How to use party sparklers for light-painting with a difference

Light-painting is always a fun way to spend an evening outdoors, but it can get dull just using a plain torch to draw shapes.

Why not swap your usual light source for a party sparkler? It adds a celebratory touch to the shoot, as well as a glittery quality to the light itself. It’s best to set up in a garden or quiet street, away from excitable pets or children – the key is to pick somewhere you’ll have plenty of room to move the sparkler after firing the shutter. Because it’ll be dark, it might take a few attempts to get the composition and focus right. Using a wide-angle lens is the best way to fit long words into the frame. Once you’ve got the camera position and settings sorted, call in a few friends, set multiple sparklers moving across the exposure, and get the party started! 

REMEMBER YOUR WRITING TECHNIQUE

You’ll need to write out the letters backwards so that the camera records the words the right way. Face the camera, outstretch your arm and write backwards from right to left. If you can’t get the hang of this, write normally and flip your images using editing software later on. It takes practice to know how much of the scene is covered in the composition.

STEP BY STEP: Light 'em up and spell it out!

Move a sparkler during a long exposure and add words to your evening scenes

01 CAMERA SETTINGS

Shoot in Shutter Priority (Tv) mode. The ideal shutter speed depends on the length of the word or speed of your drawing, but 10 secs is a good start. Because it was fully dark, we set an ISO of 400.

02 FOCUS AND FIRE

Pre-focus on where the sparklers are going to be. It’s easiest to use Manual mode for this. Put on gloves (for protection and warmth), light the sparkler, fire the shutter remotely and start writing.

03 TEST AND PERFECT

Keep the sparkler moving smoothly and consistently across the frame as you write. Review the shot, and tweak the shutter speed and composition if you can’t get all the words or image into the frame.