July Tutorial – Artificial Light

 Artificial light refers to any light source that is not naturally occuring in your shooting environment.  It includes a built-in or on-camera flash, external flash unit, studio lighting or even a do-it-yourself lighting set up.  It can also include other creative light sources, such as spotlights and even headlights, like Kathryn Hore of Australia did in these photos.

On Camera Flash

On-camera flashes will fire automatically when in AUTO mode, but may need to be activated when in exposure or creative modes by popping up your flash.  This type of flash often causes unsightly red-eye effects in your subjects:

Source: www.wikipedia.com

 Red eye is caused when the flash is close to the lens in low light situations.  Because the flash occurs quickly, the pupil cannot constrict fast enough and the light reflects off the fundus at the back of the eyeball and out through the pupil.   The red colour comes from the large amount of blood found in the choroid at the back of the eye, behind the retina. (source: www.wikipedia.com)

There are several ways to prevent red eye.  You can use an external flash, directly or indirectly.  If you do not have an external flash unit, try to turn on as many lights as possible and have your subject avoid looking directly at the lens.  If all else fails, you can use photo editing software in post-production to correct it.

External Flash Unit

An external flash is a separate unit that can be purchased and attached to your camera using a “hot shoe“, usually located on the top of your camera. 

There are two ways to employ an external light.  Direct flash is when your flash is pointed directly at your subject.  If you remember from our May 2010 tutorial, you can use direct flash to fill-in your subject when using backlighting. 

Taken with Nikon D70 at f/4.5, 1/320 sec., ISO 200. Flash fired.

It is not without fault, though – direct flash can leave harsh shadows behind your subject or leave a glare on any reflective surface, such as a mirror, window, high-gloss painted wall or eyeglasses.  Depending on your proximity to your subject, it can also wash out colours and overexpose the foreground.  Notice the difference in lighting in the following photos:

Taken with Nikon D90 at f/4, 1/60 sec., ISO 640. Direct flash fired.

Taken with Nikon D90 at f/4, 1/60 sec., ISO 640. Bounced flash fired.

The lighting is much softer in the bounced flash photo, and the glare from my dad’s eyeglasses is eliminated.  He looked down (he’s camera shy!) which may have contributed to the elimination of glare – I always ask my bespectacled subjects  to tilt their heads down a notch to avoid this.   In addition, the harsh shadows behind his head in the first photo are softened in the second.

Indirect flash is a better option.  One method is to bounce your light.  To do so, you need to have a flat white or light coloured surface, such as a ceiling, wall or reflector that will reflect the light, or you can use a bounce card, like this 15 second do-it-yourself version. 

Remember that the angle of incidence will equal the angle of reflection when bouncing your flash, as discussed in the Summer 2010 Hands On! Photography article.  As a general rule of thumb, aim your flash at a point that is midway between your flash and subject.  Also remember that by bouncing the light, you are doubling the distance that it has to travel so adjust your exposure settings accordingly.

Another method of indirect flash is to use a diffuser. It softens the impact of a powerful external flash unit and minimizes shadows.  There are several commercial products on the market, but if you are budget conscious, search online for “do it yourself flash diffuser” for a range of ideas.

Studio Lighting

Studio lighting can be very cost prohibitive, especially for amateur photographers who are trying to turn their hobby into a profession.  When determining studio set up, you will have to consider both space and cost of both categories of lighting:  continuous and flash.  Continuous lighting is inexpensive so it’s a good choice for an initial set up.  It also allows you to view the lighting before the image is taken, revealing shadows and highlights.  However, it can be very hot and uncomfortable for both you and your subject.  It also causes your subject’s irises to dilate, which is generally not desired in portraits.

There are so many considerations when choosing flash lighting such as power, reliability, features and of course, cost.  Several retailers will set lighting kits, which are ideal for an initial investment, such as this one or this one.  As with any large investment, it is wise to research and determine your needs prior to purchasing. 

Do It Yourself Lighting

If you are still experimenting, or are on a tight budget, there are several places online that offer ideas and tips for a build-your-own studio.   Here are a few that I found interesting:

ProPhotoLIfe.com – DIY Studio Product Photography – Ep. 1
ProPhotoLIfe.com – DIY Studio Product Photography – Ep. 4
Putting Together a Budget DIY Lighting System
PVC Backdrop/Light stand
Homemade Cheap DIY Backdrop Stand (lighting options offered further down in article)

I’m sure there are more out there – just use your search feature on your browser.

Now it’s time to try out what we’ve learned!

Your July assignment: 

Using the July tutorial as a guide, photograph a subject using artificial light.  Use your on-camera flash, an external flash unit or get creative and try to find unique artificial light to complement your image.  Try bouncing your flash off the ceiling or a wall.  Dig out a piece of white foam core and use it as a reflector.  Go out and PLAY!!  As always, if you have any questions, please leave me a comment on this post, or email me. 

Deadline:  11:59 pm EST, July 31st, 2010 

Please submit your photo, using our submission form only, for a chance to be entered into our draw to win an awesome prize.  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 are not relative to the tutorial and/or do not abide by these rules will not be posted on the blog, or entered into the draw.  PLEASE remember that your photos should be sized to 72dpi, and at least 500 pixels wide.  Don’t forget to  include your camera settings, including camera used, f/stop, aperture and ISO for your image in the Comments section of the submisson form!  Submissions that do not include this info may not be posted on the blog.

This month’s sponsor is Stampin’ Up – Check out July’s prize pack!

Thanks for playing along this month… Happy Clicking!

May tutorial – Back Lighting

In the Mar/Apr tutorial, we talked alot about front and side lighting.  This month, we’re going to try our hand at backlighting.

Backlighting, as I mentioned in the Canadian Scrapbooker Spring 2010 article, can be a difficult task to master, so it is not widely used.  However when used correctly, it can produce dramatic results.

Backlighting results from placing your light source directly behind your subject.  This eliminates any undesireable facial expressions such as squinting and blinking, but your camera may be fooled by the background light and your subject will appear underexposed. 

There are several methods of handling exposure for backlighting, depending on your desired end results.

Silhouettes are always dramatic – and they are easier to create than you would think.  Simply place your subject directly in front of your light source and expose your image for the background light.  Most cameras’ sensors will choose settings based on the brightest light available, which in this case is usually the surrounding background light.  If in Auto mode (*gasp*), this means that your subject will be underexposed, creating a silhouette.  Even if shooting in Manual mode, your camera’s built-in exposure meter will show the same settings.  To expose for the subject, you will need to increase the amount of light to your subject by opening up your aperture, slowing your shutter speed or increasing your ISO sensitivity (see prior tutorials and articles, if you’d like a refresher):

Taken with Nikon D70 at f/8, 1/1250 sec., ISO 200

As discussed in my article, backlighting may cause lens flares.  Given the right subject and the correct angle, they can provide drama and interest to an image.  However, it can ruin some photos as well, so it’s important to know how to create, and prevent, them from occurring. 

Lens flares are caused by the sun hitting your lens directly, so to achieve this technique, you have to position yourself so that you are shooting directly into the sun.  That means that at certain times, you may need to get right down onto the ground and shoot up at your subject!

Photo Source: www.digital-photography-school.com

In the above photo, the photographer has used the sun to create lens flares for dramatic impact.  You can see that because the photographer exposed for the subjects on the steps, the background becomes overexposed, or “blown out”.

As I said earlier, lens flare is not always desireable. 

Taken with Nikon D70 at f/5, 1/320 sec.

 In this photo, the lens flares cross right in front of the image and mar the subject’s image.  As well, you can see the dust mote in the flares that detract from the image.  To prevent lens flare, you can purchase a lens hood to use, or create your own!  If you are stuck without one, your hand can work in a pinch – just be sure not to obstruct your own view!

Backlighting can also be used for a technique called the hair light, or “the kicker”.  It’s often used by photographers when photographing dark-haired people against a dark background, but it can also be used to highlight wispy hair, or whiskers as shown in this photo  that I found by serni:

Photo by serni (http://www.flickr.com/photos/serni/)

Lastly, backlighting can be used to illustrate tranparency of objects, such as leaves or flowers.  The following photo was taken by naughton321 - gooseberries were laid on a standard light box!

Photo by naughton321 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/naughton321/)

 Your May assignment: 

Using the May tutorial as a guide, photograph a subject with BACKLIGHTING.  Get creative and try to catch some lens flares in an artistic manner.  Silhouette your subject, or expose for your subject and see the effects on the background.  Try to photograph translucent items.  Go out and PLAY!!  As always, if you have any questions, please leave me a comment on this post, or email me. 

Deadline:  11:59 pm EST, May 31th, 2010 

Please submit your photo, using our submission form only, for a chance to be entered into our draw to win an awesome prize.  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 are not relative to the tutorial and/or do not abide by these rules will not be posted on the blog, or entered into the draw.  PLEASE remember that your photos should be sized to 72dpi, and 500 pixels wide.  Don’t forget to  include your camera settings, including camera used, f/stop, aperture and ISO for your image in the Comments section of the submisson form!

This month’s sponsor is Nikki Sivils, Scrapbooker – Look at all that yummy goodness!

Thanks for playing along this month – happy clicking!

March/April tutorial – Side Lighting

Welcome to Part II of the March/April combined tutorial!  Yesterday, I wrote about front lighting and its’ characteristics; today, I’m going to write about side lighting – our assignment this month will have a bit of a twist, so read on! 

Side lighting, as the name implies, refers to lighting that is directed towards your subject from either the right or left sides.  It is more effective than front lighting for many situations in that it effectively uses shadows to reveal texture and depth in your photos. 

Consider the following landscape: 

Taken with Nikon D60 at f/5.6, 1/500 sec., ISO 360

One of my favourite barns that I’ve come across, this photo captures the texture of the wood panels and faded roof paint, while effectively casting the right side of the barn in shadow.  The light source was the setting sun, hitting the left side of the barn.  A bit of useless trivia – this photo was taken with me and my camera, hanging out the car window, driving up to Collingwood for a weekend getaway.  Don’t worry – the camera strap was wrapped around my wrist about three times! Oh, and I was the passenger, not driver!  

Side lighting is not only useful in photographing older subjects, but it is equally capable of capturing children.  In the following photo, the side lighting from our front window highlights my daughter’s fine flyaway hair, capturing what we referred to as her “crazy hair” effectively, preserving the memories: 

Taken with Nikon D70 at f/4, 1/250 sec., ISO 200

Side lighting can be effective in candid and sport photography as well.  I snapped this photo of my son coming up for air, during warm ups at his Regionals meet.  The pool had one entire wall made of windows, which made this photographer mama VERY happy!   The fast shutter speed, combined with the lighting, captures the water sluicing off his face, and the water droplets as he came up. 

Taken with Nikon D90 at f/5.6, 1/320 sec., ISO 640

As well, side lighting is crucial for striking black & white photography.  Black & white photography uses a mixture of grey tones to capture your subject so lighting is particularly important because in my opinion, it is the effect of shadows on the subject that causes photos to become extraordinary.  

With the event of digital photography, it doesn’t matter if your photos were shot in colour or black & white.  PhotoShop and other photo processing software allows us to convert our photos, using actions or various features.  So it is especially important to get the lighting correct for your photos, for you may decide later to convert them to black & white or sepia.   

Look at the following photos of my daughter.  In this first photo, Aili is laying on our bed, facing the patio doors.  Frontal lighting provides great exposure and while the expression is adorable (okay, so I’m biased! ), it looks flat and two-dimensional. 

Taken with Nikon D70 at f/3.5, 1/40 sec., ISO 200

Because of the clashing of our deep red walls with her pink sleeper, I chose to convert this photo to black & white, using Adobe PhotoShop Creative Suite 4.  

Taken with Nikon D70 at f/3.5, 1/40 sec., ISO 200

Again, adorable (in my opinion!) and there are good catchlights in her eyes, but the overall appearance is flat and lacks depth. 

Now, note the following photo.  I carefully propped Aili up and turned her perpendicular to the doors.  Sitting on the floor next to her (with one hand on her thigh!), I managed to capture this photo: 

Taken with Nikon D70 at f/4.5, 1/40 sec., ISO 200

I love the depth in this photo, with the dark shadowing on the right, but still managing to capture the catchlights in her eyes, not to mention those chubby cheeks! 

Now, because side lighting tends to produce these shadows, it is important to consider your subject.  If an overall exposure is desired, you can lighten your shadows by using a reflector of some sort, to bounce the lighting towards the back of  your subject. 

In the following photo shoot, I asked the couple to stand in front of the window at a 45 degree angle.  While the lighting on Mom-To-Be is effective, Dad is cast in her shadow a bit. 

Taken with Nikon D70 at f/4, 1/60 sec., ISO 200

So I set up a large piece of white foam core to act as a reflector and bounce some of the side lighting onto Dad.  This is what it look like: 

Photo shoot set-up

We will be discussing reflectors and bouncing light in later tutorials, but it’s important to remember that light reflects OFF a surface at exactly the same angle at which it hits the reflective surface.  So when setting up a reflector, remember to position it accordingly.  You can usually see the reflected light on your subject so use your eyes as your guide. 

This was the result of using a reflector: 

Taken with Nikon D70 at f/4, 1/60 sec., ISO 200

So I’ve discussed various effects of side lighting – now how do you get it?  Well, it’s pretty straightforward – just position your subject so that your light source, whether it be natural light from a window, the sun or even headlights, strikes from the side.  Consider your subject when choosing your camera settings.  You can use your information gained from the previous tutorials or use your camera’s electronic analog exposure display (in your viewfinder display) to determine exposure and aperture.  We will discuss the electronic exposure display more later on, but your camera’s manual should contain information on it, if it’s an available feature. 

Now for the fun part!!  I decided to combine the March and April tutorials for a couple of reasons.  First, because of the technical changes, I am posting this tutorial later in the month, which leaves less time for your March submissions.  And secondly, I think that combining the two tutorials will be an effective teaching aid in that it will allow you to photograph the same subject with two different lighting scenarios.  What better way to see the effects of both!?  

Your March/April assignment: 

Using both March/April tutorials as a guide, photograph a subject with both FRONT and SIDE lighting.  This may involve moving your subject, moving your feet, or photographing the same scenario at different times of the day.  Then submit BOTH of your photos to me to be eligible for our draw.  Remember, your photo will be of the same subject – but with different lighting directions!  As always, if you have any questions, please leave me a comment on this post, or email me. 

Deadline:  11:59 pm EST, April 30th, 2010 

Because you have to submit TWO photos, I’m giving you an extra month!   Please submit your photo, using our submission form only, for a chance to be entered into our draw to win one of  two prizes.  Yep, you heard right!!  We’re combining our tutorials but we’re going to have TWO winners!  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 are not relative to the tutorial and/or do not abide by these rules will not be posted on the blog, or entered into the draw.  Don’t forget to include your camera used, along with your camera settings for BOTH photos in the Comments section of the submisson form! 

Our March/April prize packs will be revealed shortly! 

Happy Clicking!

March/April tutorial – Front Lighting

In the Spring 2010 issue of Canadian Scrapbooker magazine, I discussed three directions of lighting: front, side and back.  This month, we will do something different - I will be discussing both front and side lighting and their different effects!  Today we will talk about front lighting.

Front lighting is exactly as described:  lighting that is directed toward the front of your subject.  It is very easy to use and can come from many sources:  on-camera flash, sunlight from behind the photographer, and directed studio lighting to name a few.  Front lighting generally results in bright, well-lit photos:

Taken with Nikon D70 at f/6.3, 1/160 sec., ISO 200

Despite its’ ease of use, professional photographers do not tend to use it very often, or only in particular settings.  Front lighting will cause your subject to appear flat, losing the illusion of texture.  It is for this reason that it is sometimes referred to as “flat lighting”.  It is particularly effective in landscape or architectural photos, like these, where there is a need for uniform lighting:  

Taken with Nikon D60 at f/9, 1/200 sec., ISO 100

Taken with Nikon D70 at f/10, 1/200 sec., ISO 200

Oftentimes, during portrait photography, front lighting in the form of sunlight will cause your subject to squint:  

Taken with Nikon D70 at f/5.3, 1/800 sec., ISO 200

Taken with Nikon D70 at f/10, 1/400 sec., ISO 640

Taken with Nikon D70 at f/4.5, 1/60 sec., ISO 200

Check back tomorrow for the tutorial on Side Lighting and your March/April assignment!

Cheers!

February tutorial: Sunny 16 Rule

This month’s tutorial is a fairly simple concept to grasp, but its’ application can be difficult to use if you don’t understand the correlation between shutter speed and aperture. I discussed this correlation in the Spring 2008 issue of Canadian Scrapbooker, and again back in October, in Part II of that month’s tutorial.  However, since it’s so important in understanding photography, we will delve into it again a bit later on.

First, however, let’s look at the Sunny f/16 rule.  This guideline in photography was developed as a rule of thumb to achieve correct exposures without a light meter, while outside or in direct sunlight.  It states that “on a sunny day, set aperture to f/16 and shutter speed to the [reciprocal of the] ISO film speed.” (reference:  www.wikipedia.com).  So what does it mean?

Well, if you are shooting at an ISO of 100, the reciprocal of the ISO film speed would be 1/100, or the closest available shutter speed*  of 1/125 (*Note: many digital cameras deal in 1/3 increment values for shutter speed, but for this tutorial, I will deal with whole values only.  Thus 1/125 is the closest available shutter speed when considering this).   Therefore, the Sunny f/16 rule means that you can usually assume, when shooting with a film speed or digital ISO of 100, that an aperture of f/16 and shutter speed of 1/125 will give you the proper exposure on a sunny day.  This is also true for any equivalent setting.  This is where the understanding of the correlation between shutter speed and aperture kicks in!

To review:  Imagine that you have your kitchen faucet’s tap wide open, filling your sink to do a mountain of dishes.  At this speed, let’s say it takes a couple of  minutes to fill your sink with hot, sudsy water.  Now imagine that the tap is barely open, so that water is just trickling out.  It would take much, much longer to fill, right?  Aperture and shutter speed work the same way.  For example, per the Sunny f/16 rule, the following is a proper setting on a sunny day:

ISO 100 > f/16 > 1/125*

Now, as I described in the Spring 2008 issue, the following settings would be equivalent to f/16, 1/125 sec.,  at ISO 100:

f/22 > 1/60
f/11 > 1/250
f/8 > 1/500
f/5.6 > 1/1000
f/4 > 1/2000
f/2.8 > 1/4000

But what if I want to shoot our subject with a very short depth of field, as in our January assignment?  As per the above table, you would set your aperture to f/2 and your shutter speed to 1/4000, which is a very fast shutter speed.  You can also achieve the same exposure by changing your ISO, as we discussed in the October tutorial.  By using a less sensitive ISO speed, you can use a slower shutter speed.  Check your camera’s manual to see your minimum ISO speed.

Taken with Nikon D70 at f/16, 1/400 sec., ISO 400

But what if it’s not sunny?  Well, the following adjustments can be made to your aperture for variable lighting situations:

Sunny > use f/16
Slightly overcast > use f/11
Overcast > use f/8
Heavily Overcast > f/5.6
Dawn/Dusk > f/4

(Because of the reflective nature of sand or snow, you should DECREASE your aperture when following this rule to f/22)

The Sunny F/16 rule, like everything is not fool proof.  You may need to adjust your aperture a half-stop or more, if your subject is backlit.  It is best to use bracketing (see October tutorial: Part I) to ensure that you capture to best exposure.  Consider this example:

Taken with Nikon D70 at f/8, 1/250 sec., ISO 100

When applied to this setting, the Sunny f/16 rule dictates that the optimum exposure should be f/16 > 1/125th sec., or the equivalent of f/11 > 1/250th sec.  However, in noticing that my daughter’s hat cast a slight shadow on her face, I decided to open up my aperture one more full stop to f/8.  While there is still a slight shadow, her features are visible and her skin tone is not overexposed.

Alright – are you ready to play along?  The trick will be to find a sunny day in the middle of winter – but you can use the chart of equivalents above for overcast situations!  If you have any question, please leave me a comment on this post or email me! 

Your February assignment:

Using this tutorial as a guide, apply the Sunny f/16 rule to determine the proper exposure for your outdoor photo.  Please remember to include your camera settings to be eligible for the draw!

Deadline: 11:59 pm EST, February 28th, 2010

Please submit your photo(s), using our submission form, 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 are not relative to the tutorial and/or do not abide by these rules will NOT be posted on the blog, or entered into the drawing.

Our February prize pack will be revealed shortly!

Happy Clicking!

January assignment: Depth of Field

Ever notice how some photos have subjects that just seem to POP off the background?  More than likely, they are photos with a very shallow depth of field.  The term, depth of field (DoF), is ”the portion of a scene that appears acceptably sharp in the image”¹.

DoF is a relatively straight-forward technique and is determined by a number of factors, such as subject distance, focal length, aperture and format size¹.  However, for this tutorial, we are going to concentrate on using aperture to control our DoF.

 The premise of the technique is that the smaller your aperture, the larger your DoF.  To understand DoF, you must understand aperture, shutter speed and the correlation between the two.  You may recall this discussion in my article in the Spring 2008 issue of Canadian Scrapbooker, Capturing the Light: Aperture & Exposure.  Aperture is the measure of the shutter’s opening which allows light to enter the lens.   I have found that the part that sometimes confuses people is that a higher (or smaller) aperture is represented by a larger number (e.g.: f/22).  Conversely, a lower (or larger) aperture is denoted by a smaller number, such as f/1.8.  Once you can remember this, it will become easier!

I have taken a series of photographs to demonstrate the effects of changing your aperture to control your DoF.  I lined up our personalized mugs and using various apertures, snapped these photos.  In all photos, I was focused on my name on the red mug.    In the first photo, the small aperture of f/22 allowed for a large enough DoF to allow all four mugs to be in focus, relatively.  The mugs on the outer edges are a bit softer but this is due to my close proximity to the subjects.

Taken with Nikon D70 at f/22, 1/2.5 sec., ISO 800

 Next, I increased my aperture by half, to f/11.  Note how the DoF is changing and becoming smaller.

Taken with Nikon D70 at f/11, 1/10 sec., ISO 800

Taken with Nikon D70 at f/8, 1/15 sec., ISO 800

Decreasing my aperture by half again, to f/4, the outer cups are completely out of focus and the third cup is on its’ way:

¹ www.wikipedia.com

December Assignment Deadline Extended!

I have several other submissions that I will upload tomorrow, but wanted to make a couple of quick announcements!

First, due to the holidays, I’m going to extend the December assignment deadline to January 5th, 2010!!  Be sure to send us your photos by 11:59pm EST to be eligible to win this lovely prize pack by Kelly Panacci:

Secondly, I hinted earlier that we will be having a contest on the Hands On blog, but with illnesses and then the holidays, it seemed to get away from me!   But we will definitely be hosting a contest so watch for details in early January!!

Now let’s go out and take some photos!

December Assignment: Bokeh

Bokeh, as we learned, is derived from a Japanese word, boke, which means “blur” or “haze”.  It basically refers to the out of focus area of your photo.

So now that we know what it is… how do we get it?  It’s quite simple, actually!

To create pleasing bokeh, ensure that your background has some light sources.  It could be Christmas lights, car headlights, or even dappled sunlight behind your subject, like this:

(Taken with Nikon D70 at F/4.2, 1/320 s., ISO 200)

Then, using a very large aperture (meaning the smallest number, like f/1.8 or f/4.5, depending on your lens), focus on something in the foreground of your composed photo.  The short depth of field, created by your large aperture, will blur the background and create bokeh!

I told you it was easy! 

Your December assignment:

Using this tutorial as a guide, create your own bokeh background.  Experiment with different light sources and backgrounds. With Christmas around the corner, I’m sure you’ll find plenty of inspiration!

Deadline:  December 31st, 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 abide by these rules will NOT be posted on the blog, or entered into the drawing.

Our December prize pack is this lovely seasonal kit by Kelly Panacci:

Thanks in advance for playing along this month – I’m looking forward to seeing your submissions!  And stay tuned for more information about our contest to be posted early next week!

Happy Clicking!

November Assignment: Light Graffiti

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!

October Tutorial: Shutter Speeds and ISO (Part II)

As you work on your assignment, you may notice, as you test various shutter speeds, that something happens.  As discussed in a previous issue of Canadian Scrapbooker, you know that the shutter speed and f/stop change correlatively; that is to say, as your shutter speed increases, your f/stop decreases.  Remember the glass of water/running tap analogy I used?  To recap, if it takes 30 seconds to fill a glass of water with the tap barely open, and 10 seconds to fill with the tap opened wide, logic concludes that it would take 20 seconds to fill it with the tap open halfway.  Shutter speed and aperture works the same way.

But there’s another aspect to photography that can affect the outcome of your photos: ISO.

ISO, thanks to www.dictionary.com, is described as “the numerical exposure index of a photographic film under the system adopted by the International Standardization Organization, used to indicate the light sensitivity of the film’s emulsion.” 

Back in the days of film, you could choose films of various ISOs (or sometimes refered to as ASA (American Standards Association), depending on your subject.  For example, generally ISO 100 was used for standard outdoor or indoor flash photos, while many professional sports photographers used film with ISO 800 or 1600.  The higher the ISO rating, the more sensitive the film was to light.  The trade off was that the resulting photos had higher contrast and grain.

In digital photography, we can use ISO as part of the equation with shutter speed and f/stop to control our image results.  Using a higher ISO will increase the amount of light that will reach the image sensor, and in turn, decrease the shutter speed.  You know how shutter speeds increase approximately double each time (i.e. 1/60 s., 1/125 s., 1/250 s., 1/500 s., etc…)?*   Well, ISOs are the same way – and they basically double the amount of light that enters the camera with each increase.  The same results occur when using a higher ISO – except what appeared as grain in film, is referred to as “noise” in digital photography.

* These are standard shutter speeds correlating to film.  Many cameras today have included 1/3 stops - for example:  1/500 s., 1/400 s., 1/320 s., 1/125 s., etc.

So, to illustrate, let’s go back to Part I and look at Figure 2. 

Taken with Nikon D70, 50mm f1.8 lens at f/1.8, 1 sec. ISO 200

With camera settings of F/1.8, 1 sec. and ISO 200, I was at my widest aperture for my 50mm prime lens.  To achieve the same exposure, but with a faster shutter speed, my only option would be to adjust the ISO setting.

By changing my ISO from 200 to 400, I am doubling the amount of light that enters the camera.  Therefore, I can change decrease my shutter speed to 1/2 sec. and achieve the same result.  Remember that as more light enters the camera, the shutter does not have to stay open as long. 

(Please note – I would have had an example for you, but my son decided that he had had enough of being a model for the time being… )

The following settings would offer the same exposure:
original setting:  ISO 200, f/1.8, 1 second
option 1:  ISO 400, f/1.8, 1/2 second
option 2: ISO 800, f/1.8, 1/4 second
option 3: ISO 1600, f/1.8, 1/8 second
option 4: ISO 3200, f/1.8, 1/15 second

The important thing to remember is that while the above settings result in the same exposure, the amount of noise in the image would increase with each ISO change.

Many cameras allow you to set the ISO to automatic, in which it will change the ISO, depending on the amount of light available.  To avoid this, check your camera’s manual – you can change this setting to set it yourself for each photo.  Just remember to change it back to ISO 100 or ISO 200 for everyday photos to avoid “noisy” photos!

So, are you ready for some Hands On Photography practice?

Your October assignment:

Using a slow shutter speed, or a combination of a wide aperture, slow shutter speed and change of ISO, capture a nighttime or low light image. Try using candlelight or even moonlight (with a long shutter speed!).  Use your imagination for your subject and composition, and don’t forget – the beauty of digital is that you can try many different settings!  Don’t forget to bracket your exposures for the best results.

Deadline:  October 31st, 2009

 Please submit your photo(s), along with camera settings, using our submission form only (also linked above) for a chance to be entered into our draw. A randomly chosen entry will be drawn on November 1st, 2009 and the winner will be posted within a few days of the draw!  Please click here to review the rules regarding this draw before submitting.

Please stay tuned for more information about our October prize package!

Thanks for playing along this month, and be sure to join us on November 1st, when we will talk about having fun with light and long exposures!

Happy Clicking,

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