Light Painting Help!

[natty94]

Hello all,

I've been asked to run a photography night for my explorer group in a couple of weeks time and they specifically want to do light painting. The area we will be using will be the Scout HQ which when the lights are off is very dark so will be dark enough to capture light trails.

I've bought some different coloured acetate to sellotape over the lenses of the torches I will ask them to bring along. The only thing I've struggling with is things for them to do, I'll probably get them to run around with the torches and stand a few feet apart and right there names but that's all the idea's I have.

All ideas welcome

Thanks
Nathan

[Gilhooligan]

Attach the torch to a piece of rope and swing it around, then spin round on the spot. Should create an orb shape.
Setting steel wool on fire in a similar manner makes for some cool results, not sure thats appropriate for scouts though.

[kybo]

You could get them to try and draw any shape with the torch. Youtube for the talk Talk ad - wasn't one of those made up of light drawn shapes?

S

[Colin RedGriff]

Is there a feature like a car, tree or rock that you could get them to light up like this

http://youtu.be/Gi74B241b6k

[Mark.]

Gilhooligan said:

Setting steel wool on fire in a similar manner makes for some cool results, not sure thats appropriate for scouts though.

If it's anything like the scouts round here that'll be a bit tame. They pretty much burn anything they can stop moving for long enough to set fire to.

[Simpo Two]

Gilhooligan said:

Setting steel wool on fire in a similar manner makes for some cool results, not sure thats appropriate for scouts though.

If Scouts can no longer start fires what hope is there for the human race?

[kybo]

Colin RedGriff said:

Is there a feature like a car, tree or rock that you could get them to light up like this

http://youtu.be/Gi74B241b6k

Excellent video. Thanks for sharing.

Never really given this type of photography a chance as thought it was beyond me - but that made it look fairly easy (well the concept at least!).

Thanks,
Scott

[davidd]

A bit of kevlar and some paraffin...

[Gilhooligan]

Simpo Two said:

If Scouts can no longer start fires what hope is there for the human race?

Haha true. I guess I've been brain washed by the health and safety brigade.

[Colin RedGriff]

kybo said:

Excellent video. Thanks for sharing.

Never really given this type of photography a chance as thought it was beyond me - but that made it look fairly easy (well the concept at least!).

Thanks,
Scott

The technique's not difficult but it takes some time with trial and error

[Blukoo]

davidd said:

A bit of kevlar and some paraffin...

A GTR was my first ever fire painting attempt...

[natty94]

Thanks for all the responses the orbs idea could keep them busy for a while, I'd like to try the wire wool but we couldn't do it at the HQ as there isn't much space outside and it would probably draw the attention of the local undesirables so I won't be doing that and the security lights would ruin the shots anyway since there motion activated.

RE: scouts and fire, it's virtually one of the first things you learn and they always jump at any opportunity to set something on fire

[davidd]

Blukoo said:

A GTR was my first ever fire painting attempt...

Epic, I have flame envy

[FunkyNige]

Solitaire Maglites are great for this - unscrew the lens(?) so you just get the bare bulb showing and you can draw pictures.

This was the torch swinging on a string attached to the roof with the camera on the floor



And you can also draw around objects like bottles to give a cool outline (Google images will give loads of examples).

Or find a toy that gives off a light and see what happens, this is a toy helicopter