Street artist turned photographer 2wenty likes to stay behind the scenes, but his alter-ego Lightman is an adventurer who loves roaming the streets and beaches of Los Angeles.
The artist, who used to create artwork and surreptitiously paste it up around LA, started experimenting with light painting three years ago. "I feel light painting to me is a reflection of myself, light and dark, interacting and changing the perception of the way people see the environment," he says.
Finding a locations is the most crucial step in his process. 2wenty tends to stay close to home, but has made a few photos while traveling to other cities. The photographer prefers to work late at night—typically between 11 pm and 4 am—exploring locales around the city. He likes spots with great ambient light that sets a scene. It may seem spooky, but the artist finds being out in wee hours soothing. "I usually can’t sleep at night and love being up late," he says. "Everything feels a lot calmer and my brain feels like it can relax."
Having spent years developing his method, 2wenty doesn't want to reveal too much about his process. He favors a 35mm camera on a tripods, and long exposures of up to several minutes. Once the timer is set on his camera, 2wenty runs out with his lights and traces the figure. Custom LEDs provide greater control than a flashlight, allowing him to draw Lightman with convincing subtlety and great consistency. Spontaneity is part of the fun, so he works quickly and doesn't do any post-processing of his images. "I can usually get the photo I want on the first or second try," he says. "If I keep going it tends to feel forced."
Like most street artists, 2wenty concealed his identity behind a pseudonym early on, a habit that stuck when made the switch to photography a few years ago. He's gone by the moniker ever since, and Photoshops a diamond over his face in photos. Until recently, he posted mostly on Instagram, but he's now got a website, too. In everything he does, 2wenty wants the work to be front and center. "I usually never explain what anything means unless asked,” he says. “I want people to discover what they see in it."
