Light drawing uses the effect of extreme motion blur to create a line or design using a single point of light.
Light drawing or light graffiti is a technique in photography that creates images from a single source of light. It capitalizes on the fact that cameras with a long exposure time, or long shutter speed, will create extreme motion blur. This fact allows the photographer to create a line out of a single, moving point of light. It tends to be most effective using a still camera. However, it's possible to create a similar effect in a video.
Instructions
1. Familiarize yourself with the basic functions of your camera. Make sure you know set the shutter speed, if the camera has variable frame rates or if can do time-lapse photography. Ideally it will have time-lapse and you will know change the shutter speed.
2. Using the light meter, set the exposure based on the handheld light source. Take a reading of the brightest part of the light source and give the light meter the lowest shutter speed on your camera.The camera will tell you the correct aperture setting. This will work best at around twilight, when there is still some ambient light for the background but you are not competing with the sun's brightness. Alternatively, full dark will provide cover for whoever is doing the drawing if you do not want them seen.
3. Set up the camera on a tripod. Make sure it is stable and in a place where no one will accidentally bump it during an exposure. Changing the position of the camera will mess up the drawing and the background.
4. Change all of the settings to the settings obtained earlier. Set the time lapse to be, ideally, between 1 and 3 seconds. The time lapse may need to be even longer, or it might need to be shorter depending on a number of factors including ambient lighting and how fast you draw.
5. Have your assistant begin recording once you are in place. Draw the image you want repeatedly for at least a minute, to start out. Once you are done recording, check out the results on the playback on the camera.
6. Adjust one of the following if you were not happy with the results of the first try. Draw slower and make distinct parts of the line as the camera takes an exposure in time-lapse. Have your assistant use a watch to keep track of when the camera takes an exposure. Use a metronome to keep track of exposures. Try different frame rates, like the standard 24p or 30i. Try higher (i.e. slow-motion) frame rates. Repeat all of the steps above until you have the results you want.
Tags: shutter speed, frame rates, camera takes, camera takes exposure, camera will, create line
