The Play of Lights by Ryszard Wierzbicki
Captured on the shores of Sairee Beach, this photograph documents the mesmerizing nightly fire performances that define the atmosphere of Koh Tao Island. Ryszard Wierzbicki masterfully utilizes a long exposure to trace the fluid, rhythmic motion of burning torches against the deep velvet of the night sky. The image captures the intersection of human performance and elemental light, transforming a local tradition into a vivid, kinetic spectacle. Its award-worthy quality lies in the photographer’s ability to balance technical precision with the raw, fleeting energy of the fire, creating a composition that feels both intimate and grand.
Ryszard Wierzbicki
Born in 1963 and a graduate of the University of Gdańsk, Ryszard Wierzbicki transitioned from a diverse career in education and marketing to become a dedicated traveler and photographer after relocating to the United Kingdom in 2006. His work is deeply influenced by his extensive travels through South-East Asia and his commitment to charitable work with orphans in the region. Now based in Swindon, he balances his professional life as a marketing advisor and tour organizer with a profound passion for scuba diving and capturing the vibrant, transient beauty of the world through his lens.
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Expert Photography Reviews · 5
Dancing With the Dark
I spent an hour tonight trying to untangle a string of fairy lights that had knotted themselves into a tight, stubborn ball. It was frustrating work, but as I pulled at the wires, I realized how much I enjoy the way light behaves when it is forced to move.
Read the reflection →Dancing With the Dark
I remember a night on a beach in Greece where the wind was so strong it felt like it was trying to push the sea back into the earth. A group of travelers had gathered near the tide line, spinning weighted ropes tipped with kerosene-soaked rags.
Read the reflection →Reviews & Comments
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The frame pulses. It’s a strobe of kinetic energy, a fire-dancer’s arc frozen in a 1/20th shutter snap. I’ve spent years watching motion blur turn to mush, but Wierzbicki keeps the rhythm sharp. That 100mm reach pulls the flame tight against the velvet dark, turning a beach performance into a cinematic sequence. It’s raw, it’s visceral, and honestly, it makes me want to grab a camera and chase the light myself. The cut would’ve been a mistake.
1/20sec at f/6.3, ISO 800, 100mm. It’s a precarious balance. The shutter speed is too fast to render the fire’s motion as fluid silk, yet too slow to freeze the performer’s stance. It’s caught in a technical limbo. I’ve spent years analyzing these light trails, and frankly, the noise at ISO 800 irritates me. It’s a muddy compromise. Wierzbicki chose the wrong tool for the speed of the flame. It’s technically indecisive. I expected better.
Of the thousands of fire-spinning shots I’ve reviewed, most are just chaotic light trails. Wierzbicki’s work succeeds because he resisted the urge to overexpose the flames. By pinning the exposure at 1/20sec, he kept the texture of the fire intact rather than turning it into a neon blur. It’s a rare, disciplined restraint. I’ll admit, the warmth of those embers makes me miss the humid nights of the Gulf. It’s a keeper for the archives.
At f/6.3, the focal plane barely contains the combustion’s chaotic energy. Wierzbicki’s 100mm reach compresses the fire’s trails, pushing the sensor toward its noise floor at ISO 800. I’m genuinely struck by how the lens renders the heat haze; it’s not just motion, but a refractive distortion of the night air itself. The diffraction of light across those glowing arcs is, in the strictest physical sense, extraordinary. It’s a rare, visceral collision of physics and performance.
Fire spinning is a chaotic business, yet one suspects Wierzbicki didn’t just stumble upon this. He’s managed to tame the frantic motion of the torches into something almost architectural. I’ve spent enough nights shivering on beaches to know that getting this level of clarity at 1/20th of a second requires a stubborn sort of persistence. It’s a rare pleasure to see the heat of the moment captured with such disciplined, quiet restraint. He clearly put in the hours.