painting with light

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I would first like to thank everyone again for answering my question about posing a few back, it was helpful. Now , I have heard of people using the bulb setting on thier cameras and somehow using a light source to paint light on the subject where they want it. What do they use? A pen light seems too bright??? Anyone heard of this??? Thanks again

-- jane (jmng@juno.com), October 15, 2000

Answers

I suppose a pen light would work on a small subject. Usually you use a small aperture, hold open the shutter, and brush the light across or flash a strobe at the subject area enough times to accumulate the exposure needed. You need to have a good idea how much light your source puts out in order to figure the time needed. Besides providing overall illumination, this technique is used in putting spots of light on large subjects such walls of buildings that need some accents here and there for interest. Also just to get enough light on something without having to use a lot of instruments. Obviously, it works best with stationary subjects and takes some practice.

-- Keith Nichols (knichols@iopener.net), October 16, 2000.

A penlight or flashlight held close to the subject works quite nicely. With people subjects [or any others] you can shine the light quite close to the subject only 'hitting' those areas you want to emphasize in your print.

Exposure is haphazard of course, but if you shoot a roll or two and keep notes, you will get quite good at it.

chris

-- Christian Harkness (chris.harkness@eudoramail.com), October 16, 2000.


The usual meaning of 'painting with light' is WRT architectural photography. You take interiors at night, or in dim light with the shutter on time, and use either a portable flash or a small handheld floodlight to 'paint' the scene.
A flash is more versatile, since you can move around without trailing cables. For instance, if the building contains large pillars, you can stand behind each of them in turn and sillouette them with light, very dramatic.
Surprisingly, the exposure is not too difficult to work out with this technique. Simply set the 'auto' mode on the flash to the correct film speed and aperture, and as long as you don't overlap the lighting too much, then the flash takes care of it.
With a manual flash you have to do a bit of calculation using the Guide Number.

-- Pete Andrews (p.l.andrews@bham.ac.uk), October 16, 2000.

I used to do this a long time ago. The light you use depends on circumstances and desired result. A penlight concentrates light. There's a caveat: you really should either keep the light stationary for a concentrated highlight, or develop the technique of moving it with even, regular, broad brushing strokes. An analogy would be the use of a spray painter. If you don't use the smoothest strokes, you'll get uneven concentrations of tone (unless that's what you want). You can practice this effect in a dark room with a rapidly moving flashlight -- the persistance of vision will show you what the effect is. I don't suggest simulating it with a computer paint program (the spraycan or airbrush mode), because quick movements with a computer mouse tend to be jerky.

By the way, I originally learned the technique from espionage literature as a way to covertly expose paper documents for photographic copying. That was a long, long time ago, in a universe far, far away.

-- Jeff Polaski (polaski@acm.org), October 18, 2000.


Penlights can be used just fine with the right f-stop. It all depends what you are wanting to do. Just put a highlight on something, well you have to also match the color temp of your main lights and your penlight. It may be something as simple as putting a blue gel over the penlight to get rid of the yellow (providing your mainlight is a strobe). If you are lighting a light house or a building, a handheld flash can be used nicely. There are commercially available "hose lights" that are fiber optic that work GREAT but tend to be expensive. It really is a matter of setting your camera up, your right about using Bulb, and getting an f-stop that is useable and have a ball. Cheers

-- Scott Walton (scotlynn@shore.net), October 23, 2000.


Try using a laser pointer, with slow smooth strokes or movement you can create an outline or even sign your name. Remember Do Not shine it in any ones eyes.

-- John Cairns (jccc@nb.sympatico.ca), October 27, 2000.

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