Subscribe to blog Subscribe via RSS

Sharon Cooper Photography Blog

This is where you can get a feel for the stories I tell through the weddings and portrait/family shoots. Please feel free to have a good look around, browsing by category or using the search box too.
I live off feedback, so always respond when you leave a comment on the blog, thank you for your visit.

  • Home
    Home This is where you can find all the blog posts throughout the site.
  • Categories
    Categories Displays a list of categories from this blog.
  • Tags
    Tags Displays a list of tags that have been used in the blog.
  • Archives
    Archives Contains a list of blog posts that were created previously.
  • Login
    Login Login form
SCP
Posted by on in Photography Tips
  • Font size: Larger Smaller
  • Hits: 602
  • 4 Comments

A Multi-coloured Light Painting night

Photography is all about the light, finding it, playing with it, creating it, enhancing it... but painting it!! That's a whole heap of different fun.  Find a dark space, a few bits of kit and something with a light source, then crank your imagination into high gear and start enjoying painting with light. I did my very first light painting with a mini LED torch in 2007, Ive learnt lots since then and used the technique to make creative images for clients.  I've used it on people's wedding nights, and had lots of fun with guests also helping out. I've painted with sparklers, head torches, led lights, light sabres, and even (and most dangerous) a big ball of wire wool on fire! The potential for individual creativity and unique results really appeals to me.

 

The light painting in these images were taken using my home-made, 6 white LED light-stick and a colour changing light sabre. 

The set up also used strobe, remote triggers, remote shutter release,  and a 15 second exposure was set on most of these shots.  
lightpainting-8.jpg
lightpainting-stick.jpg
Kat had booked me to run this lightpainting session, after seeing my work.  She says 'I saw Sharon create some fantastic lightpaintings at a friend's wedding and really fancied learning the technique myself as there seem to be endless things you can do with it: different subjects, lights, shapes,... As part of my 1:1 tutoring with Sharon, I therefore asked if we could maybe try it out and of course Sharon was up for it straight away. The evening was just brilliant! The three of us had so much fun posing and painting with different lights; every time the shutter went, we raced each other to the camera to be the first to see the result."lightpainting-stick-and-sabre.jpg
With camera on tripod and my strobe on a light stand, it was a case of firing by remote release, whilst I ran into my composed shot to paint around the couple. Here is the first frame, Id fired the remote shutter release in error, so Kat and James waved their headtorch around, not wanting to waste this frame (well once that shutter went we did have a full 15 seconds and felt the need to use it)
lightpainting-5.jpg
This image below is the result of me walking behind James waving my 6 LED light stick up and down.
lightpainting-2.jpg
Once the test shots were done, I let Kat fire the shot and paint the light, using her willing other half as our model!
This shot is lit by both me and Kat, I did the crown, heart and body outline and Cat did the 'Heart monitor bleep'
lightpainting-3.jpg
You can see me wielding my light stick in this one below, and notice I didnt paint all the way across...so increased the exposure time.
lightpainting1a.jpg
lightpainting1.jpg
The fun thing about experimenting, is you really can play with the lights and effects, by tweaking small details or your movment. Ideas pop into your head and the results are immediate. Such an exhilerating technique to try.

lightpainting-6.jpg
Kat said "Tiny changes, like the source of light or the amount of time, make such a difference, which makes the technique really exciting and the results surprising every time. Many of my friends have since commented on how fabulous they find the pictures we created. They certainly are an eyecatcher and I can't wait to experiment some more!'lightpainting-8.jpg
When you've got your exposure, composition, flash power and everything else just right, well that feels and looks just great.
If you've got an idea for a light painting shoot, I'd love to hear about it...please get in touch.
 
 
 
 
Rate this blog entry:
Have a browse around this blog if you are interested in following my photographic work, you will get a feel for my style, my interaction with my clients and of course see the results I get.
http://www.sharoncooper.co.uk
Author's recent posts

Comments

  • Guest
    Liz Greenhalgh Monday, 12 November 2012

    Fantastic, so much fun. I wanna go, I wanna go!!!!!

    Reply Cancel
  • Guest
    Pinky Sunday, 09 December 2012

    Get some kids dressed up as little aliens and have them running around with this effect! It would be brilliant! I love it!

    Reply Cancel
  • SCP
    SCP Sunday, 09 December 2012

    Yes! Ive got 40 (FORTY) LED lights now, eight aliens, 5 lights each, that'd create some fun!

    Reply Cancel
  • Guest
    Pinky Sunday, 09 December 2012

    I have 5 grandchildren you can borrow!!! LOL!

    Reply Cancel

Leave your comment

Guest Tuesday, 18 June 2013