Long Exposures and Light painting

bigboi3 · Apr 2, 2011

2 shots that were the best of my tries with light painting and long exposures. Just wanted to share. C & C is welcome.

This first is a 16 second exposure. Led light going around the subject.

longexposure1 by yvesgajardo, on Flickr

This second one is single long exposure trying out something new for me.

GhostMe by yvesgajardo, on Flickr

NayLoMo6C · Apr 2, 2011

Haha i like the 2nd one. Pretty darn creative

bigboi3 · Apr 3, 2011

Thanks. I may try it again another time to get my face sharper. I have to be more still. LOL.

Davor · Apr 3, 2011

I really enjoyed the first one, if those lines where more consistent id pass it away as a commercial

bigboi3 · Apr 3, 2011

Thanks Davor. I may try it again and try and have the lines consistent.

Brenda Lee · Apr 3, 2011

I need a light painting buddy. No one I know has any interest in it, and I'm scared of the dark.

It's hard to get the circular lines much smoother than that, don't you think?

LeftFieldPhotography · Apr 3, 2011

Wow--I really enjoyed them both actually. The first one is quite good actually, the light painting around the high contrasted alcohol bottle is nice. Keeps the focal point on the bottle and yet has the viewers eyes follow the light streams as well. The second image is pretty creative--I will definately agree with that. A suggestion though, to make the image stronger--maybe not have so many different areas that you appear in but yet create a constant flow...almost like your capturing speed in a long exposure. I say that so that the focal point of the image isn't all over the place, but yet strictly concentrated on you. I don't know if that made any sense to you--if it didn't let me know...I will try to explain it better

Good job OP--keep up the long exposures

Bios. · Apr 3, 2011

I think the second one would be amazing if you could get a single light trail to link each face i.e don't turn the light off when you move to a different position. It would probably take quite a few goes to get one with nice flow.

ZacFreeland · Apr 3, 2011

Davor said:
I really enjoyed the first one, if those lines where more consistent id pass it away as a commercial

I was going to say the same thing. Very good idea!

bigboi3 · Apr 3, 2011

Thanks all for the C & C. I need to continue practicing with this style. It's fairly new to me.

Raven · Apr 4, 2011

i'm actually thinking of doing something similar to your second picture to mimic a ghost.
i'm trying to take a picture of some model all dressed in white, with a white scarf, and just slowly walk from right to left in a 30 second exposure...

i need a tripod first though..:S

nice stuff

firefitindivR · Apr 4, 2011

Davor said:
I really enjoyed the first one, if those lines where more consistent id pass it away as a commercial

Yup, I was thinking the same thing. I like your style

DSLR noob · Apr 4, 2011

Good idea of the concepts of light painting, excecution has creative eye, lacks technique. Keep developing the skill. Try to think of a way to make a rig, or some system that may animate the light movement consitantly for you. An assistant holding a stick with the light and painting you as you move through the image would be interesting. Tie the LED light bulb to a string and spin it around the bottle for a smooth circular path on your re-attempt of shot #1

Try to think outside the box when working with a vastly new technique like this. I see great potential in your ability to utilize light painting as a powerful tool.