How do they do that? Painting with light

[DGK*CRONE]

it's frustrating me trying to figure this out. lol As soon as I think I might know what you do, I see another picture and I throw that theory away.

Great images!

[Anbesol]

I am pretty sure Patia nailed it on the head when she suggested that he used a hula hoop. The fact that he looked over what everyone said and denied everything else, but ignored that comment seems to indicate such.

[CLKunst]

The ball of light is a color changing laser pointer on a string. The string is spun while the person rotates in a circle for the duration of the exposure. As long as the length of the string doesn't change the light ball will remain the same diameter. N'est pas?

[DGK*CRONE]

The ball of light is a color changing laser pointer on a string. The string is spun while the person rotates in a circle for the duration of the exposure. As long as the length of the string doesn't change the light ball will remain the same diameter. N'est pas?

A lazer pointer would leave a long trail. Maybe and LED light but even so, you can see through the ball.

[CLKunst]

OR LED light changer, the effect is the same. I think it would also depend on how fast it was being spun. I don't know if you can actually see through the ball or wether that's really just another result of the timed exposure and the person swinging the light in the center which would be revealed to the camera at least part of the time while doing the rotation.

[Biskitboy]

Biskit boy, what you've done in those ball of light exposures was very cool, and the choice for the photography was excellent! I would like to try it out myself. But you won't spill beans on your technique!

Anyway, I am the one who used the word "impossible", and I'm not too pleased at the way you twisted and misinterpreted my words. I only meant that the circles were not drawn by hand, an they obviously aren't. I never suggested it was multiple exposures or a Photoshop trick. I read in your description that it was a single exposure and I believed you. If a person uses a compass to draw a circle, that is a mechanical device, if you used a hula hoop as a tool, that is also a "mechanical device". Though it is "possible" to draw a perfect circle, it is hard enough to consider it "impossible" from a practical standpoint.

So then, can you confirm or deny for us then: were any of the exposures done with a hula hoop?

Now I am really perplexed. I didnt twist your words at all. You suggest that the circles arent drawn by hand as that would be impossible. How on earth would you create the Ball of Light with a hulla hoop. I have never owned or used a hulla hoop in my life. And I reiterate my earlier statement that If you actually take the time to look at any of the images I have created none, not one is perfect, by any stretch.

You are very bold in the statements that you make. "not drawn by hand and they obviously arent". Why obviously? I would suggest that you relax with the bold statements and I want to only strengthen my comment from earlier that it is people who suggest that something is impossible that demotivate people from trying things.

The Ball of Light is created in a single exposure using no mechanical devices and not one pixel is added or removed from each image in post production. If you have a look around the groups that I, and other light painters frequent on Flickr you will clearly how this type of work is done.

I don't use a hula hoop A hulla hoop would not produce this type of image.

Have fun, and dont forget, "impossible is nothing"

Den

[Anbesol]

It wasn't drawn by hand. Not bold, just obvious. You didn't take a flashlight (or any other light) and draw those circles by hand. But whatever, you are obviously not interested in telling how you've done it, you found out a cool idea and you wont share it with anyone because you're some kind of attention whore and god forbid someone else try your technique. I'm not all that impressed that you just keep hiding your "secret" and then you try to suggest you drew those circles by hand. Give me a break, you obviously didn't, the fact that you are drawing this out and trying to act like Yoda with "impossible is nothing" and "you are keen to learn" is quite arrogant. I know you didn't draw those by hand, and the pomposity it takes that you suggest you did, is just gross.

Oh I think a hula hoop WOULD produce the image. Your credibility is shot with me right now, I don't believe you, I think you DID use a hula hoop to create the image. You just don't want anybody to know, so you deny what is obviously the case and then you suggest you drew it by hand.

Guess what: On this forum, whenever somebody creates a cool image, we are all willing to share our technique.

I've lost interest in watching you keep trying to build a mystery, this is just gross and self-serving. Buh-bye.

*edit - by the way, at this point you've given me the impression that your "technique" is quite easy, and the reason you don't want to tell is that you want to accept more credit than what your clever technique is worth.

[patia]

Gentlemen, gentlemen. Everybody calm down. Denis has a right to not give up his secrets; the rest of us have the right to speculate. Although I generally run out of patience for things like magic tricks and Rubik's Cubes, I think this is rather fun. A mystery -- one we get to try to solve!

I agree that it probably is something very simple and easy; something that would make us bonk ourselves on the forehead as soon as we heard it.

[Anbesol]

Haha. Sure, he has the right, I also have the right to find his comments and his disposition completely repugnant.

So, if impossible is nothing, lets see you jump 40 vertical feet in the air, impossible is nothing, right?

Patia - I've seen those hula hoop things, and they have the ability to flicker and with different colors and durations and such, the fact that they are the exact same diameter as the "balls of light" in his pics indicates to me thats a pretty accurate hypothesis. Though considering how he doesn't want us to know, he may intentionally veer us off into the wrong path. I mean, he says "no mechanical device" which is a plain lie, probably justified by some distorted definition of the word "mechanical".

[patia]

OK, I've figured it out. But I feel bad giving it all away, so I'll just post a link to the group where I discovered the details: The Light Lounge: Orbs and Globes.

Turns out CaraRose and CLKunst were correct. And it should be noted that Denis (Biskitboy) himself provided the biggest clue: "If you have a look around the groups that I, and other light painters frequent on Flickr you will clearly how this type of work is done."

[EOSThree]

That's close to what I thought was going on. I kept trying to make it work from the middle of the orb in my head, and wondered why the motive force didn't show up in the photo. Makes sense now. An interesting technique, a little hokey, but combined with the fine locations it makes for an interesting enough photo. No mechanical device used...unless you want to count the source of light. No hula hoops were harmed here...

[Anbesol]

So, it wasn't even his cleverness, hmm, he sort of tried to take the credit for it.

Oh well, good find patia - don't feel bad, you aren't giving away *his* technique anyway.

[DGK*CRONE]

what trips me out is the imperfection in some of the orbs. you can see it wasn't done with something like a hula hoop.

[Biskitboy]

So, it wasn't even his cleverness, hmm, he sort of tried to take the credit for it.

Oh well, good find patia - don't feel bad, you aren't giving away *his* technique anyway.

I didnt take credit for anything you dick. Now I know why I never bother with these groups, because of people like you. Of all the comments in this thread you are the only negative and rude person. Get a life!

And good bye.

[Biskitboy]

And where do you gat a 8ft hulla hoop. Oh yeah you probably didnt even go and look at any of the images to work that out.

[Anbesol]

I didnt take credit for anything you dick. Now I know why I never bother with these groups, because of people like you. Of all the comments in this thread you are the only negative and rude person. Get a life!

And good bye.

Oh, my bad, I guess I just get a little irked by someone looking down his nose at me. Enjoying hiding a secret that isn't even your own.

You are keen to learn young one, impossible is nothing!

By the way, you knew what I meant with "not drawn by hand", you just stretched the truth to reject that.

[DGK*CRONE]

Here is a quote from a website I found.

"there is also tons of stuff like the above orb and soooo much more. You will be amazed. http://www.flickr.com/groups/lightjunkies/pool/

Oh, the above is done with "light on a string" believe it or not. Getting it to look that good takes lots of practice. "

http://www.dudecraft.com/2010/05/ball-of-light.html

[pafindr]

Wow this thread got pretty intense.

I found this and think it helps a lot with how to make the orbs.
http://www.diyphotography.net/light-...eating-the-orb

And this one shows what a type of device to use.
http://www.wonderhowto.com/wondermen...light-0118336/

[vmlopes]

Orbs they take some practice but can definately be drawn by hand.........

[IMG] Spin It Baby by vmlopes, on Flickr[/IMG]

[Anbesol]

Jesus Christ....

Lets clear the record here then, WHEN I said 'not drawn by hand', WHAT I MEANT was that the physical circles were not motioned by hands, meaning, the exact circles must have had some utilitary assistance. A string is a utility, swinging a string is the utilitarian assistance. Ok? Does anyone else want to twist my words? Are we done yet?

[hminx]

There has always been something strange about people from Adelaide
The are nearly as strange as Tasmanians
but not quite as strange as New Zealanders
.

Pfft.............

[Skyman]

Pfft.............

Beached as bro.....

[patia]

OK, what's funny is that actually, I didn't really have much interest in creating orbs myself -- I just thought they were wicked cool and wondered how they were done.

What I really want to know is how to make pretty light-painted scenes. I think I've found enough resources to get me started. However, if anyone has any great resources for light-painting, please share!