Light Trails, Plus The Thinker, Help Please?

coreysparkman · Jan 29, 2012

I want to take a picture of "The Thinker"

in the dark, and doing light trails around it with various lights, or LEDS...

I will be using my Canon and can only go up to a 30second shot, my question is,

What settings would be best to use to get this just right? - ISO-100, F/11, 30sec?
If it is lit dimly at night with bulbs would my shots still turn out?

Thanks in advance

Bitter Jeweler · Jan 29, 2012

Your Canon doesn't have bulb mode?

coreysparkman · Jan 29, 2012

Yes, it does... but I'm sorry to say I don't currently have a trigger....

Do you think I should invest in one before going out to shoot?

Bitter Jeweler · Jan 29, 2012

Sure. Or in bulb mode, press the shutter button once to open, a second time to close.

But you may not be able to do much light painting depending on how much light is in that area at night. I mean, I see a lamp on the building behind the sculpture that would cause problems.

Experiment, and post what you get!

coreysparkman · Jan 29, 2012

I actually didn't know that trick, lol. But I will try that, I just want to be sure not to shake my camera/stand. And I'll be sure to post them this weekend possibly!

As far as the settings though, what would you recommend? Of course I all play with them while out there though.

Josh66 · Jan 29, 2012

Bitter Jeweler said:
Sure. Or in bulb mode, press the shutter button once to open, a second time to close.

Only works like that with a wireless remote.

Using the button on the camera, you have to actually hold it down for the entire exposure.

You need a remote. Wired or wireless doesn't really matter. Just something so you don't have to be standing there holding the button down...

Bitter Jeweler · Jan 29, 2012

Thanks for the correction! It's been a while .

coreysparkman · Jan 29, 2012

Thanks guys, maybe I'll try to get a hold of one before I go out. I guess we've come to the consensus that I might need longer than 30second shot for the nights. Because I really want to get into night shots, trails of car lights and whatnot. My previous ones came out sort of blurry.