CHRISTMAS TREE LIGHT PLAY
I call this "reverse light painting" because with traditional light painting the camera stays still and the object(s) move around to create the image. Here the subject is static and you move the camera to create shapes with the lights.
To create your "Quantum Christmas Tree" you first have to make sure that the lights are on constant, not flashing, or it won't work. Set your camera to shutter priority and I find a 5 second shutter speed works best for me but you can experiment with that. Decide what shape you want to make, then steadily move the camera around in that shape while the shutter is open. A 5 second shutter speed is great for 5 pointed stars, just count the seconds in your head, one for each point. You have to move the camera upside down compared to the finished shape you are trying to create. The hardest part is starting and finishing in the same place to get a perfect shape, I've left some of my failures in this gallery to illustrate that point. Unless you are very lucky, or possess a superpower, you will not get it right first time. Don't move the camera too much, small shapes work best. Practice makes perfect, and it is great fun playing around with this, invent your own shapes. You can do it with strings of lights too, it doesn't have to be tree lights. In fact you can even do it with street lights, but they aren't as colourful! I hope you have fun creating your very own Quantum Christmas Lights!
Read MoreTo create your "Quantum Christmas Tree" you first have to make sure that the lights are on constant, not flashing, or it won't work. Set your camera to shutter priority and I find a 5 second shutter speed works best for me but you can experiment with that. Decide what shape you want to make, then steadily move the camera around in that shape while the shutter is open. A 5 second shutter speed is great for 5 pointed stars, just count the seconds in your head, one for each point. You have to move the camera upside down compared to the finished shape you are trying to create. The hardest part is starting and finishing in the same place to get a perfect shape, I've left some of my failures in this gallery to illustrate that point. Unless you are very lucky, or possess a superpower, you will not get it right first time. Don't move the camera too much, small shapes work best. Practice makes perfect, and it is great fun playing around with this, invent your own shapes. You can do it with strings of lights too, it doesn't have to be tree lights. In fact you can even do it with street lights, but they aren't as colourful! I hope you have fun creating your very own Quantum Christmas Lights!
