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Is it possible to paint humans with light?


ruslan safin

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I say yes! And want to share it with you how I did it. It is my first

LightBrush portrait (well, I have another one from that session:)). I

used a simple torch. I metered incident light for f22 (large format).

It was 4 seconds. I tried to imagine where I wanted shadows and

mentally depicted the image. That was ok. Then I asked the model not

to move backwards/forwards and from side to side yet I, a kind man,

allowed her to wink.:) BUT only after she was told! (later I learned

that it does not matter that much if the model winks not often ∙ the

exposure long enough to catch the motion:)). I turned off the light,

set on Bulb and cock the shutter, pulled a darkslide and fired. Then I

came to the model, stood BY her side (not to be in the way of the

lens), turned on the torch (carefully watching that the lamp did not

get into the lens) and started painting with her top. I moved the

torch slowly to get approx. 4 seconds on each area. I knew that I

should not go for the second time on the same place since the model

could moved (easy in the darkness, losing sense of space). I did not

paint her eyes much to save the shadows (they are here important to

convey the look). Just painted the lower areas AND remembered the

already lit areas if her face meanwhile. Then some light on her

clothes and the image done. I turned off the torch, shut down the

shutter, pushed the darkslide back and turned on the lights. But

remember that the look on the model's face should be some kind of

"deep" or "eternal" or "thinking" or "what if they stop producing

lipstick?" whatever - a smile will look strange, I think. But who says

there's a limit after all?:) Good luck!<div>00Aosy-21431784.jpg.0138b8745fc59d599afaaf091931e84a.jpg</div>

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  • 2 weeks later...

Nice work! I'm glad I'm aware that those outside the US call a flashlight a torch, or I would've been concerned for your model. : )

 

I've experimented a little with painting with light as well, and found that putting a thin white cloth (even a tissue) over a flashlight helps diffuse the light a little and makes for more gradual edges (though with longer exposure times).

 

I bet you could also do it with a regular lightbulb in a cardboard box, with one end covered in a paper towel - a sort of mobile mini-softbox.

 

Have fun!

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