The term “Photography“ derives from Greek and means “write with light.”
Have you already literally tried to paint with light?
Light painting: What do I need?
Light painting photography looks cool and really isn’t that hard to do! All you need is some darkness, a camera with an adjustable shutter speed, a tripod, and a flash light. You can of course do without a tripod but as you are photographing slowly, your hands may get a bit tired which can result in shaky photos. Light painting is a lot easier when there is another person there to help you – maybe your kids will enjoy it, too.
Symbols or characters – anything is possible (Picture: A.H.)
Paint or write with light
Check out your camera’s manual to learn how to adjust the shutter speed. The shutter should be open for at least a few seconds. To get even better results, you can also select a lower aperture value or increase the ISO sensitivity manually. Don’t be afraid to play around with the adjustments, it’s a fun way to learn more about your camera. Some cameras come with a pre-installed scene mode (e.g., “night mode”). They are worth a try as well, since the shutter speed is slower and the ISO higher. This setting will allow you to create a stunning light painting.
Pro tip: If you write words, you should keep in mind that the picture will be mirrored. So, you either have to write in mirrored characters, or simply flip the picture in AquaSoft SlideShow’s image editor.
On New Year’s Eve: Date with sparklers. (Foto: S.B.)
Is it New Year’s Eve or a birthday? Sparklers are a great tool for light painting. Just write the date of the new year in the air and let the camera capture it. Maybe that’s a nice idea for your next slideshow?
Light painting: A classic
Obviously, the art of light painting was known long before the invention of digital photography. Artists like Man Ray and Pablo Picasso created works with light painting in the first half of the 20th century.
Want to know more? Type the search term “light painting” into Google and you’ll find thousands of enchanting projects. To see what else can be done, visit digital-photography-school.com/25-spectacular-light-painting-images.
Are you inspired?
