There are lots of ways to capture great images after the sun has set. We’ll help you get started in the creative, inventive sport of light painting – photographing moving light to build up an image on your sensor.

It can range from simple hand-drawing with an LED torch, to creating sophisticated geometric patterns using a variety of homemade tools. In this area of photography you’re limited only by your imagination!

And one of the great things about light painting is that you don’t need a fancy location or expensive, specialist gear: just darkness.

In fact, the ‘tools’ of this trade are fun to source. You can use something as basic as an LED torch. But if you like a bit of DIY photography, you’ll enjoy adapting implements for the job.

Light painting is all about sharing ideas, working with friends, building and improvising, and modifying gadgets. The pound shop may even become your favourite haunt!

Below we show you how to use a few common items to make spectacular floating orbs, domes of light and other light painting creations.

Build your own DIY light painting kit

01 The tools of the trade!
One inventive aspect of light painting is making helpful gadgets out of everyday items. Torches, lamps, laser pointers, Christmas lights and decorations all provide good sources of light. Space blankets or water can be used for reflections.

Dog leads, chain, ropes, bird feeders and plastic plumbing parts can be used to make spinners and light movers. Balls, bicycle wheels, roller skates and hula hoops have all been pressed into service.

If it moves and you can attach a light to it, it’s fair game.

To create amazing lighting effects, a DIY photography approach is required. For the orb, you’ll need a set of battery-powered LED fairy lights, electrical tape and cable ties, nylon rope, an off-cut plumbing tube to use as a handle, and a large washer.

To create sparks, get a chain dog lead, a wire whisk, a handle (such as a cut-down paint roller handle) and some wire wool. The dome requires an old wheel, an elongated axle, and some more LEDs.

02 Create a floating orb
The set-up for an orb is straightforward. Cable tie the LEDs into a bundle with the knotted rope in the centre. Insert batteries and test. Cable tie and/or tape the battery pack to the bundle, but don’t cover the switch.

Measure a comfortable rope length, about one metre, and thread this through the pipe and washer. Then tie a knot in the rope so its length is adjustable. Alternatively, tape the rope to a wooden dowel. See the Video Disc and Super Tip! for more on this technique.

03 Make some sparks!
Creating an awesome shower of sparks is also a relatively simple procedure. Cut the dog lead chain in the centre with a hacksaw. Clip the kitchen whisk to the end of the dog lead, and cable tie or tape the other end of the lead to the handle – securely and strongly! Stuff the whisk with super-fine 0000 grade steel wool.

04 Build a dome of light
Domes require a little more DIY construction, but results can be spectacular! You need a wheel – an old bicycle wheel is ideal as the slender spokes help with the illusion – set on an axle the same length as the wheel’s radius (so when resting on it the wheel slants at 45 degrees, with the top rim directly over the axle).

Use a string of 10 or 20 LED fairy lights equally spaced around the circumference of the wheel, facing up and out. Secure them with cable ties or electrical tape.

For the dome, start with the wheel facing away from the camera, put the lights on and begin your exposure. Rotate the wheel one turn around the axle on the ground, taking care not to move it, then switch off the lights again when it is facing away from the camera.

Now walk away, taking the wheel with you, and close the shutter. It’s best if you wear dark clothes and keep moving.

05 What to wear
Wear dark clothes because any light objects may show up in the images. A dark hoodie works well and also protects from sparks – but be careful you don’t scare the neighbours or local dog walkers!

As long as you keep moving, you’re less likely to show up in the final image. Just don’t stand in front of the LED lights or in front of a light background.

You can paint light on things with an LED torch, or shine it directly at the camera to draw lines. Tracing around an object or person works well, and strapping the light to an object that moves around can produce great trails or patterns. You can even hang it on a string. Lots of creativity here!

PAGE 1: Building your own DIY photography light painting kit
PAGE 2: How to set up your shot the DIY photography way

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1. The tools of the trade!
To create amazing lighting effects, a little DIY photography is required. For the orb, you’ll need a set of battery-powered LED fairy lights, electrical tape and cable ties, nylon rope, an off-cut plumbing tube to use as a handle, and a large washer.

To create sparks, get a chain dog lead, a wire whisk, a handle (such as a cut-down paint roller handle) and some wire wool. The dome requires an old wheel, an elongated axle, and some more LEDs.

2. Create a floating orb
The set-up for an orb is straightforward. Cable tie the LEDs into a bundle with the knotted rope in the centre. Insert batteries and test. Cable tie and/or tape the battery pack to the bundle, but don’t cover the switch.

Measure a comfortable rope length, about one metre, and thread this through the pipe and washer. Then tie a knot in the rope so its length is adjustable. Alternatively, tape the rope to a wooden dowel.

3. Make some sparks!
Creating an awesome shower of sparks is also a relatively simple procedure. Cut the dog lead chain in the centre with a hacksaw.

Clip the kitchen whisk to the end of the dog lead, and cable tie or tape the other end of the lead to the handle – securely and strongly! Stuff the whisk with super-fine 0000 grade steel wool.

4. Build a dome of light
Domes require a little more DIY photography skill, but results can be spectacular!

You need a wheel – an old bicycle wheel is ideal as the slender spokes help with the illusion – set on an axle the same length as the wheel’s radius (so when resting on it the wheel slants at 45 degrees, with the top rim directly over the axle).

Use a string of 10 or 20 LED fairy lights equally spaced around the circumference of the wheel, facing up and out. Secure them with cable ties or electrical tape.

5. Best camera settings
Any DSLR will do, and a standard lens is perfect for the job, but using a tripod is essential. A remote release and hotshoe bubble level are helpful, too. Shoot in raw format and set ISO100 for best quality, and turn the exposure dial to Manual mode.

An exposure of 30 secs should be sufficient for most light paintings, but for more complex night photography creations, set the camera to Bulb mode and lock it open using the remote release.

Aperture controls light brightness, so really bright LEDs or wire wool spinning work well at f/11, and normal LEDs at f/8 or f/5.6. Single Shot and Daylight White Balance round off the settings.

6. How to set up
Switch your torch or headlight on and place it on the ground where the action will take place – it’s also a good idea to mark this position using chalk or a light-coloured stone.

Zoom to the desired focal length to compose your image and autofocus on the torch using your camera’s central sensor. Then switch the lens to MF (manual focus), being careful not to move the zoom or focus rings. Recompose the image and level your camera.

7. How to capture
Shoot a trial exposure at, say, f/8 and examine the image. If the light lines are overexposed and burnt out (use the Highlight Alert to check), close down the aperture and try again. If underexposed, open it up a bit. It’s worth remembering that the brighter you record the light trails, the whiter they become. If you want a strong blue or red LED line, underexpose the image a little. If you’re ‘performing’ yourself or don’t have a remote release, set the self-timer.

8. Dress up time!
Wear dark clothes because any light objects may show up in the images. A dark hoodie works well and also protects from sparks. As long as you keep moving, you’re less likely to show up in the final image.

Just don’t stand in front of the LED lights or in front of a light background. You can paint light on things with an LED torch, or shine it directly at the camera to draw lines.

Tracing around an object or person works well, and strapping the light to an object that moves around can produce great trails or patterns. You can even hang it on a string. Lots of creativity here!

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It’s a great skill to master, and one that’s a little like light painting – but instead of using a high-powered torch you’re just using a regular flashgun. Twilight is a great time to try this different type of light painting tutorial, so we headed to the standing stones at Avebury, Wiltshire. This ancient monument was an ideal subject to experiment with, although most photo locations with good foreground interest will do.

The technique in our light painting tutorial is about using the flashgun to light the stones during a long exposure by flashing it manually from different angles. This makes the rocks stand out against the deep blue sky…

A different type of light painting tutorial: step-by-step

01 Keep your camera still
To ensure there’s no camera movement during the long exposure (30 seconds), use a tripod. Lock the mirror in the up position to avoid vibration when the shutter is released, and a use a cable release or self-timer.

02 Take control in manual
Switch to manual and establish a good exposure for the sky using the histogram. Also, set your flashgun to manual and select half or quarter power. This will give a faster recycle time, enabling you to fire more shots.

03 Move while you flash
Release the shutter and fire the flash at your subject from a distance of about 3ft. Keep moving so that you don’t get recorded. Don’t point the flash directly at the camera or accidentally capture yourself.

And the final result!
By following the simple steps in this light painting tutorial using a handheld flash instead of a torch, you can easily achieve the same effects. And the great thing is you can try this anywhere!

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Photo by Gary Guest

Photo tips for long-exposure light shows:

• Dress in a coat, hat, gloves, scarf and goggles
• Attach a ball of Grade 0 steel wool to the end of a fire-proof cable, such as a steel dog chain
• Set up your camera on a tripod, manually focus on the point where you’ll stand, and set a long exposure of 10-30 seconds. Use the camera’s self-timer so that you have time to get in position and light the steel wool
• Set the wool on the ground and light it, then spin it around at arm’s length throughout the exposure. To create a ball of light, rather than a circle, slowly turn around as you spin the cable.

Below are some other fantastic examples of light-trail drawings using the techniques described above, and various others.

By Adam Forbes

By Ersta Ferryanto

By Stuart Freeman

By Dean Elson

By Brady Comerford

By Михаил Чуркин

By Reza Amir

By Christian Steinmetz

By Adrian Eggett

By Andy Wells

By Reza Amir

By Gareth Brooks

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Photo Ideas

In Pictures
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Light sculptures are a great way to have some fun with your creative side. This guide will give you our ten top tips for making sculptures from a torch and your camera, but whatever you do, don’t forget to turn the torch off before you go back to turn off the long exposure!

1. Create depth

Large concrete structures such as flyovers and bridges add enormous depth to locations. Find yourself a spot underneath a motorway bridge, compose low down and take advantage of the leading lines.

2. Watch backgrounds

Sometimes the perfect location can be ruined by unavoidable bright streetlights in the background. Compose and frame your shot so natural objects help block or reduce unwanted flare.

3. Interaction

For maximum impact make your light sculptures interact with the environment. Create figures walking up steps while holding hand rails. Have them leaning on street furniture, or sitting on benches.

4. Reflections

Take advantage of puddles and reflective surfaces to capture your light sculptures. Reflections will add another dimension to the sculpture and remove any doubt that your image has been created on a computer.

5. Abandoned places

Fill empty and derelict buildings with life by painting human shapes into the environment. Choose rooms that were once likely filled with people to add a presence to these ghostly environments.

6. Avoid glare

Super-bright bulbs or high-powered torches will cause unwanted glare if pointed directly towards the lens for any amount of time. For the best effect use small standard LED torches.

7. Street furniture

Transform street furniture, or any other weird and wonderful high objects by creating a perfect light waterfall by making streams of light pour out of the structure.

8. Graveyards

Free from light pollution, graveyards are fantastic for light sculptures. Create ghosts and shoot under a full moon to get spine-tingling results.

9. Subways and Tunnels

Fill tunnels with webs of light and creative trails. Imagine bouncing a rubber ball inside it and map out its path with your torch as it ricochets off the ceilings and walls.

10. Turn it off

Before you return to the camera to finish the exposure remember to switch off your torch. If you don’t you‘ll ruin all your hard work by exposing unwanted trails of light as you walk back.

When you walk through a city or town at night with your camera it’s easy to take the surroundings for granted – especially your hometown. The urban landscape is a marvellous backdrop and with the rush of evening traffic, a fantastic piece of art waiting to happen. All it needs is your eye for imagination, a little patience and, of course, a camera and tripod. If you have a remote release and lens hood, don’t forget to bring them a long for the ride.

The right location

Choosing the right location to shoot is important at night.

Roundabouts create sweeping light-trail curves, straight roads use the lead-in lines of the light trails, while the sky and interesting structures help spice up the backdrop.

Find somewhere safe to set up. Walls make for high shots, whereas wide traffic islands are perfect for getting low.

Consider the traffic flow – intense headlights will wash out the image and colourful tail-lights will be lost. Compose for maximum impact and hit the shutter when traffic enters the viewfinder. Keep the shutter open using a remote release, closing it when the flow has passed the entire frame length.

Framing

Use natural street furniture to rest your tripod and get the shot with most impact. Use a piece of card held above the lens to hide glare, especially in well-lit areas.

Light and exposure

With a massive array of ambient and direct light hitting your lens from every conceivable angle it’s best to use a lens hood to help block it out.

Strong overhead street lighting creates flare, but can be avoided by composing downwards. Black skies don‘t make buildings stand out or define strong edges. Shoot half an hour after the sun has set and the sky is dusky to balance the artificial building lights with the colour in the sky.

Avoid overexposure from bright lights by checking the exposure and histogram on your LCD. Washed out highlights will ruin a picture. If in doubt, turn on your camera‘s ‘highlight‘ feature and watch for areas that flash, indicating ‘clipped‘ or ‘blown‘ highlights.

If you do suffer from clipped highlights adjust the exposure to allow less light in by reducing the aperture to around f/22 or using shorter shutter speeds.