Technique 

296 creative works found

• My painted with light technique explainded
  by Peter Zentjens

  Because of my Nostalgia series I received a few inquiries about …

  Because of my Nostalgia series I received a few inquiries about the “Painted with light” technique. About what it is and how it works. So, I decided to write a small article about it. This way, everybody who is interest in it can read it. I will not claim to be an expert in this technique, nor will I pretend that it’s something I discovered myself. It’s an old technique in the experimental photography. Rather then writing a complete tutorial on the technique I’ll try to reconstruct the path that lead me to where I’m today in the wonderful world of “painting with light”. At the end I’ll describe my own application of this lighting method in still life photography. First things first. Like many of you I’d never heard of “Painting with light” until I bumped into the work of Emil Schildt. Emil is an experimental photographer who’s experiments go in many directions. I’d like to try more of the things he has done, but, at the moment I’m still in the painting with light phase. Although Emil’s subjects are completely different from my own (his are nude models mostly), he was a huge inspiration for me. So, before you continue, check out his work in the painted with light category. (While you’re at it, check out the rest too, it’s worth a peek!). You will see that it really has a painterly feeling. Naturally, in Emil’s case, this feeling is enhanced by his other techniques, such as his special printing methods and so on. It’s this feeling that I was after in my lighting. What really got me experimenting was Emil’s description of his used techniques. Here is his painting with light tutorial. Based on this tutorial I started to experiment. In those days I was still shooting analogue and I quickly stopped again. The reason was simple. I had little spare time for my hobbies and practicing a new technique on film, having do develop them and mostly just see that it didn’t work out, having to start over again… Let’s just say it was discouraging and I wished I had a Polaroid camera. There was something better then Polaroid though: digital. When I bought my first digital camera I pick up my experiments again. The camera wasn’t really suited for it: long exposures resulted in more noise and enough dead pixels to fill up the sky with stars. But those problems where nothing Photoshop couldn’t handle and now I could experiment freely, see the results instantly and adjust my technique according to what I saw. I don’t know if it’s because the subjects are different, or because I’m jut not Emil, but I started to disagree on a number of things in his tutorial. I started to develop my own technique, or better said, my own work flow. Thinking of it that way, which is totally different from what I was thinking when I started writing this, I’ll end up writing my own tutorial anyway as I now see the differences with Emil’s tutorial that I had already forgotten. My work flow: / - Where emil advices to use a light bubble with a reflector, I advice to go for a flashlight. I suited my purposes better. Of course I’m working on a totally different scale. If you’re a model photographer I think you will have to stick to Emil’s advice. But if your subjects are smaller, like my still lifes, well, I preferred a shielded light source which produces a beam which is easier to aim with an to concentrate on one part of the image. - I don’t think I need to say this, but to be complete: you will need a tripod. - My first active step is simple yet takes up most of my time. It’s setting everything up. I start with a quick arrangement of my subjects on a table or whatever I’m using. I’m not carefully composing yet. Just putting the items in more or less the position I want to have them. This will usually changes ten times or more, but that’s not that important now. Right now, I’m looking for the angle mostly, for how to set-up the camera on the tripod. - Once the camera is up on the tripod I start to very carefully arrange my items and to really build up the composition. Of course, while doing this, the change is big that angle and crop are slightly adjusted again. All of this has little to do with the technique we are discussing, so let’s move on. - If this is the first time you are using this technique with this combination of tools (camera and light source) you will have to set up a balance between your camera and what you want to achieve. Now I’m mostly talking about the settings and amongst those most of all about white balance. Of course if you should raw you have the ability to edit the white balance later on and then it’s not so important. I wanted a very warm feeling so I leave my white balance to auto which results in a warm, reddish glow from my flashlight. It’s that combination, light source and white balance, that will dictate the colors and general mood. If you change your light or camera, you will have to search for the right settings again so try to stick to the same equipment as much as possible. When I bought my new camera and specially when I started to shoot in raw I totally lost direction and it took me a while to get the results I wanted again. On the other hand, once you used the same combination for a while, getting the results you want will go a lot smoother as you can know what to expect. - According to the size of the subject, the distance to it and so on, you will have to decide on a diafragm setting and a shutter speed. For the ISO value I would stick to the lowest one your camera has to reduce noise to an absolute minimum. The big advantage of digital is that you can do a few trial runs to see if you set up your aperture and shutter speed correctly. If not, don’t change your aperture ! You need that to pick the DOF. The big difference here is that Emil’s shooting models that have to sit still, so you want the fastest shutter speed possible. But my still lifes aren’t going anywhere, so I adjust the shutterspeed and keep the DOF where I want it. - Now, to make the actual picture, or to do your trial runs, I said the camera on “timer”. I make the room pitch dark, which is very important as you don’t want any light source then your own interfere with your image. I use my flashlight to find the camera again, push the shutter, and wait for the timer. - It’s here that the fun starts. Trust me, you will need a whole bunch of trials before getting it right. Work out a “path” for your light source to follow. Try to get the lightning right in one smooth motion. You can also hesitate with the light source on certain points of your composition to highlight them. You can move slowly or very fast to achieve different effects. Just be creative! Remember one rule of thumb though: keep moving the light or it will burn a spot into your image. If you want to highlight something, for example, make a slow circular motion to get a soft edge. Of course, it’s totally possible that you want that burned in spot, like I said: be creative. Just think of it this way: / your flashlight is your brush, light is your paint. - Repeat this, over and over again, until you get what you want, until you have your path worked out, the way the strokes of light have to be applied just right. - You are shooting digital, don’t be afraid of Photoshop or similar programs. Photoshop is your friend, even more accurate, Photoshop is your darkroom. Not all digital cameras give good results on longer, darker exposures like I already mentioned. So it’s possible that you will need a lot of Photoshop work to correct noise and dead pixels but I use it for a little more then just that. - At this point, I have several images which I like, but you will see this happening too: picture 1 has the light just right on item 1, picture 2’s background is far better lit and picture 3 has a spot of light on this tiny detail that non of your other picks have. I’m just giving an example here. I think you can guess my next step, right? I’m going to melt those 3 images into one where I have the light exactly the way I want it, everywhere. I’ll do this using masks mostly. Hiding bits from one image, showing bits from another, until everything is just right. I already mentioned the noise work (no longer necessary for me with my K10D) and the removal of dead pixels and do some other small adjustments like a little dodging, burning, small color corrections etc. Just like I would do in my darkroom in the ol’days. That’s it! That’s all there is to it. By now you should have one beautiful painted with light image. By way of inspiration, I hope, I’ll show you one of mine again. If you want more, check out my Nostalgia series update: this tutorial continues here

• Inspiration: Painting with Light
  by community

  Light painting (otherwise known as light graffiti or light writing) is a photographic technique that involves slow shutter speeds, darkne…

  Light painting (otherwise known as light graffiti or light writing) is a photographic technique that involves slow shutter speeds, darkness and a little bit of practice and experimentation. And it’s not just some newfangled thing all the cool kids are doing. Check out this image of Picasso giving it a go back in 1949. Want to try it? If you’ve got the urge to scratch that creative itch or to try something new this week, why not set yourself a challenge? All you need is a camera, a tripod, a light source (flashlights, LED lights, matches and glowsticks all do the trick) and a dark location. These resources might also come in handy: Make Magazine’s Light Graffiti Tutorial Howcast’s Light Graffiti Tutorial (video) We’d love to see what you come up with so feel free to post your brand new creations in the comments below. For further inspiration, check out some of these talented light painting bubblers: / Holding Smoke by EricD / all the pieces by melidiaz / Hearts by Chris Richards / Haunted House by bensound And if you want to see more, head over to the Painting with Light Group ...

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  Fall In Love
  by Mariska

  US$5.98–US$136.80

  This work was inspired by the wonderful poem UMBRELLA of the very talented artist ANAISNAIS / Thank you Anna-Marie for let to share this beautiful poem here. ’’ UMBRELLA / / by Anaisnais There she stands / Centre stage for all to see / Tall and slender / Precariously she balances. I reach out for her / Draw her to me / My hand skims her body / Slowly reaches her skirt. Playful fingers find hidden areas / Delighted her legs spring forth / Displaying the very beauty / Of her delicately placed, adorned skirt. Gaily she dances around / Dizzily twisting and turning / In the brightness of day shading / She gently tends to my needs. Personal ballerina takes to toes leaping / Merrily bobbing up and down / As emotional to her performance / Clouds cry a thousand tears for her. Reaching our destination / Slightly shaken, she leans / Watches me, / Quietly drips, against the wall. Reminiscent of the day’s fulfillment / We acknowledge one another, silently / Restful knowing we shall be / One, once more. ’’ I truly appreciate all your kind comments and support. / All Origional art work can be purchased through the artist. —-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-——- Copyright notice: / All rights reserved. All images contained on these pages are © copyright protected by Mariska and any use of these images in any form without written permission will be considered an infringement of these copyrights.

• Mark German's fantastic photographic techniques
  by Mel Brackstone

  Mark has offered some outstanding and informative journals on photographic techniques and data …

  Mark has offered some outstanding and informative journals on photographic techniques and data care. These offer an insight into the kinds of things that you can learn by doing, over and over and over…..so having Mark put them all here for you to take in is an absolute boon! I can’t emphasise enough the need to get OUT there to practice, the ones listed here, and every other technique you’ve picked up over time. You will never take good photos if you don’t pick up that camera and use it, and use it regularly. So anyway, enough of the rant…..here are some of Mark’s words of wisdom: Candid Street Photography Casual Portraits Exposure for beginners/intermediate photographers And one that just needs to be said Your Data, Computers, and not so common sense

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  Perspective
  by Anne Staub

  US$4.32–US$98.80

  All photographs and artworks in this portfolio are copyrighted and owned by the artist, Anne Staub. Any reproduction, modification, publication, transmission, transfer, or exploitation of any of the content, for personal or commercial use, whether in whole or in part, without written permission from myself is prohibited. All rights reserved.

• DIY How To: Through the Viewfinder Photography
  by Jules Campbell

  This is a ‘how to’ do the through the viewfinder or ttv technique written for all of you that have expressed interest recently. It is…

  This is a ‘how to’ do the through the viewfinder or ttv technique written for all of you that have expressed interest recently. It is by no means a rule book because I think each person would approach it differently but this is how I manage it..and remember with ttv really there ARE NO RULES :) It will require you to use that creative imagination but this is honestly half the fun of it!! I should give you some background info firstly, it is rumored to have first been thought of by Mr E on Flickr back in 2005 but there are is no hard proof of this just speculation on my behalf. TTV is still really huge on flickr with hundreds of groups dedicated to the different styles and subjects of ttv eg nature, black&white, manipulated, ferriswheels, self-portraits, etc etc So firstly ..what you are going to need, the essentials; / 1- a twin reflex camera eg. Kodak Duaflex, Argus75, or any other camera that has a large viewfinder. NB Most can be picked up from flea markets or ebay for as little as $5. Most take 620 film that is no longer made/available so this is why they are so cheap plus they are a dime a dozen as they were mass produced in the 1950s & 60’s. / 2- a digital camera with a pretty good macro so you are able to zoom in nice and close to the viewfinder / 3- a tripod certainly helps but isn’t essential / 4- something to block out excess light from above that shines onto your viewfinder glass, this can be a specially made box, a round piece of cardboard, or anything else that will do the job that you have laying about. / 5- a good sense of humor and a healthy dose of patience!! Here’s some of my twin reflex kids / This is the argoflex 75 and the kodak duaflex / This is an ansco and not my gun shells there ..its goose shooting season here and I have included them for size comparison. I wouldn’t recommend the ansco to start with as its really fiddley!! / This is looking down at the ansco’s viewfinder. / This is zooming in as tight as possible with my macro lens. / This is the image that has been cropped and is now ready for what ever colour adjustments or processing you wish to do. / OK so this isn’t my image of choice here but you get the general idea.. / This is a random piece of cardboard tube that I now use to block out excess light reflecting on the viewfinder glass. / Here is the side view..if you insist on being really anal about it you get some ideas for building the exact fit to your camera from flickr here If you would like a really indepth tutorial I can recommend Russ Morris’s here A few other points I’d like to add….some may wonder why go to all this trouble when you can do all of this with photoshop (fake ttvs) well my answer to that is I really like being able to see what image I want to create in the field and quite frankly it is so much more fun and creative to be actually ‘out there’ doing it! Secondly I don’t think all images or concepts are suited to the ttv style so this will be a matter of trial and error to see what fits for you. Lastly -the ttv style is all about embracing age and the antique-look of an image so think carefully about your post processing. Alot of ttv actually looks wonderful all on its own and I think many would be shocked at how little I actually do to some ttvs. Please use this link if you wish to find out more about the different processes and for free photoshop downloads here / that help achieve the vintage, grungey look. A great one to start with is urban acid :) Here’s a few more … / An urban acid ttv There you go…I think thats it?? Let me know if you need to know more or perhaps I’ve left something out…and don’t forget there is a Through the Viewfinder / group for ‘real’ ttvs when you are all ready to go!! Cheers Everyone!! Jules :)

• 

  The Bathers
  by Kate Smith

  Pastel & Mixed techniques / framed original / SOLD The Bathers / Taking a bath is a guilty pleasure / The satisfaction we feel is without measure / There’s nothing quite like it on a cold day / To fill up the tub and soak ones troubles away / The warmth of the water / The touch on the skin / It seems like a sin / The tub filled so close to the top / Once emersed from the sides the water will sloop / No quilt do we carry for choosing this path / For the pleasures we seek / When there are four to a bath. written by Kate Smith

• Glamour Style Portraiture Tips
  by Jennifer Woodward

  I’ve had a few people ask how I achieved the finish to some of my portraiture works, so as promised, I’ll try and explain as best I can, ...

  I’ve had a few people ask how I achieved the finish to some of my portraiture works, so as promised, I’ll try and explain as best I can, how I acheived the image below. This is by no means a step by step guide, as I generally just mess about with an image until I’m happy with it. There are however, certain effects in photoshop I tend to favour for certain subject matters, so I can at least give you an insight into those! To start of with, if you are going to heavily edit a photo, it’s generally important you are working on perfectly focussed image in the first place, so if you are going for quality, use a tripod. The reason this is important, is because when you edit your work, you are directly affecting the pixels of your digital image, and somtimes, editing can cause pixel loss, therefore reducing the quality and sharpness of the image. Lighting is another important factor – it doesn’t have to be perfect, but make sure you don’t have any areas that are very under or over-exposed. One thing I always do when I start editing, is to duplicate the background layer twice to create three layers. I then hide the background layer, leaving two layers visable. I then tend to work on the top layer when adding effects, and once I’m happy with each effect, I merge with the second layer before duplicating the merged layer ready for the next effect. This way, you always have your untouched background layer so if you do go terribly wrong, you haven’t lost your original image. You can also use your background layer to compare your edited layer with. I find this very useful to measure how far you’ve come with your editing. If you’ve gone to far, and over edited, you can always reduce the opacity of the edited version to get some of the detail back, before merging with a duplicated copy of your background layer. To create a glamour style portrait, I generally start by tidying up the image. If it’s too grainy, I use despeckle or reduce noise, but this can cause loss of detail to important areas like the eyes or lips. Detail can be recovered by carefully using the eraser tool on these areas. This will reveal the layer beneath. These layers can then be merged and duplicated. I focus very much on the eyes and mouth of my portraiture work, and I frequently select these areas using the marquee tool or pen tool, (set to a feather strength of 100 or so) and sharpen them using the unsharp mask. Any areas that look over sharpened can always be erased with the eraser tool. I also use this method to increase contrast. The next step I might take is to set the colour palette to a very pale flesh colour and select diffuse glow. It’s always best to add each effect in a subtle way. I often repeat effects over and over adding just a hint each time. It might be more time consuming, but the final result will be much more pleasing to the eye. After you’re happy with the glow of the skin, have a play about with the layer effects in the layer palette. My favourites are “overlay” “screen” and “multiply”. To create the effect of smooth skin, I add a suitable layer effect, and then choose gaussian blur. You will have to play about with the slider here to see what strength looks best. I often reduce the opacity after each effect before merging with my second layer. I find the effects work much better adding a little each time. Remember that if you lose any detail in the eye/mouth area, you can recover it by using the eraser tool. The next step might be to add accented edges – I find this can add extra sparkle, especially to the highlights of the lips and eyes. A common setting for the highlight strength is 28 or 29, but again, have a mess about with it and see what effect it has on your image. I use a variety of methods to get the colour and tone of an image right, and I tend to begin by using the selective colour option. I’ve actually only just discovered this way of altering colour, and I find this option gives you much more control than any other method. The best advise I can give on getting the colour balance right, is to trust your instincs. If it feels right, it is. Same goes for any other editing you do. Try not to think too much about how it should look, and more on how you feel about an effect or colour you just added. Art is about expression in the most honest way. If you like it, it’s right! Other options to alter the colour and tone of an image are photo filters, colour balance and variations. I tend to use all of them at some point during my portraiture works. Another effect I frequently use is craquelure. This can work great on eyes and lips to bring out texture and highlight. Again, I will select the area I want to enhance, then after the effect, I usually either reduce the opacity of the layer, or fade the effect via the edit menu so it doesn’t look to harsh. Well, that’s pretty much the basics! I will usually run through each of these effects alternately adding a bit at a time. I often return to the eye/lip area to sharpen or add contrast. The skin can be further smoothed by reducing noise and or, despeckling repeatedly. Any detail like hair, eyes and lips, can again be recovered using the eraser tool. I hope this journal gave you a useful insight into how I go about my portraiture works. It might not be a step by step guide but I hope it will encourage you to acheive the effects you desire from photoshop. Let me know if there are any areas you are unsure about, or if there are any other questions, either leave a comment or bubblemail me. Happy editing!! Jen :-)

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  earth & sky
  by Jan Stead JEMproductions

  US$4.32–US$98.80

  A quick wet on wet experiment with my new double stacked travel set of brilliant watercolours, made in the Czech Republic. On the lid, which doubles as a palette, it says KOH-I-NOOR HARDTHMUTH, a.s. / Can anyone tell me what this means? Is it the name of a person or a company…or something totally different as its all new to me? / The paper is Canson Watercolour paper, 185 gsm.

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  Mexican Rooftop
  by Fojo

  US$3.99–US$28.50

  A ’ Painting with Light’ photo experiment conducted on a rooftop while on a Mentor Series Photo Trek in Mexico

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  Good Morning Earth Planet
  by Racheli

  US$5.98–US$136.80

  Hello, Thank you for stop by to take a look at my new upload. The lady was painted in an “Old Masters” technique of / EggTempera+Oil on canvas (90X70 Cm). Affectionately, Rachel

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  Gondola Softly Goes.
  by Lorna Gerard

  US$4.99

  Silk Painting inspired from a trip to Venice. Featured in All Things Italian Group .Featured in Dimensions Group / Featured in JPG Cast Offs

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  Behold drawing 8
  by hatefueled

  US$4.99–US$114.00

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  tom's cross
  by tom burke

  US$3.99–US$91.20

  One of a kind ,hand carved,freehand scrimshaw, on ten thousand year old mammoth tusk,1.25 inches wide by 2.25 inches high wearable jewelry. see my journal entry on scrimshaw technique to gain a better understanding of how multi-color scrimshaw is done.

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  Forget me not
  by Eleni Hadjikiriakou

  US$33.91

  1 sale

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  Emotion
  by Quigi

  US$3.99–US$91.20

  No post-processing, just got lucky with a laser pointer.

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  Passion
  by Eleni Hadjikiriakou

  US$5.98–US$136.80

  original painting – acrylic on canvas 50×60cm / (Dee Dee Bridgewater’s portrait)

• On Depth of Field
  by Larry Grayam

  Depth of field (DOF) refers to that part of a photograph that appears to be in focus. It exists within a plane perpendicular to the ax…

  Depth of field (DOF) refers to that part of a photograph that appears to be in focus. It exists within a plane perpendicular to the axis of the cameras viewpoint. The photographer chooses which affect of depth of field to choose. Narrow DOF tends to separate the subject from an out of focus background while greater DOF incorporates the background as an essential element in the photo. / A photographer has three tools to manage the DOF, choice of lens, aperture and focal point. The focal length of a lens affects one element of the DOF available from that lens. Generally speaking the shorter the focal length of the lens, the greater the DOF. When set at the same aperture and focal point a longer lens will always have a shallower DOF then a wide angle lens will. A focus point 2 feet from the camera will have less DOF than a focus point of 10 or 100 feet. Aperture selection is the third tool. When a lens is stopped down to, let’s say f22 it will always have greater DOF then if shot wide open at f2.8. / An example of a depth of field chart illustrates the concepts of managing DOF. The cells give two distances the first is the closest distance to the camera that the subject will be in acceptable focus. The later number is the furthest distance from the camera that the subject will be in acceptable focus. / 24mm F2.8-—-f4-—-—f5.6-—-—f8-—-- f11-—-f16-—-—f22 / 6’ 4’9”/8’2” 4’4”/9’7” 3’11”/12’8” 3’5”/24’2” 2’11”/inf 2’5”/inf. 1’11”/inf. / inf. 22’/inf. 15’7”/inf. 11’2”/inf. 7’10”/inf. 5’8”/inf. 4’/inf. 2’10”/inf. / 50mm f2.8-—-f4-—-— f5.6-—-—f8-—-- f11-—- f16-—-—f22 / 10’ 9’1”/11’1” 8’9”/11’8” 8’4”/12’6” 7’9”/14’ 7’2”/16’6” 6’4”/23’7” 5’7”/47’11” / inf. 93’/inf. 66’/inf. 46’/inf. 33’/inf. 23’/inf. 16’/inf. 12’/inf. / 200mm f2.8-—--f4-—-—-f5.6-—-—-f8-—-—-f11-—-f16-——-f22 / 20’ 19’9”/20’3” 19’8”/20’4” 19’6”/20’6” 19’4”/20’9”19’1”/21’18’8”/21’6”18’3”/22’2” / inf. 982’/inf. 659’/inf. 490’/inf. 348’/inf.246’/inf 174’/inf. Hyperfocal distance is a focus point that will give the greatest range of DOF keeping acceptable focus only to infinity but not beyond. / Example / 24mm lens aperture of f11, focused to 9’ gives a DOF of 4’4”/infinity / 200mm lens aperture of f11, focused to 550’ gives a depth of field of 282’6”/infinity / So as the chart points out if you were shooting with a 200mm lens at f11 and the main subject is 290’ from the camera focusing on infinity would put the prime subject out of focus. But focusing to 550’ moves your DOF forward so the subject and background will be sharply focused.

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  Flying Orton
  by Deri Dority

  US$3.99–US$91.20

  Camera: Canon EOS 1D M3. Lens: Canon Lens EF 24-105 IS USM / f/22 3s ISO 50 / Lens was zoomed while the shutter was open. This is a motion shot of a garden with a “garden elf riding on a lady bug”.

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  Stand tall
  by Steve plowman

  US$4.16–US$95.00

  Focal length 35mm / Exposure 1/8 / Aperture f6.3 / ISO 200 (lowest on camera) / Pentax K100D / Fill flash / /

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  abstract 22
  by Aimelle

  US$4.66–US$106.40

  effect from a long exposure personal technique (specific gesture) I’m exploring right now . you can expect more coming as I want to experiment more and improve it. comments & critics welcome / - / copyright -> MCN: C7290-59815-EC8FB / - / / - /

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  Monica and sunset
  by mago

  US$4.16–US$95.00

  Digital art from my original Drawing: “Monica and Sunset. / /

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  Rose
  by Helga

  US$5.32–US$121.60

  This velvet-petalled rose was painted in mixed-media on a 900×600 x 100mm stretched canvas. /

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  Blue Venice
  by Lorna Gerard

  US$4.66–US$106.40

  Another in the Italy Series. Silver Cement Dye on Silk. Painted with coloured dyes. Inspired from our trips to Venice.