Troy Paiva’s New Book – Night Vision: The Art of Urban Exploration

Troy Paiva has a brand-new book out, and it’s full of weird, wonderful photos taken at decaying buildings and abandoned military bases around the Bay Area.

Troy pioneered an esoteric photographic technique that he calls “light painting.” The basic formula for light painting combines one part cool location with a shot of full-moonlight and a sprinkle of low-power flashlight. Troy clicks the shutter, then adds plenty of time to create spooky, spectral images which have lots of texture and detail.

Notably absent from the mix, however, is any touch of Photoshop or HDR. What you see is what Troy saw when he was standing for hours in the middle of some godforsaken, desolate, and thoroughly beautiful wasteland in the middle of the night. Like the Hunter’s Point Naval Shipyard in San Francisco, for example:

Or West Oakland’s former train station:

Troy’s latest is called “Night Visions: The Art of Urban Exploration,” and it’s published by Chronicle Books. I bought a copy, and I’ve really been enjoying it.

Chronicle is throwing a book party for “Night Visions” this Friday, August 1, at the 111 Minna Gallery in San Francisco from 7-9 pm. Troy will be there, along with many copies of the book.

“Night Visions: The Art of Urban Exploration” by Troy Paiva

Lost America (Troy Paiva’s Flickr photostream)