- Some tidying here to deal with light spillage.
- Composition is maybe skewed a little to the right, but there we go - hard to judge in the dark. Tried cropping these branches out, but it looked underwhelming without the scale they give.
- Sodium street lighting picked up by the fog - over 12 minute exposure looks quite cool, imho.
- Little bit of a wobble here changing hands! I do the painting with my feet planted and then can use my shoulder as an anchor point to make sure the lines are coherent, but it does occasionally mean a bit of dexterity.
- Agreed! - Ianmoran1970
- Got lucky with this hoof!
Light Harted (Reindeer Light Painting), Hertfordshire
Bit of a ramble! For those in a rush, it's enough to know the first attempt for North American viewers sits in the comments below.
Update: just a quick one further to some questions/notes below, light painting is basically waving a torch (or other lightsource) around in front of the camera during a long exposure. This leaves the trails of light you see above! The deer were created in camera this way - not an edit!
Since delighting myself with my first light painting Love At First Light, I've lined up a number of other light paintings I'd like to try. A few weeks back I got the chance for a second session, but having invested in an overpowered Halfords torch (the torch I used first time round was borrowed) couldn't tame the light and just got flare. A visit to a £1 shop later and this is my third light painting session, the second shot I'm happy enough to post.
I've had this in mind for a few weeks, but not seen the right place for it. This evening I was out in the heavy fog shooting some Mars like images (to follow) when I found the fallen leaves had made the setting I was after. So with Christmas closing in all too quickly, I gave it a go! I took a few images to work out the reindeer (the first attempt ended up as a moose, posted in the comments for North American viewers), and then added the second reindeer at first take.
By way of side note, the moose is around a 2/3 stop shorter exposure, and the colour isn't quite as cool as a result.
Normally I shoot night time long exposures at ISO 100 to tame the noise on the 300D, but it was so dark in the forest that this needed a twelve minute exposure (729 seconds ¦ f/8) at ISO 200. With each exposure something of a dice roll due to the reindeer, I felt the noise was an acceptable trade off to avoid 25 minute shots! It's a very similar colour to the sodium cloud in www.flickr.com/photos/flatworldsedge/5182134181/, and the fog does a similar job with the street lighting. The introduction of the forest and the lack of any moon, however, mean that shooting at the same settings (f/11 ¦ ISO100) last night's shot would have needed just shy of 50 minutes to get to the same place.
Kind of interesting, to me at least, sorry!
Few other things. It was raining quite hard by the end, and the mist stayed very dense, so I've amazed the torch didn't pick up droplets or flare more - it is very cheap (and dim) and I guess 12 minutes gives a lot of tolerance. I used an A4 sheet of bubble wrap I keep as padding in the end of my bag as a makeshift camera cover; an innovation I can recommend.
I just need a red light to add the festive nose next time round. For now, I'm afraid you'll have to imagine it. Hope you're all having a great weekend and you like the image. Thanks for looking and indulging my ramble!
Comments and faves
Blackfoot Scout, Tipu Kibria, ROSA TURKITA, Alppis, and 683 other people added this photo to their favorites.
flatworldsedge (18 months ago | reply)
The first attempt, which I am saying was always meant to look more like a moose. Shorter exposure, hence colour differences;
natural**woman...OFF for awhile (18 months ago | reply)
So beautiful atmosphere....the light and the color are great!!
Have a wonderful sunday!
Fakrul J (18 months ago | reply)
729 sec? Man that is wicked!
tehbk0 (18 months ago | reply)
good work :)
SigRa- (18 months ago | reply)
Wonderful!
Blackfoot Scout (18 months ago | reply)
Amazing, very seasonal shot.
Tipu Kibria (18 months ago | reply)
Splendid capture !
ROSA TURKITA (18 months ago | reply)
Ole ole y ole tu arte!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Steve-h (18 months ago | reply)
Great work !
Paul Biris | Photography (18 months ago | reply)
interesting!
Wojtek Toman (18 months ago | reply)
Cool work!
Hakahonu<::::::::::::::::::: (18 months ago | reply)
Cool shot,félicitations pour cette composition::::::::::::::::::::
neurodoc2010 (18 months ago | reply)
yes, great presentation: motiv, colors, composition, idea - great example!!!
I Love Poppies (Away) (18 months ago | reply)
Just beautiful! :-)
azrianna (18 months ago | reply)
IMPRESSIVE! :D
love it
flemming. d5100 [deleted] (18 months ago | reply)
Wow, This is AMAZING, my friend. Fabulous work
WoodWalker#1 (18 months ago | reply)
Wonderful piece of work Matt !!!!
Anoop Negi (18 months ago | reply)
Lovely shooting and creating the Santa's beast of burden with your magic light
Looks great
the-father (18 months ago | reply)
superb.
fasara (18 months ago | reply)
...great work!!!!
MAMEDE HARFOUCHE (18 months ago | reply)
adnanalley (18 months ago | reply)
awesome !
AAGG1 (18 months ago | reply)
Trabalho perfeito.
Pilar Azaña (18 months ago | reply)
Beautiful work !!
Happy Sunday
justB! (18 months ago | reply)
nice work!!!
mizan♫ (18 months ago | reply)
Great photo! Really enjoy your work. Keep it up!
ϟ Gee Porto (18 months ago | reply)
beautiful gallery with wonderful photos
c.rivellini (18 months ago | reply)
Bellissima, un grande scatto.
Mohammed Al Hashemi (18 months ago | reply)
This the best lighting effect I saw
Nice Drawing :D
michaeliao27 (18 months ago | reply)
Amazing, very seasonal shot.
Le***Refs *PHOTOGRAPHIE* (18 months ago | reply)
wow!! amazing composition and lighting!! :)
awesome!
DonWeston2009 (18 months ago | reply)
A great image and good job with the light painting!
Jay fotografia (18 months ago | reply)
Nice work !!!
Moe de Triana ® (18 months ago | reply)
WOW!! Awsome!! Very funny picture!!
; )
Jose Edil (18 months ago | reply)
Very nice light painting. The background moose adds so much to the composition. Congrats.
flatworldsedge (18 months ago | reply)
Thanks everyone - glad you like it!
Kemoauc (18 months ago | reply)
Great job, excellent mood - colour range fits perfect :)
Eric 5D Mark III (18 months ago | reply)
great place for this brilliant light painting.... very interesting ;)
tftx [deleted] (18 months ago | reply)
Superb, Matthew, really superb, bravo ! ;-)
Isabella C. Soniak (18 months ago | reply)
wow!!!!
M Atif Saeed (18 months ago | reply)
beautiful place
awesome capture
Hispaniko (18 months ago | reply)
original shot, congratulation!
www.cgphotopassion.altervista.org
Hloipapa (18 months ago | reply)
Beautiful image!
Anastasia Fiske (18 months ago | reply)
You have a fantastic work here!!!!!!!!!!!congratulation!
*HamimCHOWDHURY* [Back & Catching up] (18 months ago | reply)
Wonderful Capture and a description, Love thr POV, Thanks for your comment on my photo.
Ghida albarazi (18 months ago | reply)
How an awesome picture we have here. :D
loved the way you make it ;) Am sure that you all most got what you need. <3
I am hoping you the best B) ,keep it up *heart*
Theophilos (18 months ago | reply)
Fantastic forest shot, lovely mood!
Vin PSK (18 months ago | reply)
This is fantastic!!
btw thanks for dropping by!!
Popeyee (18 months ago | reply)
very nice shot
metamorphoses (18 months ago | reply)
Nice work ! thanks for all your positive comments about the Fancy fair in Belgium - Ghent