How to Light Paint

What is light painting?

Light painting is an effect achieved by using a long exposure time on a DSLR camera. The effect that results in the long exposure is a streak of light. You can light paint in many different ways. For example, in the photo above I used a flashlight during the thirty second exposure time to write the words, "How to Light Paint." There are endless possibilities using this effect.


How to Light Paint?

In order to light paint we will need a few things to begin:

1. DSLR Camera. I am using the Canon EOS T3i
2. Flashlights, LED's, any other light emitting object.
3. A dark room, or dark area outside.
4. Tripod or something sturdy to place your camera onto. (Blurry pictures come from moving cameras)
5. A buddy. (not necessary, but EXTREMELY helpful)

Steps to Success:

1. Set your camera into manual mode. With the camera in manual mode we can set the aperture and the shutter speed for maximum quality in our photo.

2. Set the ISO to no more than 400. With an ISO of more than 400, the photo will have a grainy look on it called noise. We do not want noise to ruin our photos so we will keep the ISO at 400 or below, this rule should be applied to photography in ANY situation.

3. Set the shutter speed. To achieve a quality light painted photograph we will need to use a long shutter speed. For the "How to Light Paint" Photo above I used a shutter speed of thirty seconds, but the light outside was completely dark. This allowed for the longer shutter speed. If it is light outside the the picture will reveal anything around the area, which is what we don't want. Unless of course, you are looking for that effect.

4. Set the aperture. The aperture on a camera also lets us regulate the amount of light that is allowed into our pictures. The side-effect of adjusting the aperture is depth-of-field. I will elaborate on this effect later on in another post. Right now we need to adjust the aperture to a higher number so we can focus on everything in the photo.

5. Focus on an object with the lights on first! Before you take your picture you need to have the camera in focus. With the lights on or light on an object at the distance you want, auto-focus the camera, and once it is finished, switch the camera into manual mode. This will keep the camera from focusing when there is no light.

6. Take the picture. Now we can take the picture, have fun with the new effect. Try different light sources, but keep in mind that you will need to have the camera on a tripod or something really sturdy, and have it set at a slow shutter speed. I hope you enjoy this new effect!

Here are a few pictures taken from my camera, showcasing this cool effect:

What is Shutter Speed?

What is the shutter?

In all DSLR cameras there is a piece of plastic in the lens called the shutter. When you press down the button on your camera to take a picture this opens the shutter, and it records the light in front of the camera. The time it takes to let in the light is known as the shutter speed, or exposure time. On your DSLR there are many different shutter speeds you can choose from, and many different uses for each.

Longer exposure = More light, Shorter exposure = Less light

Here are a couple different shutter speeds you can use:

B or Bulb, 30", 1/20, 1/60, 1/125, 1/2500, 1/4000

This list of shutter speeds is from slowest to fastest. B or Bulb is a manual shutter which lets you control how long it is open and how much light is absorbed. The shutter is open for however long you hold the button. 30" is 30 seconds. Sometimes you will see 2"5, which is 2 and 1/2 seconds, so it's not too difficult to understand. 1/20 is one twentieth of a second, so on and so forth. Do note, to take a picture with a long exposure time you will need to use a tripod, or else it will be a very blurry picture. I would recommend using a tripod up until 1/60. This will ensure a nice clear picture.

How to choose a shutter speed

When choosing a shutter speed you need to decide what you are taking a picture of. If it will be dark you will need a longer exposure, and probably a tripod. If it is going to be light outside you will need a faster shutter speed. It also depends on what your subject is doing. If you are going to a soccer game and would like to get good action shots, a faster shutter speed is the way to go. Longer exposures can be used for night snots and light painting (Tutorial on this later).

You will have to read in your camera's manual to see how to set your shutter speed, since not every camera is the same. I have a canon EOS T3i and there is a dial located in front of the shutter button, and that is what I use to change the speed.

Examples of what you can do with different shutter speeds:

Fast Shutter Speed Example. Good for action shots.

Long exposure using Sparklers. Really cool Effect