Question Home

Position:Home>Visual Arts> Where do I star with Light Painting? Shutter Speed?


Question: Where do I star with Light Painting!? Shutter Speed!?
This actually has multiple questions to it!.

It started as my experiment and now I'm trying something new!. I looked up Light Painting on Youtube and was amazed!. How do I get started with Light Painting!? I have an Olympus e510 Digital Camera!.

also, How do I keep the shutter open on my olympus!?

What should my shutter speed be!?

I'm so confused!. Help!. T_TWww@QuestionHome@Com


Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:
You're should start by mounting the camera to a tripod and doing test exposures and painting different parts of your scene with a flashlight or other light source!. This will allow you to get a good gauge of how long you need to keep the shutter open, how the light interacts with the scene, etc!. Remote controls help when you're going to start painting far away from the camera!.

Start with f/8 and ISO 100!. A smaller aperture will require a longer exposure time and will also reduce the effect of your light source, meaning you may have to "paint" certain parts more than once (could be a waste of time unless you have a really bright flashlight)!. A larger aperture necessitates a shorter exposure time and your painting would be more likely to blow out if you painted something for too long!.

Make sure you wear dark clothing (black hoodies and black jeans work really well) and remove anything on your person that could potentially glow like a watch or a cell phone so that you blend into the darkness!. If you need to walk between the subject and the camera, be sure to move quickly so that the camera doesn't "see" you!.

Try to stay away from the camera when painting!. The point of light painting is to create seemingly-impossible (and therefore, interesting) lighting schemes!. You should try to paint your subject from the sides and not from the front!. Straight-on light looks very flat and dull, which is why most photographers light their subjects with off-camera flashes!.

Finally, feel free to experiment with your light sources using colored gels, diffusers, and possibly even other sources of light such as strobes, smaller flashlights, and possibly even the headlights of your car (just don't run your camera over)!.

Good luck!Www@QuestionHome@Com

Your camera has a maximum shutter speed of 60 seconds!. You'll have to READ & STUDY the Owner's Manual to learn how to use your camera in Manual Mode and how to set the long shutter speed!.

You'll definitely need a tripod and a dark room and whatever colored lights you'd like to photograph!. For starters, try ISO 100 with your lens at f5!.6 or f8!. Manually focus at approximately the place you'll be standing!. You'll probably want the lens at its widest focal length (18mm, 24mm, whatever it is)!. You should be able to use the camera's self-timer to trip the shutter!. Try exposures using f8 at 15 sec!., 30 sec!., 45 sec!. and 60 sec!. and see if you get the desired results!. If these don't work, try a second set at f5!.6 using the same times!. You'll appreciate the low ISO since it will reduce digital noise!.

Light Painting does require some experimentation but at least you have a starting point!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Your camera needs a B or T setting!. Bulb or Time!. You have to be able to lock your shutter open for many seconds if not minutes here!.

You also will need a tripod or some other sturdy place to set the camera when aimed at your subject to - paint!.

Laser pointers, tight beamed flash lights, pen lights, mini mag lights, LED key chain lights and other sources of area controllable light are needed!.!.

You can either paint the subject from next to or over the top of the cam or if dark enuf you can walk around your subject "painting" it with your different lights!. You can use colored cellophane, plastic and almost anything to color the light from SOME of the sources!.

Your subject mater can be dozens of yards away too, actually in some cases, quite far if you have a clear shot!. Experiment for there is no one way here and each time will be different!.

Have any sparklers left over from the 4th of July!.!.!? These work well too if the paint speed is right!. Again, experimenting is needed, and many exposures can go into the minute range!.!.

With digital, you can see your results and adjust what your doing to make the next try better!.

If you move the lights fast or slow you will get different EFX too!.!. Have a small flash unit from a older camera!.!.!? You can use that too during your time exposures, especially on more distance shots where you walk out and flash up into a tree or something in a dark field!.!.

I've seen multi-exposures of people on one frame where they used colored gels for each shot!. Red!. Green!. Blue, etc!.!.

Have fun and experiment!.!.

Bob - TucsonWww@QuestionHome@Com

use 10 -30 seconds at 100iso and say f8,

consult your camera manual under "setting shutter speed" or something like that

make sure you use a tripod or have the camera stationary if thats what your afterWww@QuestionHome@Com