Exposure Time

This is difficult to judge, so needs some experimentation. A good starting point is to carry out a 'trial run', where you start behind your camera and then run around your scene, illuminating the objects as you go. Time how long it takes you to do this, and then use that as a starting point for your exposure time.

If you have a lot of light painting to do, you may find that the illuminated areas come out too faint to make an impact. To get around this you'll need to split your scene up into logical areas and take multiple shorter exposures. These can later be combined in a software package like Photoshop, Paint Shop Pro or GIMP. To combine your exposures, stack them on top of each other in separate layers and select 'screen' as the blend mode for each.

What You'll Need

• Camera - one which allows you to take long exposures, preferably with a 'bulb mode' setting. Set it to its lowest ISO setting and use manual focusing.
• Tripod - essential for shake-free images.
• Light source - either a normal torch or a small bulb depending on which type of painting with light you want to try. If you don't have a small bulb, try unscrewing the top of your torch to reveal the bulb.

Painting with Light

Painting with light is a fascinating photography technique where you illuminate areas of a long exposure shot with a light source to create some stunning effects.

There are two main types - the first is where you shine a torch on large areas of a scene to illuminate them individually, and the second is where you use a small bulb to create interesting streaks of light. We'll look at each in turn but first let's discuss the equipment you'll need...