Cam and Cheese

With a long shutter speed and a dark night, you can create light drawings in the air. It's a very fun way to kill some time if you are out in a dark area late at night. I spent a few hours at Cypress Mountain last summer creating fun light pictures. I also even did them in my room.

The basic things you need are a light source or sparkler, an SLR that you can set a long shutter to, a tripod, and darkness. The technique of light drawing is really very simple. All you need to do is mount your camera on the tripod. Set a sufficient shutter speed (from a few seconds all the way to a minute or more). Press the Shutter Release. Walk infront of the camera and start drawing before the shutter closes. Thats all you have to do. Of course getting the picture that you really want comes with practice. Personally, I think it really is just trial and error. You need to figure out where the centre of your image will be. Don't forget, if you are writing something, you will have to write backwards or at least rotate your picture horizontally after. If you aren't in a dark enough area you may want to set a timer for your shutter so it doesn't catch you setting up your shot as you walk infront of the camera. I'm also assuming you are going to be in the picture. If you have a bunch of friends, light drawings will be even easier and more fun to create.

When I created my light drawings last year, I made use of my Nikon ML-L3 Wireless Remote Control for my Nikon D80. I set my camera to Bulb, which is where you control how long the shutter is open for. Walked infront of the camera. Just press the remote once to open the shutter. Draw what I wanted and then press it one more time to close the shutter. The remote definately made shooting these pictures a whole lot easier.

One thing to note is that when you point the light right at the camera while you are drawing, it picks up the light instantly, so you can draw in normal speed. You don't have to slow yourself down to make sure enough light goes in. What I used during my photo session at Cypress Mountain was a small white LED thumb light, a flash light, and also a glow stick. The flash light didn't work as well because you had to point the light directly at the camera for it to pick it up since the flash light is directional. The thumb light and the glow stick illuminate light in all directions so the camera easily picked it up.

Here are some quick pictures to show how easy it is to draw. Of course, drawing WELL is another story. These are from my room. 

Picture 1 uses a regular flash light aiming at the camera (this was my first attempt ever).
Picture 2 uses a thumb light and is an attempt at a heart. (you can see my clock in the background).
Picture 3 is my attempt at drawing the outline of my girlfriend. Notice how the camera also picks up part of her clothes because of the illumination from the thumb light.

Here are some pictures done at Cypress Mountain at about 12AM. If you want to capture the person in the image also, have someone else there with you with a Speed light flash. In my case I used an SB-600 which has a button on the back so that you can trigger the flash whenever you want. I used it to illuminate the subject more, and you can also use it for other cool things, such as making yourself appear in many places at once, or even appearing somewhat like a ghost. While taking your picture, just stand there, flash yourself. Then move, and flash yourself again, and repeat however many times you want, then close your shutter. Be careful though, if you really want the perfect picture, you will have to make sure stray light doesn't get in your image. You camera will pick up almost any light. Then again, if you are in pitch black, you can always color in the straylight with Photoshop or other image editing software. I've left my mistakes in these images to give you an idea of how easy it is for the camera's sensor to pick up any light.

Picture 1: Fun with flash. I pointed the flash at myself, walked a few steps over and flashed again, and again.
Picture 2: More fun with flash. I flashed terriyaki setting up his tripod, then walked infront and falshed myself. Notice the bright light on the left. That's what happens when you don't flash away from the camera. There's also red lights from the back of my flash.
Picture 3: Angel. Done by drawing wings, and then a green tail from a glow stick. Then flashed from the top. Notice again the stray red light from my flash, and also the bright light from my flash. Luckily that can be easily edited out since the background is black in that area.
Picture 4: Dragon Ball Me. I stood there in that post while Wheel drew flames around me in two different colors. Then he walked away and flashed me I think three times. I had to be really still while he was flashing. If I wasn't still, I would not be as sharp. Again notice the stray light because we didn't cover up the lights when we were done using them.
Picture 5: Me and my girlfriend. Wheel drew around us as we stood there, and then  flashed us a bunch of times. You can move around slightly while he's drawing with the thumb light, but once you start flashing you have to be very still. Notice how there is no stray flash because he flashed away from the camera. Notice the Kryptonite coming out of my backpack on the right - that's the glow stick. Also notice how bright the sky got, that's because the exposure was VERY long. Probably a minute.

So to sum it up. You need

1. Camera that you can set the shutter speed on - SLR with lens
2. Tripod, or at least something sturdy to rest your camera on
3. Lighting of some sort - thumb light, flash light, glow stick, sparkler, etc.
4. Wireless remote control for your camera (recommended if you will be in the picture)
5. Speed Light flash (recommended to create other fun effects)

To take the shot (assuming you, the photographer, is also drawing)

1. Set the camera on something sturdy, tripod preferably
2. Set the shutter speed to something very long, depending on what you are drawing. Personally I use Bulb with my remote to control how long the exposure lasts.
3. Get infront of the camera.
4. Trigger the camera with your remote to open the shutter
5. Start drawing or flashing
6. Trigger the camera to close the shutter

Tip: If you do not have a wireless remote, set a timer for a few seconds before walking infront of the camera.

Tip: Tape or cover any stray light that you dont' want in your picture. From my pictures you can see a little red light - that is from the back of my flash!

Tip: When usin your flash, flash away from the camera so only the subject will be lit up, and so you don't get that bright light in the middle of no where. Make sure the person flashing doesn't get himself in the picture also.

Note: I know these pictures aren't that great, but they are just examples to show what fun you can have while light drawing.

Note: There is a lot of trial and error. Just figuring out where to stand and how to layout your shot will take a lot of time to get it right.

After looking at these pictures again, I will definately take my time and take cooler pictures in the near future. These shots were from my first time creating night photographs so I now have some good ideas in my head, and will take cleaner shots.