Light painting: drawing with light in long exposures
Light painting uses flashlights and LEDs to draw shapes or light subjects during long exposures. Techniques and creative ideas.
During a long exposure, any moving light source records as a line. Light painting uses this to draw shapes, words or to selectively light objects.
Setup
- Dark location
- Tripod and remote
- ISO 100 to 400, f/8, shutter 10 to 30 seconds or bulb
- Manual focus set where you will paint
Light tools
Flashlights, LED wands, colored gels, steel wool (with great caution) and fiber-optic brushes.
Drawing shapes
Wear dark clothes and keep moving so you do not appear in the photo. Point the light toward the camera to draw lines and shapes.
Painting a subject
Point the light away from the camera, sweeping it across a tree, car or building to illuminate it selectively. Several passes create soft, even light.
Combine with stars
Paint a foreground for a few seconds during a Milky Way exposure.
Safety
Steel wool sparks can start fires. Never use it near dry vegetation, on beaches with people or in archaeological sites.
