Light Painting Techniques: 7 Useful Tips

Light painting is one of the lesser known techniques in photography and is usually only completed by serious night owls... and a few very keen photographers. Mainly performed at night and outdoors, such night records can make scenes look more dramatic than they would under normal conditions. Light painting is not a new thing either, it's a technique which has been used for over 75 years, and contrary to modern beliefs it's not at all easy to get the optimal consequence. Accuracy in exposure adjustments, the right tools, the right atmospheric conditions, and patience are all key to a great nighttime capture involving light portrait.

The technique involves two methods, moving a light around in the shape during a long coverage, similar to writing with a sparkler, on terme conseillé night, or by using a manipulated light source, for example a flashlight or speedlight, on or off camera, to light a particular part of the landscape.

The latter is more of any contrived and creative technique that can deliver spectacular results, especially in a commercial setting. LED PRE LIT torches are the tool of choice here. $6. 95 from Kmart, will get you a tiny pocket or purse sized, but extremely shiny and useful LED flashlight, which is also sunlight balanced, so you refuses to get any undue yellowish shift in colour to whatever you light up. I often use colorful gels / filters that go with my Several speedlight, over the source of light to further raise the dynamic feel of the image. I used this technique on a trip earlier back in to the tip of Cape York.

A major part of sunshine portrait involves setting your make up. Often hard to do, when you in the pitch of night, with all the necessary evils at hand. No phase of the moon, no ambient light, and quite often in the middle of a silent nowhere, all alone. If perhaps you're ready, you'll find that the tiniest amount of sunshine in such a setting will have either a dramatic or devastating effect in your shot, so paint carefully.

Carl Kruse Miami Photography, carlkruse.net