Drawing with light

  In our photography lesson we worked in groups on drawing with light. I learnt how to adjust the settings on the camera to change the shutter speed. Because the speed of the shutter has been made so it takes more time to capture an image, when light is moved around, it captures every movement and it makes a picture.

We had the idea for me to stand still whilst my other group members moved lights around my body and someone captured the photo. The outcome was an abstract vision of a silhouette of the human form. Thinking about the human form, we thought to focus closer to the face. Because one of our group members wore glasses, we found that the light reflected from them and it worked really well.

We experimented with drawing pictures and writing texts however the drawings I tried weren't very clear. Learning from our mistakes, we gained the knowledge that any slight movement of the camera can alter the image and cause it to lack focus. Sometimes this can turn into an accidental masterpiece where it actually works really well and sometimes it doesn't look great at all. I learnt that the strength of light determines the outcome of the photograph massively as well as how condensed it is. If there is a big area of light (such as a phone screen) then the result is quite a soft and wide light trail. However if the light is controlled (like a torch) the trail is a great deal more precise and easier to control. To understand, I compared it to the different between a brush and a pen - A thick brush has more area for the paint to fill more space whereas the pen is a lot more controlled and allows you to add attention to detail on a smaller scale.

Overall, this experience was extremely fun and experimental. I have been wanting to try this technique out for a very long time and I'm happy I finally understand how to achieve it. I found it quite difficult to create photographs from artists such as Brian Hart. However, like him, I used the body and objects to allow me to become influenced. Although aren't as detailed and precise, they are still effective.

You can see the difference between the phone screen and the torch

My attempt at drawing the simple character I made between the text in my welding piece!

Successful accident

A group member modelled also and we shone colourful lights around her. This would have of been more successful in complete darkness

The outcome of drawing on the floor with light

This was achieved by following the light around coat hooks

Both the light on the wall and the floor give huge depth to this image

This is how we learnt that too much light creates a very alternate image

The accidental blur of this portrait is a good effect

We experimented with shadow

Brian Hart