Teach me all you know about drawing light trails

Steedie · 27 Sep 2009 at 20:46

Hi all

I've always been fascinated with some of the shots people have posted on here using this technique

And tonight I tried giving it a go myself, with disastrous results. I looked at a few online tutorials, but they all say the obvious, long exposure (10-30 seconds) and point the light source at the camera and draw away

So I used 20 seconds exposure time, used my mini LED torch yet they turned out absolutely rubbish. My whole room appeared lit up for a start even though it was pitch black, the light trails themselves seemed fine, but the rest of it was horrible. Then I tried drawing lights around objects, to give the forcefield effect, and just couldn't get that working. I'm assuming it was because I wasn't pointing the torch at the camera, but then how has everyone else done it?

Finally, I have a few ideas for shots I want to do, which would involve firing the flash first then doing the exposure, I can't find the setting for this on my camera (500D), or is it literally 2 different shots merged in photoshop when people do it?

I did want to ask more but have forgotten them since starting the post, so basically any tips/techniques you have for getting the best shot possible when using light trails, I'd really like to hear them. As always your help is greatly appreciated

Cheers guys

robertgilbert86 · 27 Sep 2009 at 21:38

Step 1, get lots of people!
Step 2, get bright lights, maybe your LED just isn't strong enough.

Not sure about your flash, with Nikon you need to set it to manual flash exposure as it can't meter for a manual/long exposure shot really.

Mark A · 27 Sep 2009 at 21:47

Make sure you set the aperture to the highest number and ISO to the lowest. A small keyring torch shouldnt light up your room with these settings.

The keyring torch i have has a hood around the led so if i was to draw around objects then I'd need to remove the hood for the camera to pick up the light trail.

Steedie · 28 Sep 2009 at 11:48

Thanks guys

Will give that a go tonight. I think the aperture may have been the problem now you mention it

So things like the force field effect where it goes around the object, how are those done? Someone posted a while ago a picture of that amazon box toy and it had been put in a cool light trail that made it look like some sci fi force field, was brilliant

Yarde · 28 Sep 2009 at 18:05

Steedie said:
So things like the force field effect where it goes around the object, how are those done? Someone posted a while ago a picture of that amazon box toy and it had been put in a cool light trail that made it look like some sci fi force field, was brilliant

I also want to know this...

but regards to your torch, you might want to make a snoot for it...which is something like this

makes the beam of light more concentrated, thats what i did, but i made mine more cone shaped, and made out of tin foil, for maximum internal reflection

Wedge · 28 Sep 2009 at 18:12

Yarde said:
I also want to know this...

Steedie said:
Thanks guys
Someone posted a while ago a picture of that amazon box toy and it had been put in a cool light trail that made it look like some sci fi force field, was brilliant

twas me

I have been meaning to re-do this shot, as i had in idea how to make it better.

Steedie · 28 Sep 2009 at 18:35

Yeah that was it, superb shot

Any chance you could share the secret as to how you achieved that effect?

Wedge · 28 Sep 2009 at 18:43

Steedie said:
Yeah that was it, superb shot

Any chance you could share the secret as to how you achieved that effect?

A Dark room, 10 sec exposure, then i just spun the mini lightsabre torch around and up

mini light sabre http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4wIOSOLrzqE from dealextreme (twas a free gift

)

exif is in tact.

But experiment with aperture, this was 1.8, but you should be ok upto say 8, depending on light source + exposure.

edit: forgot to say i blacked out all but the last inch on that mini sabre

Yarde · 29 Sep 2009 at 08:42

Oh, i;m thinking of something different, like when people draw around the outlines of cars and stuff, how do they do this?

Flare · 29 Sep 2009 at 19:43

I have just got into using long exposure and light drawing and i am really enjoying playing about with different things!
Here are a few tips:
Have Noise Reduction ON
Use a tripod
Experiment with multiple light sources, brightnesses and colours
Using a forced flash will get a subject in focus.

I just remembered about these, they are amazing: Parabolas

Here are a few pictures:
Juggling light

I really like this one:

Steedie · 29 Sep 2009 at 21:35

My first play

Flare · 29 Sep 2009 at 21:55

Steedie, they are awesome! The light trails are so defined!
Didid you use a really bright torch?
Mind telling me the camera settings you used?

Steedie · 29 Sep 2009 at 21:59

Thanks mate, I used a mini LED torch, really small light source so it's quite concentrated

Had it on Manual, 4.5f, 100ISO and a 30 second exposure

Flare · 29 Sep 2009 at 22:03

Steedie said:
Thanks mate, I used a mini LED torch, really small light source so it's quite concentrated

Had it on Manual, 4.5f, 100ISO and a 30 second exposure

Thought so, thanks for letting me know

I use to have a mini LED torch that was a little disk and would have been perfect for light drawing but it got hoovered up

Mark A · 29 Sep 2009 at 22:19

Steedie said:
Thanks mate, I used a mini LED torch, really small light source so it's quite concentrated

Had it on Manual, 4.5f, 100ISO and a 30 second exposure

Just try a smaller aperture and it might help darken the room a little. They look great but you can see the person making the trails.

Heres a quick one i did, the trails could be a lot neater though

. This was taken at f22 and the trails are still quite bright but it darkens the room.

knowlesy · 29 Sep 2009 at 23:28

somegood tips here, and some crackin ones from wedge nice

!!!

Yarde · 30 Sep 2009 at 21:41

Yarde said:
Oh, i;m thinking of something different, like when people draw around the outlines of cars and stuff, how do they do this?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/theunknownemperor/3011722653/

thats more like what i'm thinking about, how do they do that? cause surely you can't point the torch at the camera, and still know how your outlining?!

Mark A · 30 Sep 2009 at 23:50

Yarde said:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/theunknownemperor/3011722653/

thats more like what i'm thinking about, how do they do that? cause surely you can't point the torch at the camera, and still know how your outlining?!

Wow they're pretty cool. I think you just draw around the car in as much detail as you want and it works the same as just drawing in the air. To get the car lit up you would probably need a bit of ambient light or maybe fire the flash first.

I'm going to have to have a go at that with my car.

Had a quick go at drawing around my bike and it works quite well, just need something with more detail.

I actually used a Fenix LD20 led torch to do this but used it on the lowest setting, gives a thicker line than the small keyring effort.

Yarde · 1 Oct 2009 at 08:40

Mark A said:
Wow they're pretty cool. I think you just draw around the car in as much detail as you want and it works the same as just drawing in the air. To get the car lit up you would probably need a bit of ambient light or maybe fire the flash first.

I'm going to have to have a go at that with my car.

Had a quick go at drawing around my bike and it works quite well, just need something with more detail.

I actually used a Fenix LD20 led torch to do this but used it on the lowest setting, gives a thicker line than the small keyring effort.

but how do you trace it? do you point the light end of the torch towards the lens still? and just use the "dark" end of the torch as if its the nib of a pen?