Army life

Peter Zentjens

Army life

This is the most recent instalment of my Nostalgia series As usual, it was created with my “painted with light” technique that mainly exists out of long exposures and a lot of “painting” with a flash light.
Tutorials on my technique can be found here and here

This image was shot during several exposures of 30s on f22 and ISO100 which were later combined using Photoshop.

more work

the calendar

the print

Army life belongs to the following groups:

Alternative Process and Experimental Photography, Just Brown, Mood & Ambience - Strictly Photos, Nostalgic Art and Photography, Object Studies & Concepts, PENTAX , Technical Photography and War Available for sale as

Greeting Cards, Matted Prints, Laminated Prints, Mounted Prints, Canvas Prints, Framed Prints and Posters
Army life by Peter Zentjens
  • Peter Hill

    Peter Hill

    Another wonderful addition to the series, Peter! Especially like the egg shell touch with the gas mask! I am going to give your tutorial a go, for sure !!

  • Peter Zentjens replied

    Thanks Pete, glad you like it!
    The egg shells turned out to be the most work. :)

  • midzing

    midzing

    brilliant work Peter, well done

  • Peter Zentjens replied

    Thank you midzing,
    and thanks for that fav too!

  • PERUGINA

    PERUGINA

    Amazing Pete! Absolutely love the concept here – you know how i love to work thematically so this series is a hit with me!
    Congratulations on this addition.
    Patricia
    :)

  • Peter Zentjens replied

    Yes I know. :)
    Thanks for you enthusiastic reply

  • Catherine Davis

    Catherine Davis

    Another fantastic one in this series. Amazing! Thanks also for the tutorial on the technique. I am printing it for later use!

  • Peter Zentjens replied

    Thank you so much Catherine and good luck with that tutorial! If you ever give it a spin, drop me a line. Cheers.

  • Catherine Davis

    Catherine Davis

    Will do! Thanks again!!!

  • billyboy

    billyboy

    Cool take Peter. I love the way you do your painting with light technique. Lovely warm, nostalgic effect.
    I used to find those gas masks at the flea market in Brussels across from the old fire station for a couple of francs… along with the old 25 centime pieces with the hole in the middle. That was back in the late 60`s. Jeeze times have channged!

  • Peter Zentjens replied

    I’m sorry to say I don’t know Brussels all that well, I’m not very taken with that city. :)
    But I know what you mean, luckily though I can borough all this stuff or my wife would go ballistic. héhé.
    And in the late 60’s, I wasn’t around yet. ;^p

    Thanks for your uplifting comment old boy.

    ;)

  • Peter Zentjens replied

    I can borough nothing,
    I can borrow something though,
    Djeez, my English sometimes! Sorry about that.

  • debsphotos

    debsphotos

    Amazing results Peter!!! Beautiful work!! *-)

  • Peter Zentjens replied

    Thanks Deb.

  • Yool

    Yool

    You are so clever at this …well done !!!!

  • Peter Zentjens replied

    I’m blushing again. :)
    Cheers Yool!

  • Mark Mcloughlin

    Mark Mcloughlin

    fantastic image,

    where did you pick up the gas mask? i have searched the whole of ireland for one of these masks. and thanks for putting me on to painting with light, i hope to explore much more of this method..

    mark

  • Peter Zentjens replied

    Hey Mark,

    a friend of mine had it hanging in his toilet by way of a joke. I borrowed it from him. He also had another which was still in its canister, that’s what in the background. I decided that 2 gas masks made it the composition to complex, so I only used the canister.

    Enjoy your painted with light experiments!

    Cheers
    Peter

  • Alf Caruana

    Alf Caruana

    the different way the light plays in this still life contributes to make this work a very beautiful and elegant one. Very well done

  • Peter Zentjens replied

    Many thanks my fellow painted with light-er

  • RosaCobos

    RosaCobos

    It has the quality lighting of a barock painting.
    Sof and combined claroscuro.
    Wamr and visually splendid.
    I love the way you “draw”.... or create a mistery and abmience with the placing of the different objects..
    Perfect.
    Rosa (thanks a lot for your tutorials…. here I go to read them…)

  • Peter Zentjens replied

    Wow, thank you so much Rosa!
    That is exactly what I’m trying to achieve, or, at least, a very important part of it.

  • Michael Douglass

    Michael Douglass

    Superb series, love it. Terrific tones and interest in this shot.

  • Peter Zentjens replied

    Thank you Michael, and thanks for the fav and adding me to your watchlist.

  • Carl Chick

    Carl Chick

    Tremendous composition. I’m drawn to every element. Great lighting technique. I’ll have to give it a try.

  • Peter Zentjens replied

    Be sure to do that, it’s great fun.
    And thanks for your comment full of praise.
    Cheers

  • arienti

    arienti

    Pete.
    Excellent work with these tecnique, “thumbs” up for this one:-)

    Best Regards
    Arne

  • Peter Zentjens replied

    Thank you Arne,
    means a lot to me coming from one so adept with this technique himself.

  • Robert Armstrong

    Robert Armstrong

    Excellent shot, love the lighting!

  • Peter Zentjens replied

    Thanks Robert, I devote a lot of time to my light.

  • Tainia Finlay

    Tainia Finlay

    Beautiful image, love your perspective & treatment!

  • Peter Zentjens replied

    Hey Tainia, thanks for your lovely comment.
    Most of what you see isn’t really a treatment but in camera effect. I do merge several images into one but the light effects are (mostly, I do cheat every now and then) achieved at the moment I take the pictures.

  • Gazart

    Gazart

    Really interesting still life group, so well presented with excellent lighting. Thanks for bringing this group to my attention Peter, much appreciated.

  • Peter Zentjens replied

    Your most welcome Gazart,
    and thank you for the comment and the fav

  • Cindy Olivier

    Cindy Olivier

    love your vintage style well done

  • Peter Zentjens replied

    Thanks again

  • Laura McDonald

    Laura McDonald

    love this, there is something really spooky about gas masks that i love :)
    bravo great pic!!

  • Peter Zentjens replied

    Yes, there is something very ominous about them.
    Cheers for the comment and fave!

  • stevetg101

    stevetg101

    Really atmospheric shots!! They’re awsome!

  • Peter Zentjens replied

    Thanks Steve, glad you like them.

  • sonjas

    sonjas

    Great image.

  • Peter Zentjens replied

    And thanks again. :)

  • Lois Bryan

    Lois Bryan

    There’s got to be so much thought and planning that goes into this. One of the things that really fascinates and frustrates me about still life is the right composition. I can take … literally … hundreds of shots … and still not get the composition where it ought to be. But here it’s not only the composition itself … but what you’ve chosen to focus your light source on … wow … another part of the fabulous mystery of what makes your creations sooooo intensely magical!!!!! I have to say, on this particular shot, the gas mask is not just spooky … but eerie and ominous!!!!! ... insert deep breath here … And … is there a particular significance to the broken egg shells??? I WAS around in the late ‘60s, and … a bit earlier too, lol … but don’t recall hearing anything about eggs and gas masks … unless … oh wait for it … were the eggs rotten?? Are we supposed to be laughing hysterically?? If so … oh lord, I am slow!!!!! Now the question becomes, do I delete this comment so all the world won’t know what a doofus I am??? ... nah …

  • Peter Zentjens replied

    LOL!
    Indeed, the reference is to rotten eggs. Even further down is the can, which nobody but me can know is a can of beans (private joke)

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