Experimentation is the Key

Whichever painting with light technique you try, it's very hard to nail settings such as exposure time at the first attempt, so be prepared to experiment. Digital cameras have made this exceptionally easy because you can review your results within seconds of taking the photo.

As well as experimenting with settings, why not play around in other ways, for example:

• Try using a combination of the illumination and light streak techniques in one photo.
• Use a different light source, such as a candle, match or sparkler.
• Use coloured bulbs and filters to give your light a different glow, perhaps changing colours for different parts of the scene.