Learn these Two Techniques for Dramatic Light-Painted Photos

By: Rick Ohnsman

“Wherever there is light, one can photograph.” – Alfred Steiglitz

You will find many quotes from famous photographers about light.  They know it is the very essence of photography.  The word is from the Latin roots, “phos” for light, and “graphe” for drawing or painting.  So, photography is quite literally, drawing or painting with light. In this article, you’ll learn two techniques for dramatic light-painted photos.

A single-exposure light painting. This “Autumn Apples Still Life” is in the style of the Dutch Master’s paintings.

Typically, we open the camera shutter for a slice of time, and whatever light exists in the scene creates an image on the sensor (or perhaps the film if that’s the medium you’re still using). The quality, quantity, and color of the light are recorded. Where there is no light, nothing is captured.
There is a basic difference in light painting photography. Rather than simply capturing the existing light during the exposure, you, as the photographer, will use light to “paint” the scene. Use more on the portions of the scene you want highlighting, less or even none on those places you want subduing.
Think of it as painting on a black canvas. Where you apply paint (light in the case of photography), an image will result — no paint (light), no image. And, of course, there are all kinds of quantities in-between.

You can later add some other touches in editing to go even more in a painterly direction.

Two approaches

There are two basic techniques for dramatic light-painted photos:

1. Single exposure

Here you determine how long you will leave the shutter open. This will often be multiple seconds or even longer. While the shutter is open, you “paint” the subject with your light, emphasizing the portions of the scene you want to bring out, leaving in shadow those you want subdued.
Your working time will be the shutter duration, and you will make your entire image during that single exposure.

2. Multiple exposure

This technique is somewhat like the previous one in that you paint a portion of the subject with light during what will often be a multi-second exposure.
The difference is that you will take multiple shots of the subject, each time painting just a portion of the scene. Then in the edit, you combine these multiple images, much like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle, into the final composite image.

“Goin’ Down in the Mine” – This is a single exposure light painting with some additional light from the lantern.

Single exposure technique

Scene considerations

What you decide to make the subject of your light painted photo is strictly up to you. Favorite subjects of mine are still-life images in the style of the old Dutch Master’s paintings. These use simple, static scenes. There is an emphasis on very directional lighting with portions of the image well-lit while other portions may be in deep shadow.
It is easy to find a few simple items and create a nice still-life scene. Perhaps put up a backdrop to simplify the shot, turn off the lights and let your flashlight be your sole source of light as you make the shot.
When starting to learn this technique, this can be a great place to start.

“Doc Brown Makes a House Call” – Thematic scenes which tell a story can make nice subjects for still life light paintings.

I also like to make these kinds of light paintings with items in the shot which show a theme or tell a story. I was fortunate to initially learn light painting in a workshop put on by area photographer, Caryn Esplin. Espin not only taught our group the technique but also had various thematic sets we could photograph.
Several of the images in this article, I made during that workshop.

Motion types – light trails

Most of what we cover here will use a light to “paint” the subject.
A different kind of light painting is where the light IS the subject. It too, uses a long exposure, and when the light moves during that exposure, it creates light “trails.”
Sometimes this will be the lights of moving objects, such as the streaks of light created by moving vehicles or other illuminated objects. Other times, the photographer, or perhaps an assistant, will “draw” with a light source, creating the image with the light.

“Rush Hour – Boise, Idaho” – Lights that move during a long exposure will create light trails. This is a type of light painting, just not the kind we’ll discuss in this article.

There are many variations of this style of light painting, and the light used may not always be a flashlight. Special light “wands,” some even programmable, can be purchased for all manner of amazing effects. Steel wool spinning where an ignited piece of steel wool is spun, throwing sparks, and creating light trails is another example.

If a light moves during a long exposure, you will get light trails.

Any moving object which emits light will create light trails during a long exposure. While that is a fun technique and one I’d encourage you to try as well, it’s just not the type which is the subject of this article.
Instead, we concentrate on using a light source, typically a flashlight (aka a “torch”), to paint our subject with light.

Single exposure: step-by-step

Location – Total darkness

You will be using a flashlight to make your image during a long exposure and want to be able to control exactly where that light does and does not fall. Ambient light is not what you want.
Try to work in a location that is quite dark. You can check if it is dark enough by making a shot with the exposure setting you intend to use, but not lighting it. You should get a black frame or at least only see a faint background of objects you might want to include.

“The Thousand-Yard-Stare.” You can light paint portraits, but your subject will need to sit very still during the long exposure.

Equipment

Most cameras will work for this if they go into full manual mode. You will need to be able to control the ISO, aperture, and shutter speed manually. Plus, you’ll need to focus and lock the focus manually.
If you will be shooting longer than the camera’s longest shutter speed (often 30-seconds), you will also need to be able to go into Bulb mode. This will allow you to keep the shutter open as long as you like. Usually, 30 seconds or less will be fine, but that depends on the subject, your light source, distance from the camera, and other exposure factors.
If you find your exposure will be longer than 30 seconds, you will also need a shutter release so you can hold the shutter open longer in bulb mode. There are very affordable corded releases.
If you need to be working further from your camera so you can both light the scene and trigger the shutter, a remote cordless shutter release can be a great way to go.

Single Exposure Technique. 10 Seconds, f/16, ISO 100 with Canon 6D and Canon EF 24-105 f/4 IS Lens at 58mm.

Lens selection will depend on your proximity to the subject.  For tabletop still life shots where you’ll usually be just a couple of feet from your subject, a 50mm prime can be just right.  The “nifty-fifty” (Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM Lens) on my Canon camera is sharp and a perfect lens for this kind of work.
Pick your sharpest lens and an appropriate focal length to fill the frame with your subject.
A tripod is practically a must for this kind of long-exposure photography.
The camera must not move during the exposure. Whatever way you have of doing that will work, but I personally believe any photographer worth their salt owns a good, stable tripod.  Have a good tripod and use it.

Light

Here is the U.S., we call it a flashlight. In other places, it’s called a torch. What we’re talking about is a battery-powered portable light source that you can direct onto your subject.
Some will have focusable beams, which can be a nice feature. Some might have multiple intensity settings, which is also useful. If you can find one that has a neutral-white (about 4500-5000K) output, that’s even better.
Standard incandescent bulb flashlights will tend to have a warmer, yellowish color light while most LED bulbs are blueish in color.

The Zanflare F2 which can be purchased with a 4500-500K bulb is a nice and inexpensive light for light painting.

A nice light for table-top light painting is the Zanflare F2 which can be had with a 4500-5000K bulb.  It has two power output settings and can usually be purchased for under $10.00 US.
Another very affordable light I recently purchased for longer range outdoor light painting is the Energizer ENPMHH62. It’s under $15.00 US. You can pay a lot for fancy “tactical” flashlights, but I’m not sure they will improve your light painting photography unless perhaps you need to light something very far away.

Camera settings

If you’re working inside where you can turn the room light off and on, set up your shot with the lights on. Focus on the subject, then turn off the autofocus, so the focus stays locked at that spot. Failure to do this will have your camera hunting for focus in the dark, and that will certainly ruin your shot.
If you’re outside and it’s already dark, use your flashlight to help set up the shot and get good focus. Turn off autofocus and lock it in once you have it.
Put your camera in full manual mode. Set the ISO as low as you can for the lighting conditions, remembering that a lower ISO setting will help reduce noise in your shot. Because you can make the shutter speed as long as you need to, you can often get away with ISO 100. Try that and adjust it later if you need to.
See if you can work with the “sweet spot” – the sharpest aperture for your given lens – usually about f/8 to f/11. This should also help give you an adequate depth of field. Stop down to f/16 or even f/22 if you really need the depth of field. However, realize smaller apertures significantly increase the amount of light, and the time of the exposure you’ll need to make a proper exposure.
As for the shutter speed, that depends on how much light you’re working with, the proximity of your light to your subject, the brightness of the subject itself, and how long you need to properly paint your subject for the look you desire. There is no “right” answer to this.
Start with good average settings – something like ISO 100, f/8 for 20 seconds. Once you make a shot and evaluate it, you can make adjustments for subsequent shots.

Ready, set, paint!

With everything ready to go, set the 2-second timer to trip the shutter (or use the remote), trip the shutter and start painting your subject with the light.  Here are some things to keep in mind when doing so:

• You will probably want to direct your light from the side, above, or maybe behind the subject.  Lighting from the front, the same position as the camera view, will result in an image that looks flat and uninteresting.
• Shadows are every bit as important as the light.  You are not going for an image that is evenly lit, looks like it was taken in ambient light or was done with a flash.  Deep shadows, light on parts of the subject you want to draw attention to and shadows elsewhere will add to the drama you’re seeking.  Again, look at the still life Dutch Master’s painting style for clues on how to light your subject.  Less can really be more here. Caryn Esplin, the photographer I mentioned earlier, uses the expression “Reveal and Conceal.”
• Use your light like a paintbrush, moving it in circular motions.
• Do not allow the beam of light to point at the camera or you will create light trails on the image.
• To be able to pinpoint smaller areas of your subject, consider “snooting” the flashlight, that is, putting a piece of tape, a cone, or something else on it to reduce the size of the beam.
• Brighter objects in the scene will need less light, darker objects more.  You will also want to leave some portions of the scene dark to better emulate the painters’ style and add drama.

Simple subjects can make good light paintings. The cross-lighting brings out the texture and the deep shadows add drama in this “Pigskin Portrait.”

• Shoot, chimp, evaluate and adjust, and shoot again.  Adjust your camera settings as necessary for the best exposure.  Look at your image and think about what you might do differently.  You might get lucky and nail the shot on your first try. However, it’s more typical to make lots of images, trying different things and later choosing the best.  Digital film is cheap.  Don’t be afraid to make LOTS of shots.

“Patriotic Pickup.” Put it on an Australian flag and you can call it a “Land Down Under Ute.”

Multiple-exposure technique

This is the second of the techniques for dramatic light-painted photos. While in the previous technique, the photo is made and the subject painted all in one long exposure, this technique involves making multiple exposures. Then you combine them like the pieces of a puzzle into the final image.
Making each of the individual exposures is essentially identical to techniques used in the prior method, but instead of having to light paint the entire scene in one shot, smaller pieces of the scene are done individually.
For example, say you wanted to make a light-painted photo of an old truck at night with the Milky Way overhead in the sky. You could make the background shot of the stars first, then using your flashlight, make a shot lighting just the front tire. Then light the grill, hood, or perhaps the interior. Add some light from the side, back, and on the grass in the foreground. Each of the individually lit shots would be a piece of your puzzle.
That’s exactly the technique used by Richard Tatti, the guy whose online Youtube tutorials taught me this method. The only difference is that he, being an Australian photographer, calls what I would describe as a pickup truck a “ute.” (Editor note: As an Aussie, we also call them “you-beaut utes!” Total slang, of course.)

One image was made for the sky and mountains, followed by about 10 other shots, each lighting a different location in the scene. This uses the multiple-exposure technique.

Richard does a nice job describing the light painting and photographing of a scene, as well as how to edit and combine the individual images into one in this tutorial. So I will suggest you view that for the step-by-step how-to. 
I will simply list the steps you’ll be taking.

In Lightroom

After making the individual shots, Lightroom is a good tool for preparing, sorting, and perhaps doing some minor editing to them. Be sure to sync them, so they are all the same size before the next step. The next step is where you select the individual images you will use and then use the “Open as Layers in Photoshop” command to export them into Photoshop. To do this, go to Photo->Edit In->Open as Layers in Photoshop.

Decide which of your images you want to use as “pieces in your puzzle,” select them all, and then send them out using “Open as Layers in Photoshop.”

In Photoshop

This might take some time, especially if you have lots of layers, but when done, you will see the individual photos all lined up in a Photoshop layers stack.
Find what you would consider your “base” or bottom layer in Photoshop, and if it is not already in the bottom position, click, hold and drag it to that spot in the stack.

Aligning

If you shot on a tripod and the camera didn’t move during the series of exposures (which is what you need to do), this step might not be necessary. However, if the camera moved even a tiny bit, you will want to align the images. It’s not a bad idea to do anyway; it just takes a little more time.
Click the top layer, hold down Shift, and click the bottom layer, so all are selected. Then click the Edit->Auto Align Layers->Auto->OK. Let it work; it’ll take a bit.
Once done, if you see any white edges, crop the image to eliminate those.

Lighten Blending Mode

At first, you will see just the top layer in the stack. Let’s turn the lights on.
Click the top layer in the stack to select it. Then hold down Shift and click the next to last layer, so all but the bottom layer is selected. Then click the Lighten blending mode.
Presto! The lighted portions of your image will all appear, much as if you’ve turned on all those individually lit portions of the image. Cool huh?

Selecting the layers and then applying the “Lighten” blending mode will turn the lights on!

Use the Eyeball

The little icon to the left of each layer is an eyeball. If you click it on any individual layer, you can toggle that layer, making it visible or invisible. In this case, if you click it to make it invisible, the “lights” on that layer will be turned off.
Think of the eyeballs as light switches. Click them on and off on each layer, and it’s like individually switching the lights on each portion of the shot. It’s a great way to see the effect of that layer on the entire shot.
Sometimes after viewing what a given layer is doing, you may not choose to use that layer at all. If not, leave the eyeball off for that layer.

Work a layer at a time using masking layers and a brush set to black to rub out pieces you don’t want or perhaps want to reduce the opacity.

Fine-tuning with masks

If you’ve not worked with layers and masks in Photoshop before, this part can seem intimidating.  It need not be.  You will simply use a layer mask and the paintbrush tool set to black to, as Richard calls it, “rub out” any parts of the lighting layers you don’t want to appear.  You can also adjust the opacity of a brush or of the layer itself to control how much impact that layer has on the overall image.
For more on using layer masks, read this article.

This is the same scene as before, but with a different camera angle and different choices about how I used each lit layer.

Go let your light shine!

Light painting is a lot of fun and a great way to produce some nice images. Because of the nature of how you move the light over a subject, no two images will be the same, and what you create will be uniquely yours.
The single exposure method is a great place to start, and if you are a beginner photographer, using the manual settings of your camera will be a good lesson. You will quickly learn the relationships of light and the camera controls; ISO, aperture, and shutter speed, for adjusting your exposure.
The multiple exposure method is a great way to work in larger settings. You can light a tree here and another way across the field if you want as you’re not restricted to making the image all in one click of the shutter. Blending the individual images in Photoshop will also teach you a lot about layers and masks, something that can sometimes be a challenge to learn.
If you make some nice images, post them in the comments so we can see what you’ve created. Also, if you have problems or questions, post something in the comments, and I’ll see if I can help you.
Now, grab your camera, tripod, flashlight/torch, and try these techniques for dramatic light-painted photos. And go let your light shine!

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5 Fun Weekend Photography Projects [Part 1]

By: Natalie Denton (nee Johnson)

If you’re stuck for something to do this weekend why not give a new photography technique a try?

1. Light Graffiti

By illum

Light graffiti is everywhere at the moment and is a fantastic to way to get creative with light trails at night. Set up your camera on a tripod, with ISO of between 400-800. During the exposure you’ll want to ‘draw’ an image or word with a beam of light such as glow stick, torch or sparkler for example.
Dial in an exposure long enough for you to complete the word or image, and start the release with the self-timer. Get in front of the lens and start drawing. To finish the image hold the torch steady and turn it off, then move out of the frame. Check the LCD for results and amend the shutter speed as required. It’s advisable to wear black so you do not show up within the photo and remember to move quickly or you’ll be captured within the scene. Coloured gels or coloured plastic sweet wrappers can be taped over the end of the torch to add a variation of colour.
See some Light Graffiti/Painting: here’s a collection of Light Painting Images.
Read how to do it: Light Painting: Part 1

2. Shutter Zoom

Snarling at Me – by Ernst Vikne

This is a fun technique to try or any composition where you want to enthuse dram or action. For this to work you’ll need a DSLR or hybrid camera with a zoom lens. First of all set your ISO as low as possible and dial in a small aperture of around f22 for a longer exposure. Isolate a subject – for example a willing model, a beautiful blooming flower, an insect, etc and focus on and meter from this. Next compose so the subject is positioned in the centre of your frame.
Unwind your lens so it is zoomed out as far as possible. As soon as you hit the shutter use your left hand to scroll the lens back in. Check the LCD to judge your results and experiment with the speed at which you zoom in to create different effects. Also try starting with the zoom as wide as possible and during the exposure zoom in to your subject for a variation of results. Learn more about using the Zoom Effect techniques here.

3. Smoke Signals

Fading Flower – by Dude Crush

Light a couple of joss sticks and let it smoulder until a well-defined stream smoke is generated. Place these in a josh stick holder in front of a dark (or light) piece of card. To capture the enchanting swirls and shapes tape the edge of the holder to the table and let the stick vibrate. For extra flair use a flashgun to light the smoke and play adjust the colours or composition in an editing suite.
Learn more about Smoke Art Photography.

4. Painting with Light

Forrester Rocks At Night – by brentbat

This is a fun technique to try out at night and is an ideal way of adding light to the scene to enhance a particular immobile object, such as a tree, rock face, bench etc.  Position your camera on a tripod and ramp up the ISO to around 400. Dial in a shutter speed of 15-20 seconds and to avoid camera jog, use the self timer to activate the shutter. During the release, light your subject with a beam of light from a torch and ‘paint’ with the light to ensure the entire object has been covered.
For a great resource on Light Painting check out Night Photography and Light Painting.

5. Kite Cameras

Kite Arial Photography – by Ric e Ette

Aerial photography can be quite an art, and creating it often an expense. However there is a cheap solution – kite cameras. If you fancy something a little fun, and own a particularly durable compact or camera you aren’t too worried about beating up, then give kite photography a shot. Unless your compact comes with a remote control shutter release, hitting that trigger is going to be problematic whilst it is up in the air but there are two options to solve this.
Either use the video recording mode (if the compact has one) and hit record before launching the kite, and later cut stills from the footage in a dedicated app like Windows Movie Maker or Apple’s iMovie. The alternative is to set the self timer – preferably for as long as possible. Set the camera to burst or sports mode as this may allow you take several shots in one go and use a fast shutter speed (1/500 or higher) to avoid movement streaks. Finally use strong tape to ensure it’s strapped on well and bring it down as gently as possible. All you need know is a windy day!
Want to see some examples? See some great Kite Photography here.

Read Part 2 of This Post with 5 More Fun Weekend Photography Projects

Share Your Shots

Once you’ve tried some of these techniques we’d love to see what you come up with – feel free to share your best results in comments below!

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5 Fun Weekend Photography Projects [Part 2]

By: Natalie Denton (nee Johnson)

If you’re looking for some fun and creative photography challenges this weekend check out the continuation of our previous post of fun weekend photography projects.

1. Self Portraits

Image by John McNab

Many of us are less comfortable in front of the camera than behind it, but if you are lacking a willing model and need a subject to fill that spot than this may be your only option.
This is actually a great excuse to get a little creative and with the right focus you can actually have quite a bit of fun with self portraits. One option is to photograph your reflection in a mirror or other reflective surface which provides a plethora of compositions and ideas for creativity.
The use of an instrument such as a gorillapod (www.joby.com) allows you to attach your camera to stoic objects such as trees, lamp posts, even chandeliers to provide give you some height, as well as a variety of angles and perspectives. A remote trigger release is useful for this, but if you are quick a self timer may suffice.
Another neat trick is to create ghostly effects in low light or complete darkness. Position your camera on a tripod, dial in a long exposure and narrow aperture, and set the self timer. Start by standing still for a few seconds and look at the camera, then move slowly at a diagonal crossing in front of the camera and moving out of sight. Check the LCD for the results – you should find a slightly blurred ghostly figure with an ethereal trail leading into the distance. There are so many ideas to try, just push the limits of your imagination.
Read more at: Self Portraits: 7 tips to go beyond the basics and Self Portrait Tips.

2. Double exposures

Image by Janrito Karamazov

A lot of cameras today offer multiple exposure modes, which allows the photographer to take two or more shots and blend them together in camera to make one composite. With this option you can play with lighting, focus, shutter speeds, depth of field and more.
To create a sharp/soft image, switch your camera into this mode, meter from and focus on your subject and take the shot.
For the next exposure manipulate the focus manually the so subject is no longer defined and take the image again. When these two are blended together the subject will appear sharp with a softened edge and blurred background. If your camera doesn’t offer this mode, simply take the series of shots separately in camera and merge them in an editing suite later.

3. Silhouettes

Image by Thomas Hawk

Silhouettes can look so intriguing and inspiring when done correctly, the most difficult part can be deciding what to use as your focus. Architecture and elements of nature such as trees, rocks and mountains can provide adequate interest, but for a more vivacious capture find a willing model to portray a variety of position and shapes.
Your model may find they become more confident knowing their body will be look more defined and the person completely in the dark giving them more incentive to concentrate simply on the shape of the poses. Environmental portraits can also work well in silhouette – for example a fisherman bringing in his catch, a farmer forking hay in the fields or city workers commuting home after the daily grind. The best time to use natural light for this purpose is sunrise and sunset – when the sun is low on the horizon. Simply position the subject between yourself and the sun. If the sun is distracting in your composition, move yourself or the model so their frame blocks the glow. Deactivate the flash, meter from the sky and use a fast shutter speed to keep the subject defined.
Read more at: How to Photograph Silhouettes and 12 Stunning Silhouettes

4. Bad weather

Image by heanster

Just because it’s raining or foggy, there is no need not to go outside and get snapping. Yes a low auburn sun may be considered the perfect light for outdoor photography but if you live in a country where it drizzles more than it is dry your only option is to get out there and make the best of what you have to work with.
Thunderclouds can enthuse drama and tension into a shot, so meter on the clouds and set a narrow aperture to capture as much detail as possible, but don’t forget to include some foreground interest. If your camera can perform multiple exposures take a series of shots catering for the highlights, shadows and midtowns and blend these in a HDR program or editing suite.
For lighting set your camera on a tripod and use the bulb mode to keep your shutter open manually, as the lighting strikes release the button and if possible use a remote for sharper shots.
Even if it is pouring with rain you can still use this as a photo opportunity. For best results use a tripod, self timer and dial in a long exposure or use a narrow aperture. The resulting image should show the slow fall of the rain and convert to black and white for a more dramatic images. If you have a specially designed rain cover for your camera obviously use this or duck under a protected covering like a porch or tree for some shelter. Alternatively grab a plastic bag, make a hole in it for the lens to poke through and a hole for you to use the viewfinder or LCD and screw on the lens hood to protect the glass from droplets.
Read more at: Make the best of Bad Weather – 6 Challenges for Photographers

5. Blurred portraits

Imagey by peskymac

Who said portraits had to be defined and in focus? Set your model a few meters from your camera and attempt to use natural lighting by either photographing outdoors or near a large window (diffused with a white sheet or net curtain if it is particularly bright).
Deliberately defocus the shot to reduce the scene and subject to simple, yet intriguingly bold shapes.
Check out part 1 of this series of fun photography projects here.
Don’t be afraid to bolster the ISO if the light drops, as the noise can bring another interesting element to the shot too.

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Nikon to Release Updated Z6s and Z7s Full-Frame Cameras This Year: Report

Breaking news from the Nikon camp. According to a report published moments ago by Nikon Rumors, the camera company is planning to release the Nikon Z6s and Nikon Z7s later this year, adding several important new features and replacing the current Nikon Z6 and Z7.
NR doesn’t mention a source for this information, but according to the rumor site the Z6s and Z7s will be incremental upgrades to the almost two-year-old Nikon Z6 and Z7 that seem to “fix” many of the complaints that photographers have about the current full-frame mirrorless lineup.
According to Nikon Rumors these cameras will use the same sensor as the current models; however, they’ll feature several improvements, including:

• Dual EXPEED processors
• A new Nikon EN-EL15c battery (the current models use the EN-EL15b)
• The ability to be powered over USB (possibly thanks to the new battery)
• Dual memory card slots (no word on whether the second slot will be SD or CFExpress)
• 4K/60p video
• The ability to use a proper vertical grip with buttons/controls

This would be a welcome update for the Nikon faithful—especially those who have been holding off on going mirrorless because of the lack of dual card slots or the fact that neither the Z6 nor the Z7 can’t shoot 4K/60p video. It would also be solid proof that Nikon is listening to its user base and making the changes they demand.
NR expects the camera to be announced sometime in the Fall, likely “around October,” so stay tuned for more leaks and info as the prospective announcement date draws closer.

Tags: fullframe, fullframemirrorless, fullframemirrorlesscamera, mirrorless, mirrorlesscamera, nikon, nikonrumor, nikonrumors, nikonz6, nikonz6s, nikonz7, nikonz7s, rumor, z6, z6s, z7, z7s

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How to Create Dark and Dramatic Backgrounds Using High-Speed Sync

By: John McIntire 

The Usefulness of High-Speed Sync

Among other things, high-speed sync lets you underexpose your backgrounds for dramatic images.

High-speed sync (HSS) is easily one of the most useful features in lighting. Not only does it let you overpower the sun for more flattering light in the middle of the day, it also lets you use your largest apertures in broad daylight.
It also lets you use another useful technique – underexposing your backgrounds by several stops. With a powerful enough light you can even underexpose the sun by three or four stops, thus making it a compositional element in your frame. This lets you create dark, dramatic backgrounds for visual impact. It also brings your subject forward in the frame, ensuring they’re the dominant aspect of your image.
Fortunately, using HSS to create dark backgrounds like this is easy. And in this short tutorial, I’ll show you how to do it using both E-TTL and manual exposure modes.

Why Darken Your Backgrounds?

While you won’t want to darken the background in every situation, dark backgrounds in scenes that would normally be very bright look great. It may be a stylised affair, but it’s a cool style.
Darkening the background brings your subject forward in the frame(providing they’re well lit), and emphasizes them as the focal point of the background. And the inherent contrast added by putting extremely dark tones in the frame helps to make things pop.

This shot was taken without a flash and is all natural light. You can see the background shares a 

similar tonality to the subject, reducing the subject’s impact within the frame.

By intentionally underexposing the background with HSS, the subject now dominates the frame.

What Do You Need?

To get started with this technique you’ll need:

• A flash with HSS capability (and TTL capability if you don’t want to use manual).

Some studios strobes (such as the Pixapro Citi600) now come with HSS functionality built in.

• A trigger or some other means to fire your flash. (You’ll need a TTL-compatible trigger if you want to use TTL.)

If you want to use manual mode, a PC Sync cable will do the job. But for E-TTL you’ll need a 

compatible trigger. (The icon circled in red is the HSS icon.)

E-TTL Mode

To use this technique with TTL metering, turn on the flash, trigger, and camera of whatever system you’re using. Set your flash mode to HSS and E-TTL. (If you don’t know how to do this, refer to your manual.) You should also zero out the flash exposure compensation settings on your flash.
Switch your camera to ‘Aperture Priority‘ mode and choose the desired aperture. I’m fond of f/4 and f/5.6 for this technique, but it’s not a rule.
Now dial between -1 and -3 stops of exposure compensation into your camera. What this does is underexpose all the ambient light in your scene. It’s how you achieve the dark backgrounds – everything that isn’t properly exposed by your flash will be darkened.

Backgrounds that are already in shadow (such as the one in this photo) may only need one stop of 

underexposure.

For dark backgrounds already in shadow, -1 stop of exposure compensation will be enough. For bright backgrounds or backgrounds in direct sunlight, you’ll need to underexpose more. To overpower the sun, you’ll need to underexpose by at least three stops.

Backgrounds lit by direct sunlight (such as the one in this image) may need up to four stops of 

underexposure.

Take a test shot, evaluate the image and the histogram on your camera, and adjust the flash exposure compensation as needed.
That’s all there is to it.

Manual Mode

HSS is great for overpowering the sun. Here, three stops of underexposure controlled the 

appearance of the sun in the frame. Notice how dark the rest of frame (lit in broad daylight) appears.

The steps for manual mode are almost identical to using E-TTL mode.

1. Set up the flash, trigger, and camera of your system.
2. Set the camera to aperture priority mode.
3. Set the camera to your desired aperture.
4. Dial in -1 to -3 stops of exposure compensation.
5. Take a test shot.
6. Adjust your flash power as needed.

However, in manual mode, the meter in your camera doesn’t relay any exposure information to your flash as it does in E-TTL mode. That means you’ll need to set your flash power yourself by evaluating your test shot and turning the flash power up or down as needed. You may need to alter the flash power a lot more than you would with E-TTL. Just keep taking tests shots and evaluating the exposure until it’s where you want it.

Adjusting the power in manual mode means dialing through all the increments on your flash. This 

isn’t a problem, but it’s harder than E-TTL.

As an aside, light meters are now available that can measure HSS such as the Sekonic L-858D. However, they’re very expensive. A Slovenian company called Lumu also makes a light meter that plugs into an iPhone to measures HSS. I saw these being demoed at a trade show and was very impressed with the results. They’re less expensive, but they currently work only with iPhones.

That’s It

Provided you have the necessary equipment, the technique is quite easy. And it can give you a variety of results, so make sure you experiment with different amounts of exposure compensation.

Though limited by your access to the equipment, this HSS technique is easy to employ and can 

result in bold, dramatic imagery.

Other Considerations

Here are a few things to keep in mind while using this technique:
ISO. Generally speaking, you should keep your ISO as low as possible. Of course, if you have a particularly low-powered flash you may need to bring it up.
Flash Meters. Most flash meters can’t meter for HSS exposures. There are specialist meters that can, but be prepared to pay through the nose for them.
Daylight Conditions. This technique works in all sorts of lighting conditions, from direct midday sun to diffused light on a cloudy day. You’ll need a powerful light to overpower the sun on a bright day, but if you do the technique works really well.

This HSS technique works well in all lighting conditions. The image on the left was created in 

overcast conditions, while the image on the right was taken in direct sunlight.

Flashguns / Speedlights. Many flashguns have HSS functionality built in and are capable of great results. If you have a flashgun, consider using them for this technique.

Give it a try

Now that you’ve seen what can be accomplished with this relatively easy technique, I encourage you to get out and try it for yourself. And let us know how you went in the comments.

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How to Make a Dramatic Portrait with Light Painting Using Items Found in Your Home

By: Erin Fitzgibbon 

In this article, I’ll show you how to do a fun project you can do with friends and a little light painting. You can do this, using things you likely already have in the house.
It’s always fun to experiment with different and creative ways of using light in photographs. It’s also a lot of fun to take some risks and experiment with a technique that may or may not produce good results. The reality is you can learn from every photographic experience. It doesn’t matter if the results are perfect or not. Each time you pull out a camera you create something that adds to your knowledge base and helps you to grow as a photographer.

Learning lessons

In the case of a project I did recently with light painting and live models, several lessons were learned. The first was the importance of finding enthusiastic people to assist with my projects. The second was the importance of a reflector in adding light to a photograph.
Lastly, the third lesson involved pushing the limits of human abilities. I asked my friends to hold very still for these images, sometimes in some slightly awkward poses. How much was too much for my models?

This was our final image of the evening. It took a lot of trial and error to reach this point.

The light painting project

The whole concept for the photo project was inspired by the light painting of Eric Pare. He creates dramatic images in stunning locations with the help of dancer Kim Henry. Eric uses an easily created light tube and a strong flashlight. It’s winter here in Canada, and at -30c it’s not reasonable to ask a friend to pose outside in a landscape while wearing skimpy clothing.
So using his idea of long shutter speeds, it was time to craft a different project. The goal was to create dramatic images that you could easily reproduce within your home at a fairly low cost.
The following images were created in my kitchen using a large piece of black velvet (a black sheet will also work) draped across my portable backdrop stand, a reflector, an extension cord, and a string of Christmas lights. Of course, three friends were also recruited to assist with the project. They were more than willing to participate in the fun. In the end, there were a lot of laughs, and everyone was quite dedicated to the effort to get the images correct.

A terrible grainy image but my friend was having so much fun she needed to take a quick selfie.

The Setup

Setting up was very easy. A backdrop was attached to the narrow walls of my kitchen. Black velvet is a lovely fabric for absorbing light and creating true black in photographs. I love black velvet and I’ve used it to create some very dramatic still life images and portraits in the past.
Wait until the fabric is on sale or pick remnants. The only trick to black velvet is to use a lint brush to remove white fuzzy bits. These show up quite easily in images, and it’s a pain to clone out all those little white spots.

Here we set the lights and the background. The kitchen is pretty narrow so it was a challenge to set up the backdrop. In the end, part of the backdrop was taped to the wall.

A shot from above. My friend stood on the countertop to spin the lights. As you can see they were loosely draped over the fan.

The reflector was placed just below the model’s belly button and the light was directed up towards the face.

After setting up the backdrop using tape and the cross piece from my backdrop kit, we then hung the Christmas lights from the ceiling fan.
In the original plan, we intended to turn on the fan and let it spin. It’s a good thing we realized that the lights would tangle around the fan and cause an issue. So it then became the job of one person to spin the fan 340 degrees during the exposure manually.

The Camera Gear

We used a Canon 5D Mark III mounted on a tripod and the 2-second self-timer. That allowed the person manning the fan to begin spinning the lights.

This image is getting better. It’s still soft. My exposure time wasn’t quite correct yet here.

The Procedure

It was time to establish the proper exposure for the whole project.  The trick here was to balance the exposure so that there was a long enough shutter speed (exposure time) to blur the lights but we also needed to keep the models in focus.
It’s awfully hard to stay still for even just a few seconds. In fact, it’s almost impossible. After several experiments and through trial and error the final exposure used was 0.8 of a second at f/3.2 with an ISO of 100. We also used a large reflector to bounce the light back up towards the models face.

This one is a little better. I ran it through a sharpening editor to help. It’s not perfect but I love the 

way the lights curved around their hair.

The whole experiment required us to use two people to create the photo and one or two people as models in each shot. The photographer triggered the camera timer as well as held the reflector, while the fan operator stood on the countertop and spun the fan at the proper moment.

This image didn’t turn out as planned. You can see how important timing and communication are to this kind of project.

The Keys to Success

The keys to a successful photograph were quite simply communication and timing. The lights had to be spun at exactly the right moment, and the photographer needed to communicate timing to everyone else.
It took a lot of tries to get the whole thing correct, but in the end, we were able to produce the desired images.

The creative person in me is able to ignore the slight ghosting from motion because I love how the lights spin above and below her eyes.

The goal was to create dramatic images with a neat light painting effect. I wanted to encircle the model with light, almost as if she were standing within a light tube. There were many failed attempts.
Sometimes our timing was off, and the lights did not spin around the model or got caught in her hair. Other times the lights moved too slowly and didn’t make it all the way through the image. Other times the issue was the lights themselves. Sometimes the lights spun right across the model’s eyes. I like a few of these images, but at the same time, some ran across the face in a way that was not attractive.

Have fun with it

The whole experiment was a lot of fun. It made for a great night out and some fun pics to post on social media. My friends were happy to post the pics to show their friends. As an artist and a professional photographer I also wanted to see if I could use the technique for other purposes.
Is it possible to use this technique to create some interesting fine art images or perhaps for some interesting portraits? The answer is yes! There’s a lot that can be done with this technique. It’s well worth experimenting with and seeing what kind of results can be created.

In this one, we achieved exactly what I was hoping to do. She is standing in a circle of lights.

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