Light painting: Photo tips for good pictures
Light painting looks harder than it is: with our photo tips and the right equipment, you can take spectacular pictures.
Perfect light painting photos - the prerequisites
- Location: In order for your light painting to come into its own, you need a darkened room or you take pictures at night.
- Light source: You need a flashlight or other light source. Tip: Be creative and try a sparkler, a glow stick or colored foils over the light source.
- Camera equipment: Optimal is a remote release, so that you can start the recording yourself.
- Clothing: Also make sure that you put on dark clothing so that you are not seen on the pictures.
Light painting: set the camera and get started
The right camera setting is, of course, a prerequisite for good light painting pictures. Basically you can "paint" as much and as long as you like with the photos.
- Focus your camera on the distance you want to paint.
- The ISO setting should be low, otherwise you will get unwanted noise on the pictures. In addition, too high an ISO number would brighten the picture.
- Set the exposure time very long so that you have enough time. If you have a remote release, set the exposure time to "BULB", then you can shoot as long as you need.
- Choose a small aperture, i.e. a large f-number on the camera.
It is best to experiment a little with the photo opportunities that your camera offers. For letters, note that you write in reverse. However, you can later mirror the image.