Have you ever wondered how photographers incorporate beautiful patterns of glowing light into their photos? Light painting does not require expensive equipment or fancy cameras. A beginning photographer can paint photographs with just a few tools, and the most basic knowledge of camera settings.
Why Is It Called Light Painting?
Light painting is using a hand-held source of light as a paint brush, and a dark environment as the canvas. The photographer is the creator of the artistic light photograph, making patterns of light by moving the source of light chosen, in the frame of the camera. It can be done in a darkroom, or after dark outside, using the stars as a background. It is a technique to add creativity to your photography skills, while giving you practice working with long exposure techniques.
What Do You Need To Paint With Light?
If you have a digital camera, a tripod, and a light source, you can create light painting photographs. You will need to know how to set your camera manually for ISO, aperture, and exposure or shutter time. Each of these will need to be set manually, because you will be shooting in the dark. To use light painting, the exposure time will need to be very long in order to capture the light movement.
Light Painting Steps
Camera And Tripod - Place your camera on its tripod securely after choosing the background (darkroom or outside). When you have decided where you will be using the light source, mark the spot with something so that you will be shining and moving the light source within the camera frame. If you do not have a shutter release cable to take the photograph, you will need to set the manual self-timer on your camera.
Setting The Camera - Set your digital camera manually to the lowest ISO value available. An ISO of 100-200 will provide good results. The aperture should be set smaller, to allow a wider depth of field, including more area in which you can move around with your light source within the camera frame. The lengthy exposure time will need to be approximately 30 seconds, but you can experiment with all settings, so that they work best with the type of environment you have chosen.
Light Sources - Any light source can be used, so you can really be creative. Some commonly used light sources are:
Flashlight/Maglite
LED light
Laser light
Fiber Optic Light
Burning Steel Wool or Poi Balls
Matches
Fireworks or Sparklers
Candles
The fun of light painting is experimenting to see which sources of light achieve the effects that you want. If you are using open flame sources, be sure to follow safety precautions, so that you, your assistants, your equipment, and the area are not harmed in any way.
Create Your Work Of Art - Standing on the spot marked previously within the frame of the camera, move the light source as a paintbrush on your canvas. Trying various movements and light sources is not only fun, but you can view the many different effects it can give your photographs.
Post Processing Light Painting Photographs - In order to edit and enhance your light painting photographs more successfully, you should use RAW photographs. RAW photographs are unedited, original photos that you take. This way, the originals will be able to be enhanced without looking grainy.
It is as easy as that, and you do not need to be an expert-photographer. Light painting photography is really fun, simple, and can add amazing effects to your photos. No expensive equipment necessary, just a camera, a basic knowledge of camera settings, a tripod, a light source, and your own creativity.
