Light Painting

Light Painting...it's a simple term. By taking it as it is, you'll be painting by using light. But how can this be possible? One does not simply take a flashlight, point it on a canvas and expect results.

With that said, it's painfully obvious you need to study about it. Don't fret, I'll provide for you the...errr..."simple" version of how does one actually perform light painting. The first thing you need to master (or at least have the know how) is photography. I'm talking about those with DSLR cameras photography.

You need to at least understand the use of Aperture , ISO, and Shutter speed. Or better yet, find a friend or anybody who knows about it for help if you're absolutely clueless about it. Either way, you WILL need it.

"Why do we need to know photography just to do light painting?" is what some of you might ask. Figured it out yet? Light Painting is actually another form of technique in photography. Which is why it is recommend for at least a semi-expert photographer. To those who are clueless about photography, consult one who knows.

Moving on. Your "canvas" for this is anywhere you can. How big is you canvas? That depends on the camera. Everything in the frame of the picture is your canvas.

Another piece of equipment you need to have is your "brush". Any sort of light source would do. Preferably your very own torchlight (torch). Exposed bulb,  LED, or for better options you can cover the bulb of the torch with any colored plastic covers. The one below is the most recommended by most light painting artists.

Now, the last but not least is your camera. Your camera alone may not be enough to get the required result (depending on each individual needs). You'll have to bring along a tripod (for a very, very steady shot). Some might even use a remote control for the camera (if available for your camera). The type of camera you wanna use is the one that allows photographers to use 'Bulb' as their shutter speed. You can also set the amount of time for the shutter to open. To those who don't know about this can look it up on the internet or refer to the experts.

This is the exact camera I use right now. A white Pentax K-r camera.

To those who DO understand might be asking about the other settings for their camera like aperture, ISO or any other settings. I would only recommend bulb, other than that...I'll leave that to your creativity. Trial and error friend. You'll see the magic.

Phew...now that's one long topic on your equipment needed. The next crucial topic is your canvas. Just as the photo way up there, I use a completely dark room and paint the smiley. Your surrounding doesn't have to be completely dark. It also can be a poorly lit room. If you wanna take it outdoors, why not? Recommended you take at dusk, dawn or night. Whichever is nice as long as you can freely paint it with light to your heart's content.

Time for the fun part. With the right equipment and the perfect scenery to boot, it is time to paint! \(^o^)/yaaaayy...

First up, set your camera on a tripod and point to whatever scenery you wish to use. To those who by this time have already learn about 'Bulb' should understand that pressing the shutter release for up to 30 to 40 seconds might be considerable. When it goes to 1 or 2 minutes...maybe more...it's gonna be one hell of a nightmare. That's when the remote comes in handy.

Set your camera for the 'Bulb' remote part, one press to open the shutter while another press to close it and voila! Now you can take your time to paint anything you want for a picture (and please remember what'll happen to long exposure pictures. If you don't know what the heck 'Long Exposure' is, study up).

This is an example of light painting in a poorly lit room.

Some artist might wanna use a model in their light painting project. Go ahead. But do bear in mind that the model have to be in the same position and pose COMPLETELY still throughout the whole process of one picture. If you take around 20 seconds to paint then the model have to be still for 20 seconds. Unless you want a blur figure rather than having a clear looking model for your picture, then that's a different story.

Another example of light painting using a model (My lil sis). This was taken in the evening.
Source : http://matfan1390.deviantart.com/art/14-02-12-An-Angel-and-her-Guardian-341984232

Looking at those two examples I've given, painting in a less dark room will reveal the painter (in a blurry, somewhat ghostly figure). If you do not wish for the painter to be there then your painter will have to blend by doing it in a darker scenery or by wearing the clothes that blends perfectly with the scenery.

One last tip from me is : keep experimenting light painting. The more you play around the more you'll learn and get the gist of it. Goodluck v(^_^)

Light painting tutorial : http://matfan1390kreative.blogspot.com/2012/04/how-to-light-paint.html

Credits : robinnicholsworkshops . Pentax