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|| SportsShooter.com: Member Message Board
Light painting critique
Erik Markov, Photographer
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Kokomo | IN | | Posted: 9:14 PM on 10.12.09 |
| ->> Just did my first large scale light painting images over the weekend. All my other stuff has always been in the studio. Would be curious of thoughts/suggestions etc. Pretty happy with how things turned out, but am sure there might be things other could suggest, particularly some of the people here who have quite a bit of experience at it. |
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Alex Menendez, Photographer
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Orlando | FL | USA | Posted: 9:18 PM on 10.12.09 |
->> The second image looks really good.
Not sure if you have been here or not, great education.
http://www.daveblackphotography.com/
alex |
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Robert Benson, Photographer
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San Diego | Ca | USA | Posted: 9:20 PM on 10.12.09 |
| ->> I think you need some base fill to bring life to the black areas in the photo. If you get your light right on the ground (actually touching ground) and sweep it across the ground during your exposure you'll get nice texture there. Not sure what your exposures are, but if you shoot where you have enough time to run around and paint some of those pitch black areas, you'll be on to something. |
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Erik Markov, Photographer
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Kokomo | IN | | Posted: 9:33 PM on 10.12.09 |
->> I have been to Dave's site, thanks. Some very good stuff there.
Robert, thanks those are the kind of details I'm looking for. I did the first one, but switched to the second angle because it seemed like it showed more of the building I thought along with the signs. My exposures were short, about 30-60 seconds.
It was a little cloudy when I did it, not real overcast.
But the lights from Kokomo can be seen pretty well for 10-20 miles even and it was reflecting off the clouds. Longer exposures were creating some funky color shifts in the sky which didn't look normal.
It gave me a reason to try something I wanted to do which was make a separate exposure for each item in the scene then use hdr software to combine all the exposures. I know light painting "purists" prob think it's wrong. But I also wouldn't have gotten a dark sky on the second image, it was a funky dirty orange.
I had thought about the image for a while before doing it, but I'm finding its tough to try and figure out what's going to look good beforehand. Prob just more time needed on my part to learn the nuances of the technique. |
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Darren Whitley, Photographer
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Maryville | MO | USA | Posted: 9:46 PM on 10.12.09 |
| ->> I'm no expert, but I like what you've done. Keep up the work. |
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Myung Chun, Photographer
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Los Angeles | CA | USA | Posted: 2:09 AM on 10.13.09 |
->> Looks good.
In general, less is more with light painting. You don't want to over light. |
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Willie J. Allen Jr., Photographer
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St. Petersburg | FL | USA | Posted: 3:03 AM on 10.13.09 |
| ->> I think they're both gorgeous. But what do I know I'm just a photojournalist. |
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Wally Nell, Photographer
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CAIRO | EG | EGYPT | Posted: 3:37 AM on 10.13.09 |
->> Yep, especially in the second one, I think you may have had enough time for a longer exposure. If you just gave the base of the building and pumps a little more light, and perhaps a streak of light or something from the side to give texture in the foreground. As Myung said, don't over light, and also try side lighting rather than frontal lighting. This will give you better texture. Shadow areas define your mood, so make sure you have meaningful shadow areas.
Also, the closer you are to your subject with lighting, the quicker or shorter your light fall-off will be. This means the closer you are, the more the light fall-off will look graduated, rather than even. Well, it depends on what you want to do. I am sure you have encountered this with lightpainting in the studio as well.
Keep going, looks good. |
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Shelley Cryan, Photographer
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New England | CT | USA | Posted: 7:57 AM on 10.13.09 |
->> Erik,
The images are nicely done. I've done some of these myself and realize the effort -- and fun -- it can entail. You're right, the second image is at a better angle. The orange sky in the first is interesting, but I agree that the darker sky in the second one works better to let the building stand out more prominently.
Since you've asked for suggestions I'd just follow up on Robert's and Wally's comments and mention that it might have more interest if you lit the ground a bit. Where I'd like to see more ground light is where you might expect it to be: a circle under the streetlamp, some half-moons in front of the pumps, and a half-moon under the lit sign on the left, maybe a less-bright-but-still-there puddle of light under the standard service light on the right.
Keep up the good work, Erik. You're smart to get these night shots in before the nights get really really cold. It's easier to experiment when you're not freezing....
Shelley
www.shelleycryan.com |
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Erik Markov, Photographer
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Kokomo | IN | | Posted: 9:58 AM on 10.13.09 |
->> thanks everyone for the comments, appreciate it.
Robert, Wally and Shelley; the specific stuff you had on things to add really helps a lot. I've read all of Dave Black's posts a couple times at least and they're very helpful. But most of his stuff isn't as focused on a location type scene like this one so there isn't a lot I could compare my image and see where some of the "holes" were to possibly correct.
Actually getting eyes on the image (and quite a few) is really the only way to figure out what I need to look for the next time I attempt a light painting. Thanks. :) |
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Robert Irvin, Photographer
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| NJ | USA | Posted: 11:34 PM on 10.13.09 |
->> Erik,
What was your light source if you don't mind me asking? I like both but the second is my favorite.
Bob |
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Erik Markov, Photographer
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Kokomo | IN | | Posted: 11:58 PM on 10.13.09 |
->> Few different light sources really Bob. Some was natural light from the little bit of electric lights the station has. My flashlights were a 1 million candle power light with a sheet metal snoot so I could focus it a bit, a standard maglite, and a knockoff maglite that has a gooseneck in it to allow some top down lighting, easier than trying to stand on my tippie toes. :) Used auto wb, so I'm not positive what the electric lights might have been, probably incandescent I would guess. The flashlights all resemble incandescent lights, altho I'm not positive that the bulbs inside are actually incandescent, maybe led's not really sure offhand. I adjusted the wb for some of the stuff in the picture from incandescent to tungsten, changing it from the natural yellow to more of a pure white. Seemed more natural for the image to have some yellow lights mixed in with the more pure white light.
I've got more explanation on my blog about making the image (emarkov.blogspot.com) along with a slightly larger file on my website to see a bit more detail(http://tinyurl.com/yha8nzr) |
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G.M. Andrews, Photographer
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Mobile | AL | USA | Posted: 1:10 AM on 10.14.09 |
->> Check out Troy Paiva's site:
http://www.lostamerica.com/
He uses mostly strobes, with some incandescent fill. |
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Wally Nell, Photographer
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CAIRO | EG | EGYPT | Posted: 6:05 AM on 10.14.09 |
->> Erik, just a quick note: and it all depends on time of day and your base exposure, ... the less power your flashlight has, the more control you will have over what gets lit. Yes it will increase your exposure times, but you will find you would possibly need to be closer to the areas you are lighting, and the light falloff, because of the repeated painting cycles required, will seem more even than with a powerful light from further away. You will also have to plan what gets painted in greater detail. You are obviously limited to what your base exposure should be, and also the noise factor in digital file brought on by longer exposures.
If the ambient light is tungsten, you can also use a tungsten coloured flashlight, do a manual white balance on it, and then paint with that. This will give you a deeper blue in the sky.
You make me want to go into the desert and do light painting again! |
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Erik Markov, Photographer
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Kokomo | IN | | Posted: 10:12 AM on 10.14.09 |
->> Oh sure Wally, make me feel bad. I've got Indiana, you've got oh, I don't know, pyramids, dunes, camels who knows what else!! ;) I kid.
Thanks for the suggestion of the tungsten/blue sky, I remember reading some about doing that in certain situations but had forgotten it. I know I didn't really "need" the candle power light, but I got it for christmas and it's just kinda fun to play with. Light painting just makes ya a big kid. lol |
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Wally Nell, Photographer
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CAIRO | EG | EGYPT | Posted: 10:33 AM on 10.14.09 |
->> If photography is not fun, then why do it! And if we don't find time to play, then how on earth can we be creative!
The pyramids would really need your light power to light it, they are pretty tall, and ... not to mention I would be competing with the Sound and Light show, ... and not to mention, the police will be all over me if I tried doing that!
But traveling into the Western Desert, finding Bedouins who don't mind you spending time with them and their families, now there is fodder for light painting!
Come on over, we can tackle the desert! |
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