What are the best tips for light painting?

With Light Painting there are no strict rules on the outcome, but here are some valuable tips to help you get the best shot.

One of the biggest tips that will help you achieve mesmerizing photos is to have a tripod or a surface where you can firmly place your camera. This will minimize any movement and keep the camera steady when taking the photo.

Shoot somewhere dark. Despite it being harder to focus, shooting in the darkest possible location will allow the results of light painting to be seen more clearly and take center stage.

When creating text for light painting one thing to remember is that your camera will treat the text as if you are in a mirror. This means you’ll have to write the text from right to left and in reverse rather than doing it as if you’re writing on paper.

Try shooting a busy highway at night. Doing a long exposure in these areas is a popular subject as the moving cars act as your light source. Despite not being in control of the lighting, it can lead to interesting and breathtaking photos.

When trying to create silhouettes always remember to shoot in a dark room. To create a silhouette shine your light source on a person or an object the silhouette will be based on. Because of the dark room and lack of light instead of seeing the subject you will simply capture the outline of the shape.

Combining light painting with multiple exposures will also give fascinating results. Shooting first a dark room or image as the first exposure, then using the additional exposures, you can go wild with lighting and see how the results come through from this technique.

Beyond these tips – trial, error and experimentation are what make light painting truly unique and a favorite among Lomographers. So improvise and have fun!