Painting with Light

Painting with Light!

Photography, by definition, is writing...or painting...with light. Learning to become a great photographer is learning how to work wtih the light you have, what is called ambient light. But sometimes, it is just plain fun to experiment by adding light.

There are three main types of Light Writing (aka Painting with Light).

The "Painting" can be done with multiple flashes (you can even use color gels on the flash heads), flash lights, lighters, sparklers...and in recent years...lasers.

Check out this link: http://digital-photography-school.com/25-spectacular-light-painting-images for a whole page full of examples.

In the following example, a flash was used to ADD light to the long exposure.

Picture deleted until I can find a better example

In this example, a laser (or other light) was used:

Long exposure with a light...the actor used the light to illuminate themselves at the end.

Resources:

http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/02/welcome-to-strobist.html

http://www.diyphotography.net/painting_with_light

http://www.flickr.com/groups/light-paint/

http://www.flickr.com/groups/lightpainting/discuss/72157594586839893/

http://photolovecat.blogspot.com/2007/03/painting-with-light.html - includes instructions and tips

From the above site:

Painting with Light Shooting Project Instructions

Adapted from http://photolovecat.blogspot.com/2007/03/painting-with-light.html

Basic Setup:

A completely dark area
Low ISO – 100-200 ISO
Small aperture – f8 or smaller – increased exposure time
Long exposure - 15-30 seconds
A "snooted light" created by wrapping a dense and dark material around a light source to avoid light leak out the sides (like Sticky Black Craft Foam Sheets)
A handheld light such as a video light or flashlight
Tripod or table - whatever you need to make sure the camera doesn't move…even the ground
A subject that can stay still (doesn't work so well with pets)

Once you've mastered the basics, play with the light in different ways:

Use different colored lights, or create a gel for your flash light by using wax paper and colored permanent markers
Turn the light off, move the subject to a different location and turn the light back on, all within the same exposure for a double exposure effect
Try using the light at different angles to create different effects and highlight different parts of the image
Vary the intensity of the light in different places by being closer or farther from the subject with the light source
Create spotlighting or selective lighting by turning the light off when moving from one part of the scene to another
Create shadows and silhouettes on walls with objects off-camera
Draw pictures with your light source
Have fun with things like sparklers, glow sticks, and other light emitting goodies

Sprint Commercial Effect - The movies are simply a series of shots taken on a tripod.

Plan out a series of shots.
Using a tripod, take each picture from exactly the same position
Complete the action for each portion
Combine the shots as a movie in Picasa or other movie making program.