I love the tracing where I’ve run.

Until now, with The Art of Running I’ve typically used a GPS device to leave a virtual trace, a set of coordinates which can then be overlaid on a digital map (such as Google Earth) to bring the run to life online.

It was during the short winter days and long dark evenings (when I would typically run) that I had the idea to illuminate my path using LEDs. Teaming up with an LED specialist in Akihabara, I began to kit myself out with metres of lights, powered by some hefty batteries I’d carry around my waist.

The initial motivation came from wanting to bring the same smiles and laughter to people’s faces at night that I had done in the day. It turned out to be extremely effective; provided I had enough power on me I could light up both the streets – and people’s faces late into the night.

Returning home one night in my gear I decided to experiment with some long-exposure shots using my DSLR, mounted on a tripod, with a 10 second exposure. The results were pretty interesting, resulting in a whole new style of trace. Below are some of my favourites.