Ian Hobson is a photographer based in the United Kingdom who specialises in light paintings. He recently tested the Lomo'Instant with his Pixelstick - an unbeatable light painting combo! Here are some of his amazing shots, as well as a few pointers on light painting and shooting at night.
My first attempts at light painting were in the late '80s and early '90s when I used E6 slide film with random light trails as a way to create beams of light when projected in conjunction with a bunch of slide projectors in a nightclub. I returned to light painting in 2004. Since then, I've been waving lights at cameras with great gusto on a regular basis. It's a highly engaging art-form, and I try to encourage awareness of this via workshops, artist residencies, community arts projects as well as private and commercial commissions.
Painting With Light: The Homemade Pixelstick
A large part of the appeal of light painting is that in an era where computers are frequently used to create images which simulate reality, waving lights at cameras can turn this on its head, and use the real world to create imagery that looks like CGI. Using the Pixelstick sort of blurs the line, as it requires bitmaps to be created on a computer, but that lends an interesting twist to the analog/digital blending of elements. I started using addressable LEDs in the days before the Pixelstick existed, using a home made device known as the Digital Light Wand, created using the open source plans of its creator Mike Ross. As far as I am aware, the Pixelstick is the only purpose built manufactured light painting tool in existence. It's main appeal is the way in which it allows beginners to quickly produce very interesting results, simply by dragging a bitmap through mid air in front of a camera. But it also has some good creative potential to be used as a more 'traditional' light painting tool and I'm interested in exploring ways to integrate it with other, home made light painting devices.
04 was created freehand with the circle being made with a bunch of LEDs taped to a stick, and the text with a single LED. 05 shows some random waving of an RGB LED with a bundle of fibreoptics attached via one of Jason D Page's light painting brushes.. 06 is another freehand effort, using my homemade light painting tool, this one comprising of 3 strips of RGB LED's taped to a stick with a small white LED on the end. 07 is a bright RGB LED with a bit of perspex rod held on the end to diffuse the light.
Related posts:How to make yourself invisible in light painting photosCross Section Light Painting is to Light Painting What Holograms Are To Photographs5 professional and DIY light painting tools for you to tryLight painting tools war: PixelStick Vs MagilightFiled Under: DIY Tagged With: Jennifer Dowd, light painting How to use vintage equipment to produce 3D photographs with modern cameras for $30 or lessThe future of mobile photography, and dual camera systems (function())();Leave this field empty if you're human: Submit A Storyif(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined')ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'diyphotography_net-box-1','ezslot_6',606,'0','0']);__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-diyphotography_net-box-1-0');(function()window.mc4wp=window.mc4wp)();Get our FREE Lighting Book Daily Weekly* download requires newsletter signupLeave this field empty if you're human: DIYPhotographyRecent CommentsWhich social media do you use for sharing photos
window.DTVideos = window.DTVideos []window.DTVideos.push(function() window.DTVideos.create("autoplayAllowed":true,"discoveryAllowed":true,"dockingAllowed":true,"id":"dt-video-embed-63e3ecc73e0f5","lazyLoadAllowed":true,"type":"jwplayer","videoIds":["pmdOkxOq"],"videoMeta":"pmdOkxOq":"title":"","description":"","duration":0).catch(function(err) console.error(err.message) ););Light painting just got a three-dimensional upgrade with a new invention called HoloPainting.
The scanner makes a giant circle that takes up an entire room. To initiate, the HoloPainting crew manually programs the cameras to hold the 83-millisecond delay. After capturing the images, the dedicated staff spends hours cutting out each photo to ensure a pitch-black background for the person photographed. Then they make a hyperlapse light painting of the images with a Pixelstick.
The first thing that you need to create a light painting photograph is a camera with manual controls. It is essential to at least be able to adjust the shutter speed of your camera. Light painters create imagery on both digital and film cameras. The most common type of camera used in light painting is a DSLR Camera for the simple fact that you can check your image instantly on location, instead of waiting to process the film. Olympus OM-D Cameras now have a feature called Live Composite that allows you to blend exposures in camera and create light painting in illuminated environments that would be difficult if not impossible with other digital cameras. Even the New Polaroid OneStep+ Cameras have long exposure capabilities so you can capture Light Paintings with them!
The Digital Light Wand was created by Michael Ross it is a RGB light strip, that with the use of a little computer programming can create the most intricate light painting images. It is controlled with a powerful micro controller that can be programmed via a USB connection to your computer. The software that you need to program the Digital Light Wand is readily available on over the internet. With this tool you can create custom text, patterns, picture, and intricate designs that you would not otherwise be able to achieve. You can literally light painting the Mona Lisa.
Gels are thin flexible sheets of polycarbonate or polyester. They are also known as colored gels or lighting gels they are used in light painting photography to produce specific colors when flashes or flashlights are shined through them. Gels come in hundreds of different colors. They can also be used to create lighting effects in front of the camera with reflected light. Gels can be expensive, a good place to start to build your gel collection is searching for Roscolux sample packs, these come in a few different sizes the 1.75 x 2.75 can be a little small for some flashes so the bigger 3 x 5 swatch book is the one to go with if you can find it. You can also get individual colors if you already know what you want. Another great option are adhesive backed transparent film, these are not as heat resistant as lighting Gels but they work great for most Light Painting applications. You can get those HERE.
LED key lights are prefect for freehand drawing in your light painting creations and are also great for creating great starburst effects because they are super bright!!! The momentary Push ON/Release OFF push button gives the light painter precise control over placement of light within your image.
One of the most fun parts of being a night photographer is experimenting with light during long exposures. Some people do it for practical reasons, like adding light where it's dark. Some use it to add creative or artistic flair to an image. Whatever your purpose, I am going to show you how to build a kit for both painting and writing with light.
If you're just starting out with light painting, let me be the first to say, "Welcome!" You're going to have a blast. You'll want just a few items to get you on your way to opening up more creative roads than you'll know what to do with. Here's what you need to get started:
Light painting is one of the hottest trends in photography, and Eric Paré is leading the charge. His images harmoniously blend the art of portrait, landscape, night photography, and light painting with stunning effect. His technique, which he shares openly with his audience, is often copied, yet he always manages to stay ahead of the curve by continuing to innovate.
In his most recent video release, he is seen at various locations around the world, building images with the tubes. Watch his new video below to join Paré and model Kim Henry on a mesmerizing journey to the world of light painting. Then, scroll down and read on for an exclusive interview with the master himself to get insights on his techniques and body of work. 2ff7e9595c
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