Snowstorms

034_YosemiteChapelSnowstormSnow falling in front of our lens reduces the visibility of our scene.

This varies a lot based on the amount and the density of snowfall.

A fine dusting fills the air with a light haze, creating a subtle yet visible separation between nearby and distant objects.

Moderate snowfall brings the veiling closer to us and typically isolates nearby subjects from any background distractions.

Of course, a blizzard pretty much obstructs everything, especially at night. Trying to get shots while standing in an arctic like storm in the dark is a lot worse than a bad idea.

On the other hand, photographing in a heavy nocturnal snowstorm is a magnificent experience, albeit challenging, and can produce very dramatic and expressive images.

But there is one technical drawback we must be aware of. Light metering a nighttime shot will not account for the effects of falling snow.

Fast and furiously falling flakes frequently filter the fortune we find in our frame.

And the effect goes beyond the haziness we see with our naked eye. Over time our subject is veiled by a curtain of snow, which masks the light seen by our camera.

During an expanded moment this can cause an exposure decrease of one to two f-stops. The result is like selective exposure imposed by nature that we have no control over.

The solution is to extend our bracketing session by adding one or more longer exposures.

For example, if we think the longest exposure should be 30 seconds, it is a good idea to include exposures of 1 and 2 minutes when photographing in a snowstorm. Otherwise, even the longest shot may turn out to be under exposed.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.

IMAGE : Yosemite Chapel, Snowstorm, Yosemite, CA

Over the years, I’ve spent Christmas in Yosemite more than a dozen times. On Christmas Eve of my last holiday in the park, it began snowing heavily around noon, and continued throughout the night into Christmas morning.

We went to the Chapel for the Christmas Eve service at dusk. After the service, the storm was at its peak, and the snow on the ground was knee-deep. We tromped back to our cabin, then I returned with my camera, tripod and umbrella.

I bracketed up to 2 minutes thinking that was long enough. The next night, on Christmas, I photographed the Chapel again when it was not snowing, using the same exposures.

Turned out a 2 minute exposure was great when it wasn’t snowing, but under exposed by about one f-stop during the snowstorm. After studying my B&W negatives, I realized that the heavy snowfall was actually blocking the exposure.

This final image is the result of a 2 minute exposure shot at f8 with TMAX 3200 film. I have always wished I had taken the time to get a 4 minute shot to capture more in the shadows.

IMAGE TINT : GalleryGoldTonerBlue

In the darkroom, Gold toning produces hues ranging from light to deep blue. Intermediate gold toning produces a noticeable bluish tone. The toning effect was applied to this image to emphasize the look of the snow covered scene at night.

This B&W image was toned in Adobe Photoshop with an ICC Profile derived from the “GalleryGoldTonerBlue” Color Map created in Mac App SuiteProfiler.

Click these buttons to download the ICC Profile and SuiteProfiler Color Map:

EXERCISE : Snowstorms

Instead of waiting for a huge winter storm front to move in, it is best to practice dealing with the technical challenges of photographing in a snowstorm ahead of time.

Set up your camera and tripod in a dark environment, indoor or out, with the foul weather gear you use to protect your equipment. Rehearse managing your exposures while also keeping your camera and lens dry.

Now you are prepared to tackle the challenge of shooting a saturated snow scene safely. Say that 5 times really fast.

Be sure to review the Safety & Precautions page.

FEEDBACK : Snowstorms

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Snowfall

033_JemezWinterShadowsLittle is more beautiful than snowfall in the wintertime, especially on a cold winter night.

Snow falling from the heavens can transform an ordinary place into a world full of mystery and magic.

In low light, snow looks like stardust falling softly from the sky.

Snowflakes, floating gently to the ground, add a sense of calm and quiet to a scene … the silence is deafening.

With long exposures, falling snow becomes invisible to our camera’s eye, but light caught by snow crystals creates a subtle glow that fills the air.

But keep in mind that photographing snowfall after nightfall can have some minor pitfalls.

It is normal to seek shelter in the snow when shooting at night to protect yourself and your camera. But finding a safe place from which to shot can be a double-edged sword.

Be forewarned. Be careful where you take cover. Snow does not drop only from the sky.

Snowpack or icicles can also fall unexpectedly from tree limbs, rooftops and electrical wires, or from anything overhead where snow collects.

Having a pile of snow come crashing down on you is not necessarily dangerous, but it can be quite a shock, and certainly an unwelcome interruption to a desirable photo session.

Other than the exercise in caution to protect yourself and your camera, photographing at night while it is snowing is an exhilarating experience.

By taking just a little more risk than usual, photographing a nocturnal winter wonderland can reap tremendous rewards, namely more evocative images for your nighttime portfolio.

IMAGE : Winter Shadows, Jemez Springs, NM

One moonless night, a relatively heavy snowstorm came to town, so of course I grabbed my camera and headed out to explore the possibilities.

When I set up my tripod and camera for this shot I didn’t notice that I was standing under several electrical lines covered with snow. In the middle of a 4 minute exposure, I was surprised by a giant pile of powder crashing down on me and my camera.

“Not to worry,” I thought, “I’ll just dust the snow off my camera and clean the lens.” Then to make sure my lens was free of snow dust, I blew on it. Bad idea. I didn’t just fog my lens, the moisture from my breath froze and created an ice sheet on the glass.

So I looked around and found a place to get out of the falling snow. I then put my camera under my coat for a few minutes to warm it up and melt the ice. Then I had to dry off the lens with my shirtsleeve, because everything else was wet from the snowy assault.

Finally, I returned my camera to my tripod, and finished my photo session. Lesson learned.

This image is the result of bracketing then selecting the 2 minute exposure shot at f8 with TMAX 3200 film. The long exposure was necessary to capture the snow in the foreground.

IMAGE TINT : GallerySilver

Silver toning is the perfect choice for this black and white image to convey the look and feel of the snow filled nighttime scene.

This B&W image was toned in Adobe Photoshop with an ICC Profile derived from the “GallerySilver” Color Map created in Mac App SuiteProfiler.

Click these buttons to download the ICC Profile and SuiteProfiler Color Map:

EXERCISE : Snowfall

Next time you look out the window and see snow falling at night, go out and photograph a scene covered in snow.

A lens hood and a cloth draped over your camera should protect your equipment, but take an umbrella along just in case.

Be sure to review the Safety & Precautions page.

FEEDBACK : Snowfall

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Winter Nights

032_YosemiteWinterCabinIn one half of the world, winter is once again upon us. Some would swear that it has already arrived, and a good time to stay indoors warming ourselves by a fire.

But it is also a great opportunity to not only go out and experience the cold winter weather, but also a chance to capture our experience of the cold, crisp light we see after the sun goes down.

Cold winter nights seem quieter and more peaceful. We are more likely to find ourselves alone than during the warmer seasons. It is a time to roam freely and seek out the more still and thought-provoking scenes in our hunt for the great diversity of light.

Freezing temperatures at night create an interesting mix of sensations to portray in our images. The air feels soft, but light looks stark. The weather feels chilly to the skin, but can be heart warming. Trees are alive, but bare, taking on a more dramatic form. Everything seems more acute to the eye, and to the camera, in the frigid night air.

Winter nights show us a different way to see the world, and a different way to capture our experience of the world through image making. It gives us a chance to create images that convey a sense of quiet impact, a personal interpretation of the night.

IMAGE : Winter Cabin, Yosemite, CA

For over 24 years I spent a lot of time in Yosemite, especially in the winter time. It is the season of less people and more spectacular weather conditions. When I started doing night photography, I spent many cold winter nights capturing the park’s wonders in a different light than the norm.

I came across this scene one winter night after I drove into the park and was walking to the lobby of Yosemite Lodge to check in for the weekend. The back lighting, combined with the slightly smoke filled air catching the light from the front of the cabin, was very dramatic.

This particular cabin, similar to the one I usually stayed in, was washed out in a flood in the late 1990’s. It was never rebuilt.

Much like the pioneer cabin taken at Wawona in Yosemite, this cabin has the look and feel of someone at home, all warm and cozy within, as the nighttime freezes without. The lack of shadow detail in the cabin beckons us to solve the mystery of what lies inside.

This image is the result of bracketing then selecting the 15 second exposure shot at f8 with TMAX 3200 film.

IMAGE TINT : GallerySelenium

In the darkroom Selenium toning creates a cool purplish hue in the darker tones and strengthens the tonal separation in the subtle highlights. The toning was selected for this black and white image to enhance the look of the brisk winter night.

This B&W image was toned in Adobe Photoshop with an ICC Profile derived from the “GallerySelenium” Color Map created in Mac App SuiteProfiler.

Click these buttons to download the ICC Profile and SuiteProfiler Color Map:

EXERCISE : Winter Nights

We all know how a cold winter night feels. Next time you photograph at night during the coldest season of the year, take the time to compose an image that captures both the look and the feel of your experience of the cold winter night.

Be sure to review the Safety & Precautions page.

FEEDBACK : Winter Nights

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NEXT TIME : “Snowfall”

 


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Paying Homage

031_SFCoastalLightsCROPHave you ever felt like you were stuck in a nighttime photographic rut?

Feeling stuck technically or artistically, not knowing what to do next, what to look for, or even how to go about it?

Kind of like writer’s block, maybe you were experiencing cam-jam, or just a simple case of lens-cringe.

Well there is an easy exercise that will help you get past your night-fright and get a quick pic-fix.

If you are feeling uninspired, select an image by someone who inspires you. Then come up with a way to duplicate it in order to pay homage to both the artist and the image.

Choose an image that captures your imagination and creates a sense of wonder. Pick one that introduces you to new subject matter, or exposes you to a new way of seeing.

By emulating another, you shift your picture taking habits, and open your eyes a little wider to the possibilities beyond your current visual practices.

Paying homage to another can take many forms. It can be a literal interpretation of a time and place. It can be similar types of objects or a comparable setting. It can reflect the same style of lighting. It can mimic the aesthetic to convey the same kind of impact. Or you can dream up your own approach to mirroring that which inspires you.

When you are done, compare your image to the inspirational piece. The similarities are a good indication of your visual attention. But more importantly, the differences you see are an even stronger indication of your own artistic style and vision. What you introduced to the so-called copy is evidence of your personal contribution to visual expression.

IMAGE : Inspired by Kenna, Coastal Lights, San Francisco, CA

Years ago I attended an excellent two weekend workshop in San Francisco led by Michael Kenna, one of our contemporary masters of night photography. On the last night we all met at the Cliff House near the northwest tip of the SF peninsula.

I wandered out onto the patio behind the restaurant and found Michael taking shots of the rocks and ocean to the west. I set up my camera and tripod facing down the coastline to the south with lights running along Highway 1. We visited as we took our long exposures.

I had never shot ocean waves at night before. I actually expected the water to appear as a complete blur in the final image. I was shocked when I first viewed my negatives to see that the surf seemed to almost stand still.

I bracketed as usual but all of my exposures of the breaking waves were pretty much the same except for the shape of the white water.

I realized after the fact that the water was captured during a long exposure only as the swells broke. Other than that the ocean was dark and undetected by the camera.

This image is the result of a 30 second exposure shot at f8 with TMAX 3200 film.

IMAGE TINT : GallerySilver

A cool silver tint was applied to the image to enhance the look of the damp ocean air, and provide tonal separation in the coastal waters.

This B&W image was toned in Adobe Photoshop with an ICC Profile derived from the “GallerySilver” Color Map created in Mac App SuiteProfiler.

Click these buttons to download the ICC Profile and SuiteProfiler Color Map:

EXERCISE : Paying Homage

Pick a nighttime image that inspires you, possibly one by your photographic muse. Decide what it is about the image that turns you on the most. Then go out and capture a series of shots that capture the essence of the provocative image.

Afterward examine the similarities, and the differences, between your image and the inspirational one. Also look for inspiration in your own image, and see the potential for future photo ventures into the night.

Be sure to review the Safety & Precautions page.

FEEDBACK : Paying Homage

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Find Art Photography

030_KennaHomageToBrassaiOne of the best ways to learn to see through our own eyes is to learn to see through the eyes of another.

We have all been inspired by the works of other artists, but we can also learn from those who have gone before.

We must learn to see to learn to do. Being inspired by one who has mastered the art of seeing photographically at night can further our own visual discovery process and artistic development in a very practical way.

This is true for any art form, but especially true in night photography, because nocturnal image making is not as commonly practiced as other areas of photography.

But we can go beyond just being momentarily inspired. We can adopt a muse to guide us along our path of developing a sense of night vision.

Selecting and following a muse motivates and challenges us to not only view  examples of nighttime work, but to also see differently, to see more deeply, and to see more distinctly.

Exposing ourselves to another’s body of work, past and present, offers more than just a technical education. By focusing on the work of another in a concentrated way we begin to assimilate a better knack for seeing and capturing our own inner vision.

In the same way that formal martial arts training prepares our bodies to respond in a more focused way, viewing and absorbing our muse’s imagery trains our eyes to recognize and respond to the subtle visual nuances we encounter when photographing at night.

Interestingly this does not teach us to duplicate another’s work. Instead it trains our mind’s eye to respond in a more conscious and personal manner.

But we need to give it time to develop. This is not an over night exercise. It is neither casual nor constant, but somewhere in-between. It’s something we dedicate ourselves to visit and revisit over time to track our changes in perspective.

By acquainting ourselves with not only what another sees, but also how another sees, we familiarize ourselves with the development of a visual journey, and become more intimate with our own artistic quest.

Over time we can adopt many muses, but the best approach is to commit to only one at a time in order to see another’s talents as purely as possible, both technically and artistically.

By amusing ourselves, we expose ourselves to greater possibilities that can be easily overlooked as we advance our personal perspective of the night.

IMAGE : Homage to Brassaï, River Thames, London, England © Michael Kenna

In the mid 1980’s, I bought this image from the Friends of Photography in California. It was my introduction to night photography, and motivated me to eventually venture into the night with my camera. Over the years, I have followed Michael’s nighttime work as a source of insight and inspiration along my visual journey.

About this image Michael Kenna said, “One evening I was staying in a friend’s house just outside of London, the very place that I had lived for three years when I was studying at the London College of Printing. As it was getting time to go to bed I noticed a rising mist from the River Thames, which was just visible from the window. I went out to photograph and did not return until after sunrise the following morning. It was an exquisitely cold, winter’s night. I imagined that Brassaï might have done the same thing when he was photographing along the Seine in Paris. Much of the subject matter was similar: bridges, boats, embankments, and water. I have often emulated photographers that I particularly admire and I try to pay homage to them in titles for my own photographs.”

You can view Michael’s body of work on his website.

EXERCISE : Find Art Photography

Find a photographer whose work inspires you. Select one or more of your favorite images created by the photo artist. Take the time to study the work, and look for the details that capture your attention and imagination the most.

Be sure to select vintage as well as recent images to get a good cross section of the kind of work that inspires you. Revisit the images from time to time to see how their impact on you changes, taking note of the effect certain visual elements have on you.

FEEDBACK : Find Art Photography

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NEXT TIME : “Paying Homage”

 


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Fire Trails

029_AbqFireDancerFire trails are a unique form of light trails created by fire in constant motion.

Fire trails are not well defined streams of light like those left by other light sources.

Fire streaking through the air, or running along the ground, creates flames all along the path of movement.

Opportunities to capture fire trails are rare indeed. Contained fires are usually stationary and burn as a hot mass. Out of control fires spread and grow in unpredictable ways, but frequently do create blazing trails along the way.

But let’s be smart. Trying to track down fiery trails in the middle of a fire emergency, like a burning building or a forest fire, might reap spectacular results, but is a lot more dangerous than wise. Not an activity being promoted here.

On the other hand, there are people who perform with fire in a safe and orderly manner. Such activity affords us the opportunity to capture fire in motion as an expanded moment.

Fire trails are a form of light painting in a controlled environment. The difference is that we are recording someone else performing the drawing with light, someone who’s a seasoned veteran and knows how to play with fire.

When we find such an event, it is a chance to capitalize on our practice of photographing light in all of its forms, and an opportunity to capture an uncommon image.

HOW TO : Photograph Fire Trails

Use the suggested f-stop outlined in aperture settings. Typical exposures should be just a few seconds to avoid overlapping trails.

Leave the shutter open only while the fire is in motion to capture the subtle details in the flames. Watch for patterns created by the moving flames to determine when to close the shutter.

Knowing how to photograph fire as outlined in my earlier post is a must.

IMAGE : Fire Dancer, Albuquerque, NM

I had the opportunity to photograph a practice session of a group of fire spinners as a part of my “Rhythm of the Night” portfolio for the Albuquerque Arts Program in 2010.

The fire trails were created by a man swinging burning balls hanging at the end of 2 ropes.

This image is the result of a 4 to 5 second exposure shot at f8 with TMAX 3200 film. It was selected from 2 rolls of film I shot over a period of 2 hours. I captured a lot of variations, but this image was the most unexpected.

  • Mouse over the image above to view the original BW image without toning. If mouse over does not work, go to Fire Trails on my blog.

IMAGE TINT : GalleryFireGolden

The warm to hot toning was chosen to emphasize the fire trails by adding color contrast to the flames. This is a good example of using toning to colorize a black and white image.

This B&W image was toned in Adobe Photoshop with an ICC Profile derived from the “GalleryFireGolden” Color Map created in Mac App SuiteProfiler.

Click these buttons to download the ICC Profile and SuiteProfiler Color Map:

EXERCISE : Fire Trails

Seek out a group or an individual who performs with fire in the night. Get permission to photograph an event or a practice session. Always keep yourself and your camera at a safe distance from the flames.

I cannot emphasize strongly enough that tossing or twirling burning objects around yourself to get shots of fire trails is a really bad idea. As they say, “Do not try this at home.”

Be sure to review the Safety & Precautions page.

FEEDBACK : Fire Trails

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Fire Revisited

028_CarlsbadFireFightersWhere there is smoke, there is fire … and a lot of the time, firemen and fire trucks on the scene to get a blazing inferno under control.

Such an event gives us an opportunity to capture some great editorial shots of fire fighters in action.

The combination of the intensity of the fire, the glow of smoke, and firemen at work can be incredibly photogenic. We get to capture not only the movement of the smoke and flames, but also the activity of the fire fighters caught in the throes of what they do best.

Review how to photograph fire in my earlier post.

IMAGE : Fire Fighters, Carlsbad, NM

This was taken the same night as the fire and smoke images in the previous two posts. I captured these fire fighters just before the side of the building collapsed.

This image is a 1 second exposure shot at f8.

EXERCISE : Fire Revisited

Review the exercises in the posts on fire and smoke.

If you have the opportunity to photograph the scene of an out of control fire, try to capture shots that are dynamic, ones that portray the interaction of the firemen battling the flames.

Be sure to review the Safety & Precautions page.

FEEDBACK : Fire Revisited

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Smoke

027_CarlsbadFireTrucksSmokeSmoke is used in many songs, like “smoke gets in your camera’s eye.”

The use of smoke as a metaphor abounds.

There are a lot of sayings about smoke, but there isn’t a whole lot to say about it.

Like fire, smoke is ever changing. The constant movement of smoke in the breeze creates unlimited photo possibilities, from the powerful to the sublime.

The presence of smoke can appear as a thick cloud or a light mist filling the landscape. As shutter speeds increase, smoke morphs into a ghostly presence, giving us the opportunity to capture differing expanded moments.

We can utilize the presence of a smoke screen to mask unwanted visual distractions, and at the same time, reveal the essence of our chosen subject.

Smoke can turn an ordinary scene into something mysterious. The changing light caught in the smoke can soften a harshly lit setting, or make an action packed scene seem peaceful.

IMAGE : Fire Truck & Smoke, Carlsbad, NM

  • Mouse over the image above to view the scene without the cloud of smoke. If mouse over does not work, go to Smoke on my blog.

I had photographed the scene of this fire for over an hour. I was down to my last 3 shots. I wanted to capture the fire truck and fire fighters on the street.

A giant cloud of smoke swept across the scene from the ashes upwind to the right. As the smoke passed in front of me, I grabbed 3 shots of the fire truck peeking out of the haze.

The smoke did a great job of hiding the uninspiring aspects of my composition, revealing only the parts that caught my attention in the first place. Mouse over shows the image with the distracting details unhidden by the smoke.

This image is a 1 second exposure shot at f8. A 2 second shot might have given me more to work with, however the low key rendition matches the visual impact I witnessed at the moment of capture.

EXERCISE : Smoke

Of course, finding clouds of smoke to compose an image around is not that common.

But when you do get a chance, be sure to photograph it at various shutter speeds to familiarize yourself with the very different and dramatic effects smoke has to offer.

Also look for shots that use smoke to mask out undesirable portions of a scene.

Be sure to review the Safety & Precautions page.

FEEDBACK : Smoke

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Fire

026_CarlsbadFireFires burn really hot, and can be really cool to photograph.

Unfortunately, fires are too often unexpected, unwelcome, and unpleasant events.

But still they can be a great opportunity to capture some really spectacular shots.

From a photographic standpoint, fires fall into one of two categories: under control and out of control.

Controlled fires, like campfires, make for a serene and tranquil setting. Small fires as a part of a gathering are a chance to capture a quiet and thought provoking moment.

On the other hand, uncontrolled fires can be extremely intense and visually dramatic. Photographing them is exceptionally challenging because we must respond quickly and cautiously to capture the ever changing moments.

Most light sources we see at night are unchanging points of light. No matter how bright, they are easy to handle as visual elements. But fire burns as a changing mass of light, creating both technical and compositional challenges.

Artistically we want to capture a subtle sense of movement of the smoke and flames, and also record the neighboring landscape lit by the fire. Sub-second exposures will typically capture the blaze, but may still under expose the rest of the scene.

Fire on its own is something that invites contemplation and personal reflection, but does not necessarily make for a compelling photograph. It is the relationship of fire to its setting that gives an image visual strength and evocative power.

The challenge is two fold. Not only do we need to be in the right place at the right time, but we also need to compose an image that captures the interaction of the fire with the people and things in its environment. An interesting mix of luck and presence is needed, because fire as a visual element is constantly changing in shape, size and light intensity.

Keep in mind that fires can be very dangerous, so always practice safety first. Keep your distance from the heat. In other words, don’t use a wide angle lens close up.

HOW TO : Photograph Fire

Fires burn unpredictably, but we can still manage our exposures correctly. Light metering will be inaccurate when facing a massive fire, but will provide what we need to get started.

  • begin by setting your f-stop to that recommended in aperture settings
  • take a light meter reading, keeping in mind that this will cause under exposure
  • multiply the shutter speed by 4 for your initial exposure
  • follow the exposure guidelines using this as your starting point exposure
  • capture a range of exposures for each scene if possible
  • concentrate on grabbing as many variations as you can

IMAGE : Fire, Carlsbad, NM

I was driving around one night looking for something to photograph when I found myself surrounded by smoke. I turned into the wind to find the source, a burning building on the corner of a residential neighborhood.

I began shooting, and kept on shooting from various vantage points, until the building was a pile of hot embers on the ground. I was invited to move back many times by firemen.

My shutter speeds were short, between 1/8 and 1 second. This image is a 1/8 second exposure shot at f8, chosen from a series of similar images.

EXERCISE : Fire

You can’t exactly go out and find a blazing inferno to photograph when you feel like it. But you can be prepared for the night you might happen upon one.

Practice by photographing a campfire and its surroundings. Experiment by bracketing a wide range of exposures to familiarize yourself with what to expect.

Know in advance what your initial aperture setting and shutter speed should be, because you will have to respond quickly to capture what you see as it unfolds.

Be sure to review the Safety & Precautions page.

FEEDBACK : Fire

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Light Painting

025_KolbTugOfWarLight painting is a more dynamic form of supplemental lighting.

In very dark or unlit places, light painting can be used to bring an image to life.

If used exclusively, the creative possibilities are boundless.

The practice of light painting begins by opening our shutter, venturing away from our camera, and exploring the scene with one or more lighting tools in hand.

Then we are free to roam into and around our scene selectively lighting as we go. And of course, we eventually return to our camera and close the shutter.

Light painting is done with common lighting tools, such as flashlights, pen lights, or hand held lasers. Or anything we can dream up that emits light.

As long as we stay on the move, we can operate freely, undetected by our camera, lighting whatever strikes us in the moment, by design or on a whim.

With long exposures, we definitely have the time to create what we want. Plus we can always combine light painting with stationary fill lighting to supplement any existing light.

HOW TO : Light Painting

There are two approaches to light painting:

The first approach is a mobile form of supplemental lighting. You move through the image lighting or highlighting objects or areas with lighting tools, directed away from your lens.

The second approach is to perform in front of your camera with a light source visible to your lens. By drawing light trails, you introduce your camera to your imagination.

Just like writing your name with sparklers when you were a kid, you sculpt an image with light by writing on the wind, and create your own personalized expanded moment.

Light painting is a great opportunity to think a little more radically. Well OK, a lot more radically than usual, and explore your eye in discovery.

There really are no rules or guidelines. Let your imagination run wild. The possibilities are endless. The key is experimentation. So experiment, experiment, experiment … and play.

IMAGE : Tug of War, Edgewood, NM © Stephan Kolb

One assignment in the night photography class I taught at UNM in Albuquerque was light painting. Stephan showed up with his rendition of four men competing at tug of war.

What is so incredible about this image is how expressive it is. The simple lines of light truly portray the strain and struggle of the figures.

First, he hung a light rope between two stakes. Then he had a friend take on each posture, while he drew the outline with a pen light.

This was done in complete darkness, which hid the existence of his activity. Talk about dynamic. Quite a creation from an inventive mind.

The image is a 139 second exposure shot at f2.8 with a focal length of 24mm.

You can see more of Stephan’s work on Flickr and Tumblr.

EXERCISE : Light Painting

Experiment with both styles of light painting. Find a scene with a large area that needs fill lighting. Use a flashlight to paint the dark parts with light as you move through the frame.

Also, try drawing a scene for the camera with a small light source. You can draw just what comes to you in the moment, or plan the picture ahead of time.

Compare the resulting images to what you imagined while painting or drawing. Take the time to fine tune your light painting techniques. But most of all, have fun.

Be sure to review the Safety & Precautions page.

FEEDBACK : Light Painting

Leave comments on this post to share your ideas and experience, or ask questions.

NEXT TIME : “Fire”

 


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