Create a NEW FOLDER INSIDE YOUR PHOTOGRAPHY2 FOLDER

(right click...New Folder)

Name the folder:

LIGHT PAINTING

You will be placing shots you take in this folder (before editing!)

By fixing the camera to a tripod and moving a light source around during the long exposure (the light source can be shone directly into the camera lens, or used from outside the photo frame to ‘paint’ the subject).

CAR LIGHT TRAILS

Most of you will already have seen photographs of the light-trails cars make during a long exposure captured when it’s dark. You will notice that in these photographs you don’t see the cars, but only the light-trails that have been left behind as a result of the moving vehicles. This is exactly what is happening when you go light painting: you become the moving car,  and the lights that you move around are what will ‘freeze’ into the image during the exposure. 

SPARKLERS

Most of us have drawn out our names in the night sky using a sparkler and for just a brief moment, the naked eye can make out the odd letter or circle as the bright light of the sparkler burns into your retina (try blinking really quickly after staring at a moving sparkler!). We humans see things very differently to what our cameras are able to capture during a long exposure. Although our eyes can see the sparkler drawing out letters momentarily in the air in real-time, a long exposure condenses time (the length of the exposure) into a single frame, and this is the main principle behind long exposure photography and of course, light painting. A long exposure allows the photographer time to enter the scene being photographed and to add to it using a light source.

These questions are asked pretty frequently. 

When you walk into the photo-frame during the long exposure and start moving your light source around, avoid illuminating yourself during the exposure. Also keep moving and blend into the environment in which you are working (e.g. by wearing dark clothing) you will remain invisible and only the light source(s) will be visible in the resulting image.

BULB MODE is something that nearly all modern digital cameras have. 

To set Bulb mode:

Change the shutter speed by scrolling to the left all the way to "BULB."

On Bulb mode, we can take exposures that are much, much longer.

If BULB is too long of time experiment to 30", 15" etc

An ISO of 100 or 200 is normally ideal for making work. A low ISO number helps to minimize noise levels.

An Aperture between f/4 – f/8 is a pretty good range that will offer a reasonable DOF whilst also allowing enough ambient light to reach the camera’s sensor without making the exposure length insanely long.

 If it is especially dark, then you can increase the ISO, increase your length of exposure, or add light to the scene (e.g. using a torch).

Click OPEN (on the left)

Navigate to Desktop> PHOTOGRAPHY folder>           

LIGHT PAINTING