How to Paint With Light Photography Techniques

Painting with light provides a creative outlet for the inventive photographer.

Painting with light in photographs provides endless opportunities to create unusual images and show artistic flare. To create a photograph, a light source must be present to capture something on film or on a camera's digital sensor. By working in total darkness and with a partner, the artist can control all aspects of the light sources using the simplest of lighting instruments, such as a flashlight or a candle. A basic knowledge of photography or how a camera functions is necessary.

Things You'll Need

• Camera with manual settings
• Tripod or stable, flat surface
• Flashlight or similar lighting device

Instructions

1. Place your camera on a tripod or solid, flat surface. Open the aperture to its widest setting and set the shutter speed at the longest exposure, or the slowest speed, possible. This combination of camera settings will allow a large amount of light to enter the camera, giving the photographer more time to paint using lighting devices. The camera must have a completely manual setting for this. A single-lens reflex camera, or SLR, provides the most flexibility for creating the desired image.

2. Turn off any lights if using an indoor location, or any outdoor lights close to the area within the camera's viewfinder.

3. Place your assistant in front of the camera with the chosen lighting device in hand, but turned off. Any device that emits light can be used for the exercise: flashlights, floodlights, candles, matches, sparklers or firecrackers.

4. Press the shutter of the camera to begin the exposure. At this point, only the light sources present will show on the film or the digital image. If no light is present, the image will be totally black, creating a canvas to be painted with light.

5. Turn on the lighting device and have it moved throughout the space in front of the camera's lens. Depending on the strength of the light source, the only thing present on the image should be the stream of light. Test the strength of the light source by having the assistant write a word using the light source in the air, and then check the image to see whether the person can be seen.

6. Experiment with exposure times, lighting sources and subject matter. The longest exposure times, 30 seconds and longer, give the assistant time to play with the light, and more creative flexibility with the subject matter.

7. Choose an object or subject to photograph once you have found the proper settings for the lighting situation and the device you are using to illuminate your subject. Press the shutter and focus the light source on the object being photographed. Only the sections of the subject on which the light falls upon will appear in the image. Experiment with this technique, as several attempts might be necessary to achieve the desired outcome.

References

• MIR Photography Tutorials