Painting with light: Tutorial

devbobodevbobo Registered Users, Retired Mod Posts: 4,339 SmugMug Employee
edited September 22, 2008 in Finishing School
A few people said they were interested in the technique I used for my 'Painting with light' photo in Challenge 36.

What you will need...

- Torch, I used a small MagLite
- Paintbrush
- Roll of Aluminium foil

-Tripod mounted camera (of course)
- Wired remote (optional)

20282428-M.jpg


Firstly, you need to make a snoot out of aluminium foil to attach to the end of the MagLite, so that you are able to control of the direction and spread of the light. Mine looked something like this...

20282452-M.jpg

20282466-M.jpg

Note: I use some electrical tape, to stop light coming through the gap in the join.

To make my life a bit easier, I attached my wired remote to the paintbrush as below...

20282528-M.jpg

With my camera set to manual, F/8, 5 secs and focused to infinity.

I held the torch and the paintbrush together as shown below. Pressed the shutter button. Held the MagLite still for about 1 sec, and then moved it away from the paintbrush as shown.

20282543-M.jpg

I knew how I wanted the end result to look, but it took about 20-30 exposures until I got a result I was happy with.

The photo below is the one I decided I was happy with...

20283389-M-1.jpg

However, I felt the lines with too uniform, so I found another exposure and added it as an 'overlay' layer to the original. This produced a more random light stream as below...

20283761-M.jpg

I then used 'curves' to change the color of the light to purple, and did some other clean up work. To produce the final result...

19053679-M.jpg

If anyone has any questions, don't hesistate to ask.

Cheers,

David
David Parry
SmugMug API Developer
My Photos

Comments

  • gusgus Registered Users Posts: 16,209 Major grins
    edited April 22, 2005
    Very smart thumb.gif well done.
  • Shay StephensShay Stephens Registered Users Posts: 3,165 Major grins
    edited April 22, 2005
    Yes, that totally rocks. It looks great!
    Humungus wrote:
    Very smart thumb.gif well done.
    Creator of Dgrin's "Last Photographer Standing" contest
    "Failure is feedback. And feedback is the breakfast of champions." - fortune cookie
  • AndyAndy Registered Users Posts: 50,016 Major grins
    edited April 23, 2005
    bowdown.gif
  • ehughesehughes Registered Users Posts: 1,675 Major grins
    edited April 23, 2005
    That's incredible, thanks for sharing the secret...
  • rahmonsterrahmonster Registered Users Posts: 1,376 Major grins
    edited April 25, 2005
    You know, I have been pondering for days how you made such a wonderful shot...Thanks for letting us in on the secret....Truly excellentthumb.gifclap
    www.tmitchell.smugmug.com

    Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life...Picasso
  • PeterGarPeterGar Registered Users Posts: 294 Major grins
    edited April 26, 2005
  • wxwaxwxwax Registered Users Posts: 15,471 Major grins
    edited April 26, 2005
    Love tutorials. Thanks for sharing your technique, David. thumb.gif

    BTW, your shot's a perfect example of what you can do if you visualize what you want ahead of time. I think that effective visualization always leads to a better image.
    Sid.
    Catapultam habeo. Nisi pecuniam omnem mihi dabis, ad caput tuum saxum immane mittam
    http://www.mcneel.com/users/jb/foghorn/ill_shut_up.au
  • devbobodevbobo Registered Users, Retired Mod Posts: 4,339 SmugMug Employee
    edited April 27, 2005
    Thanks everyone for your fantastic comments.

    I really enjoyed this challenge, as I like trying out different things photographically...and like some others here, I was surprised at how easy it was.

    BTW, wxwax thanks for moving this tut into the halls of wisdom...i feel honored :D

    David
    David Parry
    SmugMug API Developer
    My Photos
  • Charlie BrownCharlie Brown Registered Users Posts: 199 Major grins
    edited October 6, 2005
    thats an amazing technique that im so going to steal from you...seriously though man thats something i never would have thought of but will try to use in the future.



    charlie
    I can only hope to progress to the point of one day being a second rate photographer, wish me luck.
  • kometkomet Registered Users Posts: 117 Major grins
    edited October 7, 2005
    Very nice.
    komet gives light so that you may find the way.
  • aurafloraauraflora Registered Users Posts: 471 Major grins
    edited October 7, 2005
    Very resourceful. I am also going to try this one out.


    Thanks for sharing.

    Michal
  • DanielBDanielB Registered Users Posts: 2,362 Major grins
    edited January 3, 2006
    definitely gonna have to try this one out.thumb.gif thanks for the step by stepclap.gif
    Daniel Bauer
    smugmug: www.StandOutphoto.smugmug.com

  • Peter DumontPeter Dumont Registered Users Posts: 261 Major grins
    edited April 9, 2008
    Sheer genius
    19053679-M.jpg

    bowdown.gif............... Sheer Genius !.....................
  • questquest Registered Users Posts: 1 Beginner grinner
    edited September 22, 2008
    that is too cool. Thanks David
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