Summer Photography Tip – Painting with Light!

Shutter Drag or Long Exposure:

The second part of the image is the more complicated part. This is where we "drag the shutter" or "leave it open" to capture the light from the flashlight. Another example of this is when you take a photo of someone with a sparkler. If you notice, the difference between this image and the one taken of Whitney is that Whitney is also fully lit in the image. In the image of the man holding the sparkler, only the sparkler is being shown and the rest is relatively dark.

This image is taken without the flash being fired. To get this result you would turn off your flash, set your camera to a relatively slow shutter speed and an aperture fairly wide like 2.8 or 5.6. This also works better in the dark so that the surrounding area does not show blur.

Writing with Light

Another example of shutter dragging would be to write something with a flash light. Last night I had Denise hold the camera while I walked around with a flash light. I wrote "Photo Tip" in the air while the shutter was still open. These are examples of using shutter drag or long exposures to paint with light. The idea is that you don’t really see the person doing the writing. Its a lot of fun but you have to really think about how you will write something backwards. Another idea is to write it normally then flip the image after in a photo editing software.

Making a Ghost

While everyone loves to read the Enquirer not everyone believes the stories of ghosts in the railroad car are real. This is an easy trick to pull off with the right person and the right environment. If you look closely at the image on the left you can see where someone is walking through the old train car. The basic idea is that the camera was held steady for a longer exposure while someone was walking through the frame. As long as they don’t stop it creates a pretty cool effect. Although this old mail car in Galveston didn’t need any ghosts to make you feel creepy.

So Now Lets Put It All Together

Basically what I did was took advantage of the camera’s sync speed with the flash and the shutter drag of a long exposure all in one frame. So we took the two parts and put them together with the results being an image properly exposed of an individual and the movement of painting with light. First we took a photo of Whitney holding a flash light and then drawing a heart in the air AFTER the flash went off. I did this by setting my camera to a shutter speed of 3 seconds and an aperture of f22. The smaller aperture allows for a little sharper image of Whitney and a thinner flash light line.

Here are the reasons this worked:

1. A camera is synced at 1/125 the initial part of the exposure is correct and still.
2. The shutter speed is longer than 1/125 (3 seconds) AFTER the flash goes off showing the flashlight as movement (don’t move your camera).
3. Because it is outside and dark the second part of the image is not overexposed because the only thing with light is the flashlight.

Now Lets Get Even More Creative!

The way in which I took Whitney’s picture here was by painting with light after the flash went off to ensure that I would not be in the photo. In reality Denise was holding the camera, Whitney is standing still in the yard and I am standing off camera with the flash light. Once the flash goes off I hold my hand over the light and basically paint the wings. Once the 3 seconds is up the image is done.

So there you have it everyone. A fun way to play outside at night with flashlights and photography. Now its time for YOU to get creative. We are going to have a little contest for the month of June. What we want you to do is send me your most creative painting with light photograph. Try to get as creative as possible. Best of all do this with your kids! They will really love the fun and the science behind light. Send me your creative light painting by June 30th and we will pick a winner.

First place will receive a free 3 hour in studio photography workshop with me and a complimentary family portrait session!

Second Place will receive a camera overview workshop here in the studio (1.5 hours) and a complimentary family portrait session!

Third Place will receive a complimentary family portrait session!

So everyone get creative and have some fun. This is good practice before the fourth of July holiday so you can impress all your family and friends with what you have learned.