We caught up with the brilliant and insightful TJ Legler a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

TJ, appreciate you joining us today. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?

With any creative endeavor one is completely exposed. Throughout the 8 years I’ve been in business I’ve learned it is better to take risks than not, as new opportunities usually manifest from being bold. While many artists do what I consider “pro bono work” I have found the value of actual paid work which follows from doing such things yields way larger returns than being greedy or demanding immediate pay while denying bigger future opportunities. At this point in my life, I know the skills I have are enough to carry me through any situation where I will be ok in every aspect and have reached a point of complete and total surrender to the universe.

TJ, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I am a lightpainting photographer who has been in business for 8 years. My work evolved from capturing beautiful landscapes and and macro photos to creating psychedelic images which stand on their own right as visionary art.

I discovered this art form on a visit to Chicago in 2015 purely by accident and was so immersed in its look and practice I began to teach myself lightpainting techniques through my own research and reaching out to other lightpainters.

As the years went on, I began gaining accolades and having art shows across the United States and internationally, including having exhibitions in Morocco and France. In 2019 I moved to Colorado and evolved my styles even further when I began to create my own lightpainting tools in-house which yield very unique styles specific to myself.

During Covid, I took time to focus on developing this style further, going so far as to be absent from social media for 2 years so my ideas and concepts would not be influenced by outside sources. In 2022, I officially rebooted my business from the pandemic and since then have had numerous art shows, and have my first festival as a featured artist with Heart Nectar in Crestone, Colorado this July.

Over the years I have shot many promotional images for companies including Gillette, LensBall, and Matador Network. On a day-to-day, my services involve capturing psychedelic portraits of models, commercial images for businesses, and creating art pieces for installation in galleries or corporate offices.

As far as my personal ethos with lightpainting, I believe in sharing the magic of creativity with others in ways meant to inspire, evoke wonder, and empower my subjects. All my tools are charged via wind and solar energy, and many of the ones I create are made using recyclable or discarded materials to push forward a positive environmental message.

I am most proud of whatever work is my most recent creation, as I do not believe in measuring one’s success based on the past. For me, the constant desire to pursue new ideas and make works in the present are what give me personal, creative satisfaction. In the grand scheme of it all, by the time I reach a point of my eyes failing or being too old to create like I want, then I will measure my past successes. I understand my time in my prime is limited so I want to create as much as I can while being at the best of my abilities.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

In the past year, I lost several of my biggest lifelong supporters with both my maternal grandparents, and stepfather passing. During this stretch of grief, I pulled deep within myself to create new works to help me work through the pain of loss. During this time, I created a body of work called the “Darkest Light” series, in which I was able to process my emotions through creation and find I had more resilience and light within myself than I knew possible, while finding my own personal strength and honoring those who passed.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

For non-creatives, the life of an artist may seem flashy, fun, and exciting and while it definitely is there is so much more work involved than meets the eye. Everytime I plan a lightpainting shoot there is time spent scouting locations, cleaning and managing equipment, contacting models or subjects, and dealing with the elements. In times when I am vending artwork, it is important to realize the steps it takes to get there. Printing new sets of images is a long, and precise process which costs money. Not everything I earn goes back into my personal pockets for fun. Like a hungry child, my business needs to eat and I have to constantly feed it new supplies of prints and creative materials to keep it growing. Time spent editing images is also important to recognize. With my mindset, I consider the end of actually capturing photos to be my lunch break, the other half of my shift involves editing images to my standards, contacting clientele, and making sure social media posts are properly curated to have the maximum benefit for all parties involved. The best thing a non-creative can do to support artists is invest in their work or open doors for new opportunities where they can earn a living pursuing their dreams.      

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @tjlegler
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tlegler1?mibextid=ZbWKwL

Image Credits
Personal Photo – Onyx Starseed All other images are created, owned & have distribution rights by myself, T.J. Legler. Lightpainting models – Tamera Morton, Kate Shylo, Nate Hall Red & White Lightpainting Collaboration was created with Onyx Starseed