DEFINE

What is Light Painting?

Light painting is a fun photographic technique where a handheld moving light is used to illuminate a long exposure, under-illuminated subject and scene. Unlike lighting a dark scene using strobes or standing lights, the main difference here is that a moving light is being used over a longer period of time. This technique can be used in various ways. Two of the most common ways are 1) to use the light to illuminate subjects within the frame and 2) using the light AS the subject, creating patterns and “drawing” shapes WITH the light source itself. Both styles open up new creative possibilities with photography.

In the example above, a flashlight, off to the side, is used to “paint” light onto the sculpture while the camera shutter stayed open during a long exposure. The camera was on a tripod. While the shutter was open, the flashlight was waved around, “spray painting” selected parts of the sculpture.

In the example above, a different kind of light painting technique was used. Here the flashlight was not used to illuminate the sculpture, but instead, I handed the light to my son who then jumped around the scene, waving it like only a 7 year old can! Imagine the kinds of shapes and figures you could “draw” with a long exposure like this!

Above is another great example of “sprayed on light”.

Above is a great combo of both “sprayed on light” and “light drawing”.

Let’s dive in and take a look at the Gear, Settings and some Tips to get you started with the fun photo technique of Light Painting!

GEAR

• A camera that you can set to manually keep open the shutter. (“Bulb” Setting)

• A steady tripod• A shutter release cable or wireless

shutter release. In some cases you might be able to use your camera’s timer.

• A simple timer. The second hand on your watch or a digital stopwatch on your phone will do just fine.

• Lights, of course lights! (flashlights, LEDs, etc.)

• Optional for fun: Color Gels. Why only use white light?

SETTINGS

• Use the “Manual” mode setting on your camera, so that you can control the ISO, Aperture and Shutter Speed.

• Set your ISO to something low like 100• Aperture / f Stop: Set it to something like f8

or f10• Shutter Speed: This is something you’ll

vary depending on your situation. Set your shutter speed to something long, maybe 20 or 30 seconds to start. If you need a longer exposure, use your stopwatch and bulb mode.

• Set the “quality” of the file to Fine JPEG or RAW (even better).

• Set your White Balance to “Tungsten” if outdoors for a deep blue sky. For indoors set it for the amount of warmth you want to have.

• Drop your LCD brightness. This can fool you in dim light to make you think your image is brighter than it actually is.

• Turn any “image stabilization” to off

SOME TIPS

Take your first shot without using any of the artificial lights you’ve brought with you. See if the shutter speed you chose (let’s say it was 25 seconds) is long enough. If it’s too bright, you can reduce it some, but reduce it too much and you’ll lose the time you’ll need to “paint”. If it’s too dark, you can increase it until you can see the background, using ambient light, the way you’d like it to appear in the final image. Once you’ve got these settings the way you’d like to expose for the ambient light, lock ‘em in and let’s move on to the next tip.

Focusing can be tricky in dim light. Here’s a tip: Find an object (or temporarily put an object) in the area where you want the focus to be sharp. Zoom in or out to compose the shot the way

you’d like. Now, shine a bright light on that object and focus on it. Next, take your lens OFF of Auto Focus and go to Manual focus on your lens. Leave it there and don’t touch it. Since you’re using an f stop of f8 or f10, your depth of field should be relatively OKAY for most shots.

LET’S PAINT!

Paint with broad strokes. Notice how the light looks different depending on “how” you move your strokes. Waving it like a fan produces a different effect than brushing up and down keeping the flashlight parallel (like painting a fence).

Use lots of different angles and “brushing” techniques and see which ones appeal to you. Paint from the sides, paint from the top, etc. Have a friend paint with you and hit different areas at the same time.

Wear dark clothing and don’t stay still for too long or your “ghost” may end up in the image.

Pay attention to the surfaces that you are painting on. Surfaces with texture might benefit from a side light. Shiny surfaces can reflect light in unexpected ways.

Vary your speed and pay attention to how it affects the quality and brightness of the light.

HAVE FUN AND LIGHT UP THE NIGHT!

Practice a variety of techniques and have fun. The beauty of digital photography is the immediate feedback you can get from your “experiments” and the almost ZERO cost to get started!

Bonus tip: For those of you who use photo editing software like Photoshop: You could light different parts of an image on several photos and combine the “good parts” in Photoshop! Just another option with your light painting techniques.