Adding item to the basket... 14 August 2022
Sunday Reads
Laura Currie
14th August 2022
Learning to Paint with Light
If you’ve never tried light painting, you could be forgiven for expecting it to be a challenge that takes years to perfect. But with a little know-how and a bit of practice, you’ll be creating dramatic artwork that will look great on your walls and really impress friends and family.
You’ll have a lot of fun experimenting with settings and there will be a lot of trial and error, but that all adds to the fun, and in the end you’ll be rewarded with results to be proud of. In this article we’ll cover all the basics that will introduce you to the world of light trail photography!
There are two key types of light trail photography – the first is spectator style, where you don’t interact with the light source(s). This method is brilliant in cities at night, with all the hustle and bustle – think headlights, tail-lights, trains and funfairs.
Then there is the more hands-on style, where you are ‘painting’ with light, this can be done with a torch, a light panel, fire or even glowsticks! Just find anything that emits light. The Rotolight NEO III is a great choice as it’s small, lightweight and produces a huge spectrum of different colours and strobe effects. Alternatively, the new Amaran T2c LED Tube Light also offers an array of colours and effects, plus you have the added bonus of feeling like a Jedi!
So how does it work? For the spectator style, simply find a location with lots of moving lights and a dynamic layout and set your camera and lens up on a tripod. You’ll need a long shutter speed – start with 10 seconds. You may choose to set the camera to shutter speed priority, allowing the camera to select the ‘correct’ aperture, but you’ll have far more control and a better chance of capturing what’s in your mind’s eye if you go fully manual. You’ll have the camera’s built-in light metre to guide you, but that’s all it needs to be – a guide, the best part about this style of photography is that there are no rules! Experiment with different metering modes depending on the scene before you, if the light source is the key feature in the scene then spot metering on it will help you darken the surroundings, if you are shooting a vast city scene with lights sources all over the place then evaluative will probably serve you best.
The more hands-on approach is a lot more energetic. The technical principle is the same, but instead of waiting for the light to come to you, you bring it to the camera. Again, set your camera up on a tripod, set a long shutter speed and start painting! As the location of your shoot will be dark, if you move around enough with the light source and meter just right, you can even remain invisible in the resulting image. Manual focus is usually best here as some cameras will struggle to lock on in such low light, so if you are working solo you'll need to pre-set it, and it’s best to shoot in RAW to retain as much detail as possible.
Accessories
With longer shutter speeds, a tripod is essential to ensure a steady shot and sharp edges. If you are shooting cityscapes, opt for a lightweight model that folds away small and won’t weigh you down, such as the Gitzo 3 section 3 Series Mountaineer.
If you are shooting with extremely long shutter speeds then neutral density filters are a must. The sky might look dark to the naked eye, but a 5 minute shutter speed will reveal light you didn’t know was there. Combat this with something like the Lee Filters 100mm System ProGlass IRND 6-15 stop kit.
With a long enough shutter speed you can even record the rotation of the earth!
Another thing to consider is a remote shutter release, with such long shutter speeds, any movement of the camera will show in the image and cause blur. If you don’t have one you can use the camera’s shutter release timer, but this can be fiddly and time consuming, and will slow down your creative process.
Burning wire wool housed in a whisk on the end of a chain creates seriously impressive shots!
We hate to sound like the fun police, but if you are playing with fire then be sure to pack fire-retardant clothing, gloves and eye protection.
So there you have it! We hope this helps and inspires you to get out there and start light painting, and be sure to share your results with us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook for a chance to be featured!
Learning to Paint with Light
If you’ve never tried light painting, you could be forgiven for expecting it to be a challenge that takes years to perfect. But with a little know-how and a bit of practice, you’ll be creating dramatic artwork that will look great on your walls and really impress friends and family.
You’ll have a lot of fun experimenting with settings and there will be a lot of trial and error, but that all adds to the fun, and in the end you’ll be rewarded with results to be proud of. In this article we’ll cover all the basics that will introduce you to the world of light trail photography!
There are two key types of light trail photography – the first is spectator style, where you don’t interact with the light source(s). This method is brilliant in cities at night, with all the hustle and bustle – think headlights, tail-lights, trains and funfairs.
Then there is the more hands-on style, where you are ‘painting’ with light, this can be done with a torch, a light panel, fire or even glowsticks! Just find anything that emits light. The Rotolight NEO III is a great choice as it’s small, lightweight and produces a huge spectrum of different colours and strobe effects. Alternatively, the new Amaran T2c LED Tube Light also offers an array of colours end effects, plus the added bonus of feeling like a Jedi!
So how does it work? For the spectator style, simply find a location with lots of moving lights and a dynamic layout and set your camera and lens up on a tripod. You’ll need a long shutter speed – start with 10 seconds. You may choose to set the camera to shutter speed priority, allowing the camera to select the ‘correct’ aperture, but you’ll have far more control and a better chance of capturing what’s in your mind’s eye if you go fully manual. You’ll have the camera’s built-in light metre to guide you, but that’s all it needs to be – a guide, the best part about this style of photography is that there are no rules! Experiment with different metering modes depending on the scene before you, if the light source is the key feature in the scene then spot metering on it will help you darken the surroundings, if you are shooting a vast city scene with lights sources all over the place then evaluative will probably serve you best.The more hands-on approach is a lot more energetic, the technical principle is the same, but instead of waiting for the light to come to you, you bring it to the camera. Again, set your camera up on a tripod, set a long shutter speed and start painting! As the location of your shoot will be dark, if you move around enough with the light source and meter just right, you can even remain invisible in the resulting image. Manual focus is usually best here as some cameras will struggle to lock on in such low light, so if you are working solo you'll need to pre-set it, and it’s best to shoot in RAW to retain as much detail as possible.AccessoriesWith longer shutter speeds, a tripod is essential to ensure a steady shot and sharp edges. If you are shooting cityscapes, opt for a lightweight model that folds away small and won’t weigh you down, such as the Gitzo 3 section 3 Series Mountaineer.
If you are shooting with extremely long shutter speeds then neutral density filters are a must. The sky might look dark to the naked eye, but a 5 minute shutter speed will reveal light you didn’t know was there. Combat this with something like the Lee Filters 100mm System ProGlass IRND 6-15 stop kit.
With a long enough shutter speed you can even record the rotation of the earth!
Another thing to consider is a remote shutter release, with such long shutter speeds, any movement of the camera will show in the image and cause blur. If you don’t have one you can use the camera’s shutter release timer, but this can be fiddly and time consuming, and will slow down your creative process.
Burning wire wool housed in a whisk on the end of a chain creates seriously impressive shots!
We hate to sound like the fun police, but if you are playing with fire then be sure to pack fire-retardant clothing, gloves and eye protection.
So there you have it! We hope this helps and inspires you to get out there and start light painting, and be sure to share your results with us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook for a chance to be featured!
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