Photographer Research - Michael Taylor

Michael Taylor is a Irish photographer who mostly uses EL (electro luminescent) Wire or fairy lights as his source of light and wraps them around the bodies of his models or incorporates them into their clothing this way when they move it leaves a trail of light behind them.  I like the look of his 'Luminesence' project within which he investigates light using electroluminescent (EL) wire in various ways, I also like the look of his 'Light Trace' project where he takes a double exposure image one being completely static and the second being a 'light movement' which shrouds the model within traces of light.

This photo shows movement through the use of an angel like figure with several light trails coming from them and wrapped around them, this gives the picture a ghostly feel to it.  I think the way that this shot is implemented is really good with everything being pitch black apart from the lights which are focus down the centre of the photo.

This photo shows movement through the trails of light going down (or up) the picture creating an elongated stick figure like image extending out from the main figure.  I really like this photo as it's like the figure is flying or rising into the afterlife after death.

This photo shows movement really effectively with the couple of figures in the photo taken with a double exposure the second of which is a long exposure.  This photo has a ghostly quality with all of the semi visible figures in between the static completely visible figures.

This photo shows a singular reflection of this light wrapped figurine, I think that this photograph is pretty cool although I think that the reflection is most likely created while editing as the perspectives of the reflections are identical which would be very difficult to do using a mirror.


I find the way that Michael Taylor combines double exposure photography with long exposure light drawing photography to create some really interesting blurred motion photos with crisp clear static figures within them quite inspirational, I also like the way that rather than have a model holding a light he effectively turns them into the light which he then uses for his photography.

To summarise Taylor is a pretty skilled photographer who combines several different techniques and styles to create his own unique look and feel which is distinctly his and I have seen very few photographers who have even a slightly similar style.