Hit the Lights

Light painting photography is very fun to try out however it can be very frustrating to handle if you’re not used to it. You’ll need a very dark area, a light source such as torchlight or even a sparkler (the handheld sparkling firework) and also a tripod. The basic need to know is to shoot the photograph with a slow shutter speed and to aim the light source directly to the camera and move it in the pattern of your choice. By playing with shutter speeds on the camera and moving lights in front of the camera, astonishing images or mysterious effects of natural light that are invisible to the naked eye can be produced (Mirko, 2010).

My first try at roadside light photography it was a great challenge for a first timer.

If a tripod is not used, the picture will be very blurry due to the shaky movement of the camera when it is held. When the camera is moved when the shutter is open, it will create a blurry effect and even tiny movements such as releasing your finger from the shutter button or even the natural slight movement when you breathe can be the reason of the blurry picture (Peterson, 2008). Therefore for light painting photography which needs a slow shutter speed which means the shutter will be open for a very long time; you’ll need to keep the camera steady and stable.

It is also a good idea to play with colours if you can. This is because with different colours you can create a colourful painting and making it like graffiti art on walls. However, to make that will take a lot of practice and patience. It is definitely not easy to get stunning light painting shots but the odds are almost every shot taken will look pretty and creative anyway because of the light trails.

The photo "Light trails on S curved road"
(Fishtail@Taipei, 2007)

Besides drawing, you can also just go to a highway of some sorts or even get on a cliff overlooking the road where cars will zoom by in the night. Then get into a safe position by the side of the road, set up your camera, wait and be patient and set your camera to the proper settings and start shooting. You’ll get a wonderful picture like the one shown at the side.

Just set up your tripod and camera and start shooting. Leave the shutter in the slowest mode possible and start drawing. When the shutter clicks, the photograph has been taken and it is time to view your masterpiece.

Here are some photographs I’ve tried during New Year when the cousins were playing sparklers in the front yard of Grandpa’s house.

My cousin twirling the sparkler in a circle

My cousin trying to create a heart shape with two sparklers

 Reference:

Mirko. (2010). 20 Amazing Examples of Light Photography. Retrieved from http://www.designer-daily.com/20-amazing-examples-of-light-photography-7628. 

  

Peterson, D. (2008). The Top 4 Causes of Blurry Photos, And How To Fix Them. Retrieved from http://www.digital-photo-secrets.com/tip/129/the-top-4-causes-of-blurry-photos-and-how-to-fix-them/

Fishtail@Taipei. (2007).Light trails on the S curve road [image]. Retrieved from http://www.flickr.com/photos/fish_at_taipei/527118287/