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CHAPTER
NIGHT AND LOW-LIGHT PHOTOGRAPHY / Light Painting

manual is because there is no way for the camera

to read the light in the scene until you apply it,

which only happens after the shutter has been

opened. The lack of light when pressing the shut-

ter release button is also the reason why the cam-

era’s auto focus will not work: There is nothing

for the camera to see. To set the focus, you need

to do the following:

1. With your camera securely mounted on a
   tripod, compose the image with the lights
   on. If shooting outdoors, use a flashlight to
   illuminate enough of the scene to get the
   proper composition.

more than a few exposures to get the hang of;
while I like all the images in this chapter, I am
constantly trying to get better. If nothing else,
practicing this type of photography can really
help you understand the way light works in a
photograph as you get complete control over
the light.

Shooting in manual mode

To create a light painting, you have to use the
manual exposure and focus modes on your cam-
era. The reason why light painting is impossible
to do in any of the exposure modes other than

ABOUT THIS PHOTO Flowers make great subjects for light painting, like this sunflower which was painted from the center out, drawing the
viewer’s eye to the details. Taken at 12 seconds, f/20, and ISO 100.

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