by Brandon Zicari

Photos by Joe Bogucki

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When it comes to photography, there are many methods that people like to explore. Some examples include aerial photography, black and white photography, and composite photography. Taking different types of pictures can be for a professional job or a hobby to pass time. Joe Bogucki, a business major at Hilbert enjoys capturing light trail photos. Light trails are a colorful and creative effect that photographers use to produce certain colors. Below is an in depth interview with Joe, diving deeper into the process of creating a light trail photo.

The Scribe: What made you get into photography?

 Joe Bogucki: Well, it was due to me being bored and finding a camera at my house. I started going out to places and trying to get cool pictures. The thing that is tough is that there isn’t that many cool places around here, so you have to get creative.

TS: What is a light trail photo?

JB: If you take your camera and drop the ISO(International Standards Organisation. It measures the sensitivity of the image sensor.) down, it will make it more sensitive to light. If you have a glow stick or any other type of light you can make a “trail” with it. Depending on how good the light is you can make some cool designs.

TS: What is the process in making a light trail photo?

JB: It has to take place somewhere dark enough but not too dark. There needs to be enough light to see the background. Another key component is a good camera that has to ability to drop the ISO and increase the shutter speed. This allows for the ability to capture more light. When taking the picture the camera needs to be held completely still as well.

TS: From your point of view, what makes a good light trail photo?

JB: When capturing the picture a lot is based on luck. I can tell it’s a good one if the colors pop and everything around it flows very smoothly. A bad one would be very blurry or the colors would not show.

TS: What is the most important aspect to take into consideration when taking a light trail photo?

JB: The most important thing is to keep the camera still. There has been a bunch of times where the light part of the picture has been very good but since I shifted my camera during it, the background came out blurry.

TS: What kind of camera do you use?

JB: I mainly use a Go-Pro 6 and also use a DSLR which allows for more customization of the image. The Go-Pro is easy to use because I can take it a lot of places and it is durable.

TS: Who has influenced you the most in photography?

JB: My friends have been the biggest influences. We all like to go out and take pictures which make for a good time when we go places. We all motivate each other to take cool pictures.