The ‘light sabre’ wielding photographer creating colourful light paintings

David Gilliver A trail of rainbow light in the right hand corner starting with yellow into, green, blue, purple, pink then into red . The trail of light leads from the top of the image into a hatch in a fishing hut. The fishing hut has a brick arch roof and a wooden floor.
Mr Gilliver has been shortlisted in the British Photography Awards for his image

If you have ever written your name in the air with a sparkler on bonfire night then you have experimented with light painting.

Baffled by the “lines of light floating in mid-air”, Scottish photographer David Gilliver knew he had to try capturing them with his camera.

“I thought it was like sorcery, it’s like magic,” he says.

For 15 years, Mr Gilliver has been a pioneer in the technique of light painting.

Now, one of his pictures – which he has called Where Rainbows Sleep – has been shortlisted for this year’s British Photography Awards in its newest category – best low light photograph.

‘Where rainbows sleep’

Picture this: Mr Gilliver is stood in a pitch black fishing boat hut, dressed head to toe in dark clothing, holding a “light sabre”.

No, he’s not re-enacting Star Wars – this is just how the process of making the photo begins.

To blend into the low-light background, Mr Gilliver must imitate one of film’s greatest villains.

He channels his inner Darth Vader but instead of “the force” he uses a long exposure photography technique, keeping the shutter open for anything from 30 seconds to 20 minutes.

His camera, which he controls remotely, is at the other end of the room securely fixed to a tripod, because even the slightest movement will cause a blurring of the image.

Mr Gilliver moves towards the camera, swooshing his light sabre before disappearing down the trap door.

The exposure length gives him enough time to fire a flash gun manually to illuminate the boat hut surroundings.

David Gilliver Illuminated butterfly shapes float in mid air above the water in between two wooden posts.
The photographer immerses himself in the creative escapism of light painting
David Gilliver A bowl of light in the middle of a circle of tall stones
The standing stones of Callanish

“Simple is often best”, Mr Gilliver says, when it comes to creating his waves of light.

But he also loves to experiment.

In another photo, he uses butterfly keyrings with battery-operated lights to create an image of multiple floating butterflies.

He also created an eerie orb sitting within the ancient Callanish stones on the Isle of Lewis, by swinging a light on the end of a string like a lasso during the long exposure time.

David Gilliver A trail of rainbow light across the whole landscape of the a beach during a sun set.
“Ribbon Dance”

The 45-year-old Glasgow School of Art graduate has always had an artistic eye.

However, making a living as an artist initially proved difficult and he ended up working in finance in the Channel Islands for 14 years.

He became “utterly obsessed” with light painting to capture the “magical” landscapes of Guernsey at night.

When he moved back to Scotland in 2015, he says the “dramatic” and “iconic” backdrops of the country kept his creativity alive.

In 2018, he abandoned his 9 to 5 life to finally take up photography full time.

David Gilliver A stone walkway covered in rainbow light next to the Loch Lomond.
“Rainbow Road”
David Gilliver A stone walkway that curves around the loch, with illuminated foot steps curling around it.
David Gilliver uses the moonlight to illuminate the dark backgrounds

When he started posting his light paintings online, he says most people would ask him how he did it.

Photographers would ask to come with him while he created his images, he says.

Mr Gilliver, who lives in Gartcosh, North Lanarkshire, now teaches his own workshops across the UK.

He says most people think the technique is hard to understand but actually it is “very accessible” once people start to experiment and play with light.

He says teaching “found” him and he enjoys people’s natural curiosity.

“Watching their eyes light up as they begin to learn what the creative possibilities are of this amazing art form is one of the many joys of teaching,” he says.

David Gilliver Ribbons of rainbow light are at the forefront of the image along the shore. With a smaller ball of light looks like it's floating on a wooden island. There is a tree illuminated by the background.
Loch Lomond is one of Mr Gilliver’s favourite places to teach

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Along with light painting, Mr Gilliver has a large portfolio of macro photography.

The technique is a form of extreme close-up photography and can be used to capture small objects, flowers and insects.

Mr Gilliver plays around with imaginative scenarios using small figurines.

His photos range from iconic film scenes to handling more serious topics.

David Gilliver A blue surgical mask is against a white background, which looks like lands of a swimming pool. There are small figurines sunbathing around it along with others that look like they are swimming in the mask.
“Masking the problem”

This year, his recreation of Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet’s famous “I’m flying” scene from the blockbuster movie Titanic has been shortlisted in the macro category.

It depicts a miniature Jack and Rose recreating the famous scene on top of an electric iron.

David Gilliver won at the British Photography Awards last year

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