light painting

[mtb'n ski]

Ive been playing aroung with light painting... (inspired by a thread in view finder). Im trying for a dreamy feel here. How did I do?

[slowglue]

i like this photo

[Seb]

Ive been playing aroung with light painting... (inspired by a thread in view finder). Im trying for a dreamy feel here. How did I do?

I like the softness of the lighting against the sharpness of the subject. I think that you did well. I would like to know how you made your lighting.

Seb

[mtb'n ski]

Thank you for the complements, I shot it in my bathroom with no lights on. I had a 6 second shutter then I "painted" it with a flashlight. No PS work except uping the red adn yellow tones just a bit.

[gahspidy]

I like what you have achieved with the lighting. However, there needs to be just a little something more. Would have been really good if it were done on an old wooden table or something where the texture could add interest to the books. well done.

[petemac]

I feel like a proud father watching his son play football...ok maybe not...ok not at all. But, i am pleased to see you tried this out. My own technique is a bit different then yours. First, i always try to consider my composition carefully. In my first attempts at light painting i refused to move any objects. Instead, i tried to learn how the light would interact with the objects and how to use it. Here your background seems to be hard to work with since it is so bright. You want the books to stand out, so using a dark background will make more sense. If this were my idea, i think i would try to shoot them on a shelf or table as suggested. When i shoot i usually use 100iso setting and a 30 second exposure. This way, you can spend 30 seconds placing the light carefully. Then to get the exposure level you want, stop down or open up. I also never, or very rarely, move my light slowly. I usually move it rapidly side to side as i translate the subject. This helps smooth it out. And finally, in general i find it easiest to get a desired look with objects that have some depth. I hope maybe i am helpful. -pete