hashtags, it is evident from the number of photos posted to social media that the festival is a
visual playground for photographers.
- Synchronized spotlights ring Baltimore’s Inner Harbor during Light City Baltimore. (Jerry Jackson/Baltimore Sun)
- Spectators take photos of “Peacock” by Tim Scofield and Kyle Miller during Light City Baltimore. (Jerry Jackson/Baltimore Sun)
- Baltimore hon Charlene Osborne participates in the Creative Alliance Light City Lantern Parade on Monday night. (Jerry Jackson/Baltimore Sun)
- “Voyage” by Aether & Hemera consists of 300 ‘paper boats’ with rainbow-colored lights that are manipulated by festival-goers.during Light City Baltimore. (Jerry Jackson/Baltimore Sun)
- Lightwave: Baltimore’s Beacon is a sound and light installation incorporating the Seven Foot Knoll Lighthouse at Pier 5. (Jerry Jackson/Baltimore Sun)
- Festival-goers take a selfie under the lights of “Pixel Promenade: Radiance” by Erin Barry Dutro and Kyle Steely, an interactive LED canopy on the bridge between Pier 4 and Pier 5. (Jerry Jackson/Baltimore Sun)
- Water Wall created by Greg St. Pierre and Andrew Bernstein is a user interactive installation consisting of images projected onto a water screen sprayed from the harbor. (Jerry Jackson/Baltimore Sun)
- An LED ferris wheel set up at Rash Field appears to spin rapidly in this long exposure during Light City Baltimore. (Jerry Jackson/Baltimore Sun)
- Children play on “The Pool” by Jen Lewin, a series of color-changing circles that react to movement of festival-goers. (Jerry Jackson/Baltimore Sun)
- Scott Pennington’s “Plaza” adjacent to the World Trade Center is a collection of gate-like illuminated structures inspired by carnival rides, theater marquees, and the Las Vegas Strip. (Jerry Jackson/Baltimore Sun)
- “Glacier” by Riki K addresses global warming by presenting visitors a story of a of a glacier’s birth to death. (Jerry Jackson/Baltimore Sun)
- Illuminated jellyfish fashioned from umbrellas are seen in the Creative Alliance Light City Lantern Parade on Monday night. (Jerry Jackson/Baltimore Sun)
- Cyclists from the installation “Dear Baltimore” by Thick Air Studios spell out one of the many anagrams derived from “Dear Baltimore” while paused on Federal HIll Monday night. (Jerry Jackson/Baltimore Sun)
- Synchronized spotlights ring Baltimore’s Inner Harbor during Light City Baltimore. (Jerry Jackson/Baltimore Sun)
- “Blue Hour” by New American Public Art is seen adjacent to the U.S.S Constellation at Harborplace. (Jerry Jackson/Baltimore Sun)
- Spectators take photos of “Peacock” by Tim Scofield and Kyle Miller during Light City Baltimore. (Jerry Jackson/Baltimore Sun)
- Spectators are dwarfed by the 20-foot-tall “Peacock” by Tim Scofield and Kyle Miller during Light City Baltimore. (Jerry Jackson/Baltimore Sun)
- “Voyage” by Aether & Hemera consists of 300 ‘paper boats’ with rainbow-colored lights that are manipulated by festival-goers.during Light City Baltimore. (Jerry Jackson/Baltimore Sun)
- Synchronized spotlights ring Baltimore’s Inner Harbor during Light City Baltimore. (Jerry Jackson/Baltimore Sun)
With more than fifty light installations and performances, there is plenty to challenge and inspire the photographer in each of us.
Here are a couple of tips to capture the best images from your visit:
Go at twilight. About thirty minutes after sunset, the ambient daylight and the artificial lights should be optimal for rich color while still giving the photo a sense of depth.
Turn off your flash. Unless you are trying to add some fill light for a portrait in front of one of the installations, your flash will likely have no effect or worse – cause your image to be under-exposed.
Use a tripod or a high ISO depending on the effect you want. A tripod will allow you to use a slower shutter speed for sharper photos. Just be aware that anything moving in your photo could be blurred at a shutter speed 1/30 second or slower. Many of the new cameras on the market have sensors that can handle ISOs of 6400 or more allowing for higher shutter speeds in low light situations.
Light City Baltimore continues through Sunday, April 3.
Light City Baltimore time lapse from Baltimore Sun's The Darkroom on Vimeo.