Advanced Photography Students Transform Darkness into Art

Advanced Photography students at Huntington High School recently stepped into the world of long-exposure creativity as they explored the dynamic technique known as painting with light.

Working in dark spaces, students set their cameras to long shutter speeds and used hand-held light sources—glow sticks, flashlights, LEDs, and more—to “draw” directly into the air.

Each photograph became a performance, requiring students to coordinate timing, movement, and composition with precision.They experimented with swirling motions, bold strokes of color, and layered patterns, discovering how light could become both a tool and a subject.

The final images reveal a striking combination of technical skill and imaginative expression. Through this process, students learned not only how to control shutter speed and exposure, but how to use light itself as a brush—turning invisible gestures into vivid, captivating works of art.

“I am so proud of how confidently and creatively my students rose to this challenge,” said Pamela Piffard-Williams, the high school’s veteran photography teacher. “Painting with light is a difficult technique to master, yet they approached it with enthusiasm, persistence, and a willingness to experiment. Their results speak for themselves.”

Mrs. Piffard-Williams said these works stand as “a testament to creativity, technical growth, and the power of photography to transform ordinary light into extraordinary visual storytelling.”