light-painting in the park

LIGhTPaINtInG iN tHe pArK

we joined a workshop hosted by Nikon (well hosted @ SGD 60..) to learn about light painting.

AngMoKio Park, Singapore, after dark.

what to bring

1. sturdy tripod (those freebee give-away thingies WONT do the job if you have a DSRL)
2. remote trigger
3. wide angle lens, I used a Nikkor 18-35 mm G
4. all kinds of light sources  such as light sabre, bicycle lights, standard torch lights, let your creativity go wild here
5. a camera would be helpful 🙂
6. good things take time
7. some die-hard, hard core fanatics would bring an umbrella just in case, but I have no intention to spend a night in a park in the rain playing with a light sabre and my camera….

getting started

1. ISO at lowest setting (L1 on my Df), manual mode, aperture f8 for a start, bulb mode for the shutter
2. pre-focus with a flashlight then switch to manual or use manual focus right away, AF unlikely to work in the dark
3. use a strong torch light to paint a background, for example a statue or a sculpture, use slow, regular movements, don’t point the light towards the camera or your own face. A flashlight with colour gels mounted works as well, though I find that rather fiddly.
4. with the camera settings indicated above we needed to ‘paint’ app 20 seconds to get the sculpture lightened up

then move on to the foreground

if you have a partner in crime he/she can do the foreground simultaneously, if you are on your own, go and fetch a different light source, being careful not to point the light towards the camera and get into the flow…

 the pictures below were exposed 60-85 seconds

all pictures (c) jrbc 2014, made with Nikon, Benro tripods and all kinds of light sources made in China