By Victoria Benanti

KEY TERMS: 

Shutter Speed: the time for which a shutter of the camera lens is open at a given setting

Aperture: a space through which light passes in an optical or photographic instrument, especially the variable opening by which light enters a camera.

ISO: International Standards Organization. It refers to the industry norm for sensitivity of emulsion based film

Light Trials: Shows the motion of the light with a long exposure

Light Painting: One can add light to a photo and can draw different designs since the camera picks up the light trails.

Goals:

• Make a skyline photo

• Unique

  • With the help of light trails and painting

• Be able to tell what it is

Important Note:

• Using the car to create motion

• Won’t work if using a tripod

• Although it is possible to take photo without car, and instead tap the camera while photo is being taken with a pencil etc...

Steps:

• NOTE THIS IS HOW TO TAKE THE PHOTO IN THE CAR*

1. Set camera on Manual

2. These next steps are more out of preference

   1. For photo that focus more on the skyline, lighter or taken earlier at night

      1. Set ISO to 800

      2. Set Aperture to 5.6

      3. Set Shutter Speed to  3/10

   2. For photo that focus more on the lights of the skyline or taken later at night

      1. Set ISO to 1600

      2. Set Aperture to 5.0

      3. Set Shutter Speed to ¼

3. Edit

Before Editing (Skyline Focus)

Final Product (Skyline Focus)

Before Editing (Light of Skyline Focus)

Final Product (Light of Skyline Focus)

What / Why you will need to Edit:

• The lights add hues in the sky, so even at night they will need to be edited

• The photos will most likely need to be cropped as well

• This is all after the normal photo editing of exposure, highlights, etc...

Variables to Consider / Tips:

• Motion comes from the car

• You can’t control what the light trail looks like

• Motion unpredictable

• Speed varies

  • so you might have to adjust different setting to what you like best

• Plan to go at night, you want to make sure the sky is not to foggy or else you might not be able to get the skyline

• Take multiple photos

• Adjust settings to what YOU like