Light-painting photography shows off Lake Maurepas swamp fishing camp

I love to the swamps around my Louisiana home. And I also love to use lights after dark to "paint" in scenes for cool photography. Now I'm combining those passions in a new project to bring the Louisiana swamp after dark alive.

And this photo of a cool old tin-clad fishing camp is one of the best nighttime images I've ever captured.

The camp is located at the mouth of the Blind River where it feeds into Lake Maurepas, and when I motored up to the area in my boat in early January I knew instantly it was where I wanted to work that evening.

It took some time to ease my boat around and find the perfect angle. While I wanted to include the camp, it was important to show the swamp in which the old structure sits. I soon singled out this lone Spanish moss-draped cypress tree as the perfect focal point for the foreground.

At that point, it was a matter of positioning some lights and waiting for the sun to set.

As soon as the sun dropped below the horizon and the light faded from the swamps, I turned on my lights and ensured they were positioned properly. By shooting within 30 minutes of sunset, however, I captured the last bit of color in the sky on the horizon. It was a great addition to a photo that really draws the viewer into the scene.

You can just feel the serenity of the swamp, but it the use of light to highlight the tree, a bit of the marsh grass and the camp but leaving the rest of the swamp in darkness also evokes the mystery of the Louisiana swamps.

I'm very proud of this image, which serves as the foundation of my new nighttime swamp photography project. Expect more images to be added to the series soon.

Prints available

A full range of prints of this amazing swamp scene are available for purchase on my online fine-art photography gallery. Prices start at just $35, and you can choose from media including fine-art print papers, canvas gallery wraps, acrylic prints, metal prints. You can see all the options and pricing here.