I know you all are probably tired of me saying you can shoot anywhere but I’m going to tell you again anyway, YOU CAN SHOOT ANYWHERE. Of course, this goes hand in hand with the other thing I tell you and that is to always have your camera close at hand. This can be the most fun when you get to be a passenger on a road trip where everyone in the car is sick of podcasts and / or talking to each other. If you have hours to kill, staring silently out the window is just going to make everyone think you’re bored, angry or depressed. And that does not a good travel trek make. 

So what are you going to do? (if you haven’t been paying attention, the answer is in the first two sentences). Time to power up and start playing with a setting you probably never use – Bulb. This feature is probably the most fun you can have with your camera because you don’t have to engage with worrying about all those challenging manual settings. Bulb allows you to hold the shutter open or closed as long or as little as you wish. It’s sort of like the Russian Roulette of photography because you never know what you are really going to get until you stop pressing down on that button and preview the result. 

The product you get will be your own version of abstract photography. This is the exact definition of light painting – in fact, this is where the etymology of the word photography originates. One of the best features of this style means you no longer have to drop a load of cash on one of those uninspired canvas jobs IKEA loves to sell. I’m not throwing shade on IKEA, I’d be more than happy to entertain an obscene cash offer for one of my own personal uninspired canvas jobs (remember, Denmark, to use country code 1 when you get around to calling me).

Best of all, you can shoot this way anytime of day. Like the photos in this article, even a night drive on the freeway can produce interesting, spectacular and unique results that make it look like you were on the TRON gaming grid. Even more exciting is that no one will ever take the same photo the way you will in that instance. So get out there and you can thank me later for how I’ve made your next IKEA shopping spree affordable enough so you finally treat yourself to some of those infamous Huvudroll meatballs. 

Shot on an ugly freeway in North York, Ontario.