Today, I will learn…

� Shutter Speed

� Light Painting

Learning Goals

Shutter Speed - Recap

� What is Shutter Speed?

� Shutter Speed refers to how fast or slow

your camera shutter will open to receive

light

� It is measured in seconds and fractions

of seconds, for example;

� 1/1000th second = fast shutter, less

light

� 15 seconds = slow shutter, more light

� What does it also control?

� Shutter Speed also controls how much

motion blur is in your image

� Fast shutter speed (i.e. 1/1000) = less

motion blur, sharper image (freezes

time)

� Slow shutter speed (i.e. 1/15) = more

motion blur, blurrier image

(demonstrates motion)

Shutter Speed - Recap

1/15 1/60 1/250 1/1000

Slow Shutter Speed Fast Shutter Speed

More light Less light

More motion blur Less motion blur

15s 8s 4s 1s ½ ¼ 1/8 1/15 1/30 1/60 1/125 1/250

36 minute Shutter Speed!

Light Painting

Light PaintingWhat is it?

� Light painting (a.k.a. light drawing or light graffiti)

� Photographic technique in which exposures are

made usually at night or in a darkened room by

moving a handheld light source (sparklers,

flashlight, LED light, etc.) or by moving the camera.

� In many cases the light source itself does not have to

appear in the image.

� Also encompasses images lit from outside the frame

with handheld light sources (for example,

spotlights, laser pointers).

Light PaintingWhat is it?

� Light painting requires a sufficiently slow

shutter speed, usually a second or more.

� Doing so, will allow the camera to absorb

more light and movement.

� This is not Light Painting, but an

example of a slow shutter speed (15

seconds)

Light PaintingHistory

� 1889: Georges Demeny attached light

bulbs to the joints of an assistant and

created the first known light painting

photograph “Pathological Walk From in

Front”.

Light PaintingHistory

� 1935: Man Ray, the first artist to explore light painting

for creative purposes

� Well-known light painting series, “Space Writing”

� Used a pen light to create swirls and circles

Light PaintingHistory

� 1949: Gjon Mili photographed Pablo Picasso in what was

known as the “Pablo Picasso’s Light Paintings” series

“Picasso Draws a Centaur”

“Everything is Illuminated”

Light PaintingHistory

� Light Painting has evolved into a expressive and creative

form of art

� Photographers and artists have utilized various light

sources and techniques to create stunning light paintings

Sparklers

Steel wool

Pen light

Action figure + pen light

Pen lights

Sparklers

Sparklers

Flashlights?

Light PaintingHistory

� For this project you will need to provide influences and

reasoning for inspiration…

� Read through the History of Light Painting reading

provided on Edmodo to get some ideas of famous light

painting artists and works

http://www.light-paint.com/blog/introduction-to-light-painting/

Techniques & Tool Examples

Shutter SpeedPractice

� Let’s practice using various shutter speeds to capture;

� Motion

� Flow

� Creative effects (ghosting, multi-exposures)

� Set your camera to Shutter Speed priority

� Tv (Time Value) – Canon

� S – Nikon

� You’ll need…

� Camera, set to slow shutter speed (try different speeds to see the effects)

� Tripod (or very steady hands)

� Patience!

Light PaintingAssignment

� Assigned: February 10, 2015

� Due: February 20, 2015