I'M HERE TO EMPOWER YOU!

I’m an artist . . . but that’s not saying much, because I believe, and it is something that I have devoted my time heavily to convey, that art expression is an inherent property of human nature. The media may vary, but not the innate disposition.

Those that know me have heard my “talent-as-myth” diatribe all too often, and if you end up tuning in to my posts, you will encounter it soon enough. It is my goal to change the notion, which a great number of people resign to, that one needs to have “talent” to pursue the art they feel or want and am doing this on a daily basis through my program in the G+ Mentorship Program for Photographers.

With that as preface, I will probably devote a portion of my posts to inspiring artists, but I also plan to impart other conceptions that I have about life in general, with the goal of elevating, encouraging, enlivening or energizing those who read them.

Let me begin with this:

I wish for you the ability to create for yourself all that your heart desires.

Start!


➡️ fill out this form, if you’re interested in the new home for “G+ Mentorship Program for Photographers”

➡️ fill out this form, if you’re interested in keeping in touch or getting mentored by Robin


You can begin by watching "The Myth of Talent" here:


"The Myth of Talent" by Robin Griggs Wood

Robin Griggs Wood •artist•(@robingriggswood)'s Instagram

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RECENT POSTS

Karen Hutton, what a trooper you are!


Karen Hutton, what a trooper you are! Sassi Sassmannshausen and I brought a PixelStick to the #TreyUSA  photowalk and during the after-party I asked Karen and Laurie Rubin if they would be willing to be my models for an experiment: I made wings for them both, for long exposures with the lightstick. I scuttled them outside the hotel and I told Karen, "Ok, these are your wings, especially made for you; be who you would be if you weren't confined by this universe." It didn't take her more than a heartbeat to be her full self ... Karen, the "life is light" lady ... her true self is pure light!

I did say "experiment" above, as this turned out a little blurry because, to get the wings, I made her hold that pose for 13 seconds! So, it's more of an illustration right now ... ;oD. I'll get better at this!

"Why", you may ask "not just take a shot of Karen quickly and then composite wings behind her?!" ... because ... being around 13 seconds of Karen in all her unbearable-lightenss-of-being awesomeness ... heheh, who could resist? ... ;o)

Thank you for being so wonderful, Karen!

52 comments:

  1. This is so freaking fecking fantastic!

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  2. OMG!! It's GENIUS!! I love it so hard... THANK YOU  RGW! That is some incredible process you two have invented. And I LOOOOOOVED getting to see you this weekend. xoxoxox

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  3. those are darn amazing wings!
    it looks great!

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  4. Karen Hutton -- heheh ... thank you SO much, dear, for being so willing! I loved seeing you, too ... and I hope we get some time up north for the S.F. version! ...hugs!

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  5. You were a great "sport", so patient, thanks a lot,Karen Hutton , the main work is based on Robin Griggs Wood art, I was more or less the "mechanic" in this team-work, thehehe. I enjoyed it. Thanks for playing

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  6. Great result Robin Griggs Wood ! Well done.

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  7. This is brilliant! I love the wings!!

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  8. Oh wow!!! Inflippingcredible!!! Karen Hutton​ life is light alright!!!
    Robin Griggs Wood​ and Sassi Sassmannshausen​ you guys are amazing!

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  9. Your proof of concept is better than most of my finished work. :-) Wonderful collaborative effort!

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  10. I think that it seems at Album Ghost Stories by Coldplay!! Very good

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  11. This is wonderful. I wish I could have stayed around for show.

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  12. Another approach is to use an off-camera flash during the long exposure to "snap" the model in place, but considering the long time for the wings. That said, I am totally impressed with the wings. Drawing with a light pen, in the air, and not being able to see what you have done... This is an amazing result.

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  13. Jeffrey Watkins -- Thank you.
    We tried the flash, but the space was too small, it illuminated the background too much, or dimmed, then no use at all. We have plans for the next time with other equipment ;o)
    .
    It was not done with a light pen, we used a Pixelstick, which is a broom-stick sized item with 200 RGB LEDs on it.

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  14. Robin Griggs Wood - Keep trying... I see a little glimmer of awesomeness trying to break through in your work! ;)

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  15. Very cool!  I would love to see more about how this works.  What a great idea and a great result.

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  16. Sassi Sassmannshausen - Ah, yes, Nearby backgrounds would be problematic. Need to keep some distance for those, and use the Light Drop-off effect. I did look closer and noticed the effect of the light Stick, which is rather interesting.

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  17. Yes, Jeffrey Watkins  the stick is rather bright, and that allows to "anchor" the image easily into the scene, rather than to copy and paste it later. Having done a lot of VFX work for film, I'm familiar with the effort, so I enjoy this tool a lot.
    .
    The next tests will be completely different (more your world as well :o), as I want to use it as light source for an "in studio" car drive. So the actors gets a more natural change of light. With a front projection (especially for the eye-reflections) I hope it will give some great results.
    .
    I hope we will make it to San Francisco, to have more toys in the pocket. Not to brag, but I started in the age of thirteen to do my own stage light show, way over 135 times for bands. Was a fun time. So, It feels like getting back to the roots ;o) with this toy!

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  18. :o) Lauri Novak next time we meet, we can bring it with us. It is light weight and no problem to set up. Let us know, and I send you the details, if you have an idea for an image. :o)

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  19. Brian Grzelewski thanks for your interest. Think of a screen, but only one pixel wide. Then, during a long time exposure, you move the stick, and write the image.
    the images can be loaded via SD cards and little menu allows for the set up. Pretty straight forward. :O)

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  20. Sassi Sassmannshausen -- thank you, dear ... and for your inexhaustible supply of energy ... ;o))
    Jamie White thank you so much!
    Tanya Wallis -- thank you, kindly, dear! (That's exactly what her real wings look like, right?! ... ;o)))

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  21. Dean Sonneborn -- thank you ... :o)
    Pat Kight -- thank you, dear!
    Jesús Moreno Luna -- :o)) ... thanks!
    Jeffrey Watkins -- well, as you probably already understand, this is not painted with a flashlight. In fact, I had intended to bring a flashlight with me for just that, to illuminate my models ... but I was so pared down with my gear for this photowalk that I forgot it at home ... ;o). A flash wouldn't have worked for this shot anyway, we didn't have enough room in the only space we could find to get distance from the background; it would have ruined the effect. You would understand more, had you been there. Thanks for the kind words ... :o)

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  22. Theresa Jackson -- thank you, dear ... next time! ... :o)
    Gary Munroe -- your encouraging words mean a lot to me, my friend ... :o))
    Brian Grzelewski -- thanks, my friend! ... check it out here: http://www.thepixelstick.com/
    Marc Briggs -- thank you very much!

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  23. Robin Griggs Wood - Whatever I can do to help... I think you're going places! ;)

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  24. Wow, and just how do you top that? Unbelievable artist and subject. Way to go RGW!

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  25. Your innovation just keeps people guessing what you'll come up with next ... this is incredible

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  26. Fantastic experiment.  I love the end result Robin Griggs Wood.

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  27. Robin Griggs Wood - What a treat it was to end the evening and seeing how you and Sassi Sassmannshausen created these fantasical wings! You captured Karen Hutton's overflowing beautiful light that radiates from her soul. Love this!

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  28. Thanks a lot Laurie Rubin , yes Robin art directed it beautifully.
    Finding the right wings for everyone - from her nice collection. She pours so much love into everything. :o) Was fun to see that all came together and you were so willing to play as well. Thanks!

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  29. Robin Griggs Wood Really wonderful effect!  On the wing image stored in the Pixelstick, was it one image of a complete pair of wings or two seperate images of a left wing and a right wing?  In creating the wing exposure, did someone walk in one 13 second pass from left wing tip to right wing tip and then turn off the Pixelstick or were each wing, left/right created separately?  How is scaling the size of the wings accomplished? Does Pixelstick give you an exposure walking estimate saying for wings of a certain scale take x number of seconds to walk across the scene?  Once turned on, does Pixelstick automatically turn off once it has completed painting the pixels? Did you move the Pixelstick up and down to follow the general curve of both wings or did you hold the stick at one elevation and walk from one side to the other side?  Inquiring minds want to know!  Pixelstick looks to be sort of an electronic photon sparkler!  ;-)

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  30. To answer:
    This image was done with one wing, starting twice in the middle.
    The speed and brightness can be set.
    The movement was horizontally in this case.
    All was done in one exposure, so moving fast to not show up was mandatory.
    The Pixelstick shuts off, if not told to repeat automatically.
    The image can be flipped or flopped, played left to right of vice versa.
    No exposure-data given - AFAIK, but the main exposure needs to be taking anyway from the surrounding, then adjust accordingly, as each image drawn might differ in size and so in time.
    We had 10 - 30 second exposures so far.
    My best wishes, Paul Johnston , perhaps check out "Bitbanger" and download the manual for more details if you like.
    Enjoy.

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  31. Sassi Sassmannshausen Thank you for the reply.  I did download the manual and am reading through it.  Excellent suggestion for inquiring minds!

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  32. Robin Griggs Wood What a wonderful whimsical thing to do..........you can do me next time - all I need is a small pair of horns :-)))

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  33. Love it Robin Griggs Wood Sassi Sassmannshausen and very Karen Hutton

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  34. Rick Schwartz -- thank you, my friend!
    Steve Gard -- thank you very much
    Donna McClure -- thank you, kindly ... :o)
    Laurie Rubin -- thank you so much, dear!

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  35. Paul Johnston -- thank you very much! ... and thank you, Sassi Sassmannshausen for filling all of those details! ... :o)*
    Giselle Savoie -- thank you, dear ... :o)
    La Bocanegra -- thank you
    Balkishan Soni -- thank you

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  36. John Wade -- thank you, my friend .. and, heehee; I've got some bat wings ... is that nefarious enough for you? ... ;oD
    Jennifer Walton -- thank you, dear
    Janice Sullivan -- thank you so much, dear!
    George Fletcher -- thank you, kindly, my friend!

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  37. Excellent creation! I did tried something like this last 4th of July, I couldn't figure out where I needed to put my sparkler, so all that came out was a mess :/

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  38. You're welcome,Paul Johnston , what would be the world without playing, researching and then take anther adventure. :o)
    Enjoy.

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  39. Experimenting is always good,Dylan Johnson >
    I did my first light painting for my stage light show at the age of 13. I wrapped a incandescence bulb in aluminum and left only a little hole, then placed a camera on the floor, pushed the bulb (hanging from the ceiling) and  pressed the "Bulb" button on the camera.
    With positive slide film I good the most incredible "drawings" and used it in my stage  light show, with over hundred gigs. Playing is always great.

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