Thanks to Gail Bidgood, of NL, for this “rockin’” photo for our November challenge:
(Taken with Nikon D200 at f/15, 30 sec., ISO 100)
But crazy me! I accidentally deleted Gail’s email so I don’t have her camera settings – I will update this post when I get the info!
ETA: Camera settings updated!
Tomorrow’s the last evening to practice this month’s assigment! Tell me… have you been experimenting with light painting?
You have?? Then don’t forgot to submit your photo to me by 11:59pm tomorrow night for a chance to win this great Karen Foster prize pack!
Come on – show me whatcha got! 
Thanks to Kim Gowdy of Sherwood Park, AB for sending us our first submission for our November assignment, Light Graffiti! Kim used a red laser pointer to write “Boo” on her Hallowe’en decoration:
(Taken with Canon REbel XSi at f/11, 22.0 sec., ISO 100)
Thanks for your submission, Kim!
When submitting your photo, please include a brief description of what you used so we can see the different effects of varying light sources!
Happy Clicking!
For our November assignment winner, we have a Karen Foster prize pack! To qualify, read our November tutorial on Light Graffiti and submit your photo by 11:59pm EST on November 30th, 2009. Don’t forget to include your camera settings in the Comments field to be eligible!
Happy Clicking!
This month, I am going to talk about a technique that uses long shutter speeds and white or coloured lights. This technique is called light painting, sometimes referred to as light graffiti. But despite the current nomenclature, this technique has been around for many years. Gjon Mili, a freelance photographer for Life magazine from 1939 to his death in 1984, was one of the first to capture light graffiti.
In 1945, these photos of figure skater Carol Lynne were published in the March 26th issue of Life Magazine:
The effects of her movements were illustrated by flashlights that were affixed to the skates, and he creates the images using stroboscopic light. It was this series of photos that he showed to Picasso in 1949 that inspired Picasso to impulsively create this “space drawing” of The Centaur:
We can easily experiment with light painting with very little equipment:
Camera
Whether you choose to use film or digital is your choice, depending on what is available to you. Digital will offer “instant gratification” but film may be used. Regardless of your choice, your camera must have long exposure availability.
Tripod/Steady surface
Because light graffiti requires extremely long exposure times, you will require a tripod or steady surface for your camera. A remote control, while not required, will reduce further camera shake.
Light Source
There is a wide array of light sources that can be used to light paint. Not only are there keychains with LED lights in many colours, but other items to use can include laser pointers, Glow poi (as photographed below), glowsticks, lighters, candles, car head and tail lights, sparklers, fireworks, flashlights, bike lights – use your imagination!
(Photo by Hendrik Kueck, using Sony DSC-W1 at f/2.8, 10 sec., ISO 200)
Let’s paint!
Set up your tripod and make sure that it is secure and level, especially if you are photographing outdoors. Remember, your location needs to be very dark – inside the house in a dark room (make sure there is no secondary light source from a window or other room) or outside, away from street lights and cars!
Set your aperture to the smallest setting (i.e. the largest number – usually f/22) to allow the least amount of light in.
Your shutter speed will depend on the effect that you are seeking. The longer the shutter speed, the more light effects will appear. Experiment with different times – this is where digital comes in handy!
Once you press the shutter, begin to “paint”. You can draw images using various coloured lights or just randomly squiggle a light for a cool effect – again, just experiment!
A few things to remember:
1) With a long exposure, you will see your image in the photo if you remain static. To lessen the effect, move quickly and do not linger in one spot for very long.
2) The same holds true to lights – try to keep the light always moving to avoid bright points of light, unless that is the effect you want.
3) Have fun!!
Toxel.com has 20 incredible examples of light graffiti here and you can click here to see incredible works by the famous German group, Lichtfaktor. Another light graffiti artist, Michael Bosanko, has some jaw-dropping examples on his website, as well.
Now that you are inspired, are you ready for some Hands On Photography practice?
Your November assignment:
Using this tutorial as a guide, create your own light graffiti. Experiment with your light sources and shutter speeds to achieve different results.
Deadline: November 30th, 2009
Please submit your photo(s), along with camera settings, using our submission form linked above for a chance to be entered into our draw. A randomly chosen entry will be drawn after the deadline. Please click here to review the rules regarding this draw before submitting. Please note – submissions that do not include camera settings will NOT be posted on the blog, or entered into the drawing.
ETA: When submitting your photo, please include a brief description of what you used so we can see the different effects of varying light sources!
Please stay tuned for more information about our November prize package!
Thanks for playing along this month – can’t wait to see your submissions! And watch for our Winter 2009/10 issue of Canadian Scrapbooker, coming to newstands and mailboxes near you in December!
Happy Clicking!
Congratulations to Jacquelin Green who submitted this photo:
Jacquelin, we will mail your Pink Paislee prize pack out to the address on your submission form! Thanks to all who participated in the October assignment – watch for the November assignment to be posted tomorrow morning!
Sorry for the delay in posting these final submissions! Postponing the assignment deadline proved to be a great idea - I have some great Hallowe’en pictures to share!
Gail Bidgood of Goulds, NF sent me this great photo of her daughter, dressed up as the great Capt. Jack Sparrow. She used a flashlight as her light source, and shone it up to light her daughter’s sweet face:
I also received this great jack-o-lantern shot from Jacquelin Green of Victoria, BC - how cute is that polka-dotted one?!?
(Taken with Canon Rebet XT at f/4.5, 1/4 sec., ISO 400)
Jacquelin wrote, “I tried a whole lot of settings to finally get a shot I was happy with – Thank you for encouraging me to experiment – I am not a great photographer, but I am learning a lot about my camera!” I’m glad to hear that, because this is the reason we are offering these tutorials!
Sonia Rodriguez, of Sainte-Catherine, QC, sent me this photo of her display of jack-o-lanterns:
Taken with Canon EOS Digital Rebel XSi at f/4.5, 0.3 sec., ISO800)
Stay tuned for the winner’s announcement tomorrow evening, and the November tutorial to be posted by the end of this week!
A big thank you to everyone who submitted their photos for this assignment. Please remember – for future assignments, follow the assignment instructions and include your photography settings in the comments field of your submission in order to be eligible for our random drawing.
Happy Clicking!
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Don’t forget – we’ve extended the deadline for your October tutorial submissions to 11:59pm, November 2nd so get your Hallowe’en photos organized and send me your best shots!
I’ll be posting the November tutorial & assignment after the deadline, mid-week so stay tuned to learn more about light writing, or “light grafitti”!!
Happy Clicking!
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Sue has been behind a camera for more than 25 years, working professionally as a photographer for the last ten years. While she began the hobby of scrapbooking in 2000, as a complement to her photographer career, it soon grew into a rival passion! Sue loves to enlarge one of her favourite photos and make it the focal point of her page, using her supplies to bring the focus onto her photography. She has, in recent years, turned more to scrapbooking "moments" rather than "events", choosing to leave her children more insight into her point of view of their lives.
Sue has been married to her best friend, Gary, for over 10 years and has two children, Connor and Aili. She considers herself very fortunate to be so lucky to work not only for herself, but also to be involved with Canadian Scrapbooker - both of which combine her passion for scrapbooking and writing!
CONTACT SUE: sue@canadianscrapbooker.ca
