Creative Photography in the Dark – Light Painting, Low Light and Astrophotography
This article is not about specific recommendations for the “best” equipment, although I will link some of my equipment at the end of this article. Nor will I be giving precise instructions on specific work processes. I have already written several articles and a book on this subject. And some esteemed colleagues are also very happy to share their knowledge in the field of light painting and astrophotography. This article is even less intended to be the ultimate guide to photography in the dark. Even if the limits of physics cannot be overcome, there are often many different methods and ideas to get the desired image on the memory card.
What is your motivation? How high are your artistic standards? What results do you expect? Above all these questions, you should never forget to enjoy your time in the dark, even if the picture doesn’t turn out to be a masterpiece. The journey through light painting or astrophotography does not usually involve a steep learning curve. Even if you watch a lot of tutorials on YouTube or read articles like this one, your own skills will hardly improve. This only works if you work with the camera and torches as often as possible.
Learn how to operate your camera
No, I don’t like reading instruction manuals either, but there’s hardly anything more detrimental to the creative process than having to labour through the camera’s menu to change the desired setting. So it’s a great advantage if you can operate your camera confidently in any situation and, ideally, find every switch blindfolded. The more confidently you can operate your camera, the better you can concentrate on the actual work. Imagine if you had to look and think about how to change gear, brake, steer or switch on the indicators or windscreen wipers every time you drove your car. That would not be a pleasant, safe car journey. And just as easily and safely as you can operate levers and switches in your car, you should also be able to operate your camera. You should also be able to understand functions that you do not (yet) use frequently and set them correctly straight away. The time you need to familiarise yourself with the safe operation of the camera should not be wasted working on location. You should rather practise this in a quiet minute at home.
Learn the basics of photography
You should also familiarise yourself with the rules of image composition. Certainly not everything has to be photographed according to the rule of thirds or the golden ratio, but there are good reasons why these rules have been in place for many centuries. You can only deliberately break these rules if you are familiar with them and if you can still recognise the composition of the image.
Learn from your pictures
In the euphoria over the cleanly turned orb, it is easy to overlook the fact that the picture as a whole has not turned out well. Light painting does not protect you from image composition. And even a cleanly photographed starry sky looks better if there is a recognisable composition in the foreground. So always look at your pictures critically. Try to imagine that you have no connection to light painting and astrophotography and are only looking at the picture. Try to forget all the effort behind your result. What effect does the picture have on you? Does it tell a story? Is the viewer held in the picture and looking at it closely? Is the effect of the picture still the same a few days later? Think about what you can do better next time. There is hardly a picture that cannot be improved. I don’t mean that you should repeat the light painting several dozen times to improve small details. Under no circumstances should you lose yourself in your own perfection.
The next step is to present your picture to a critical audience. I’m not necessarily talking about Facebook or Instagram, where the comments are usually limited to either “mega” or disparagement. However, even on other platforms such as flickr or Hive, not many people will bother to criticise your image in detail and objectively. However, detailed posts on the Hive blog often get some helpful comments. Ideas such as likes for likes or comments for comments are fortunately not very common there.
Don’t keep buying new equipment
Some people who know how many lenses and torches I have accumulated in the meantime will probably burst out laughing when they read the headline. However, I have been photographing with Nikon cameras since 1992 and have been a light painter for over 10 years. For my workshops I also need some torches that I can provide to the workshop participants. I could also explain quite precisely why I bought a particular lens or torch. However, at no time in the last 20 years have I had the idea that I would take better pictures if I bought a new, great camera. In most cases, the technical limitations of the camera do not prevent me from taking a particular picture. With the Nikon D300 (pictured right) from 2008, I could still take most of my light painting pictures today. And I could also do without the two high-priced lenses (Laowa 12/2.8 approx. 1000€, Nikkor 17-35/2.8 approx. 1700€), which can be seen in the picture, in 90% of my pictures. So you should work with your existing equipment and only replace it when something has broken or you actually reach insurmountable technical limits. These are particularly important in astrophotography. Many images of the Milky Way that we see today would simply not have been technically possible 20 years ago because the sensors had a much lower dynamic range and the high image noise at high ISO values was almost impossible to control. However, there is no advantage in astrophotography if, for example, I replace a Nikon Z5 with a Nikon Z6. You should therefore take a close look at whether the new technology actually has a recognisable advantage in the images.
Don’t take all your equipment with you
Just because you have 20 lenses and 50 torches doesn’t mean you should take them all with you to take one or two pictures. If you ultimately only need one lens and two torches to realise your light painting, you should pack just that. I know it’s not easy. I often think that I’d rather pack three torches too many than one too few. But in the end, it often hurts my own creativity when I start thinking at the location about which torch and which lens would be the best choice. If I only have one lens with me, I can only use this one and can then immediately concentrate on the image composition and working with the moving light in front of the camera.
Use fixed focal lengths
If you can’t simply turn the zoom ring of the lens to change the image section, you will compose your image much more consciously. With fixed focal lengths, you are forced to move with the camera to compose the picture. So you will look at the scene much more consciously and choose the position of the camera much more deliberately. In addition, fixed focal lengths usually have a better image quality than zoom lenses. Fixed focal length lenses with an aperture of 1.8 or 1.4 are not an unaffordable rarity. Zoom lenses with an aperture of 2.8, on the other hand, are quite expensive.
Take your pictures on location and not on the computer
Think of your pictures as a journey
This is one of my first lightpaintings. I took it in 2012. I would do a lot of things differently today. I would use different torches and work with them differently. I would be much more critical than I was back then. I would repeat the light painting until it met my requirements. But that doesn’t change the memories or the emotions I had back then in the slightest. This painting, and many others from my early days, still have great significance. They belong to me. They are an important part of my journey through light painting. Without this experience, I would not be at the point in my journey that I am at the moment. And this journey will hopefully continue for some time to come.
You shouldn’t just look at your old pictures from a technical and creative point of view and devalue them as a result. Even the imperfect pictures from your early days belong to you, to your development. And the special experiences and feelings of working in the dark are usually not visible in the picture anyway. You should also proudly present such pictures to the public. In any case, I haven’t deleted the old pictures on flickr or elsewhere because I’m a better light painter today than I was back then. Don’t make yourself look bad or small. If a picture was good many years ago and gave you great satisfaction, it is still of great value today.
Set yourself goals
That’s easy to say but usually difficult to realise. What goals should I even set myself? 50000 followers on Instagram? Winning an important competition? In the end, such goals were completely meaningless to me. I deleted my Instagram account. At some point, I stopped submitting pictures to any competitions. The joy of winning didn’t last long. I was tempted to take pictures that had a good chance of winning a competition rather than ones that gave me satisfaction. A few years ago, I set myself the goal of posting a picture on flickr every day for a year and having it viewed by at least 1000 people. Some pictures “only” had 800 or 900 views, but I basically achieved my goal. Ultimately, however, this no longer has any significance for my creative work at night. Today, I only set goals for myself. I want to enjoy my time with the camera at night, be out and about with like-minded people as often as possible, have fun. I want to try out new techniques, keep learning and be more creative. Achieving these goals can no longer be measured as precisely as the number of views and likes, but I no longer have to.
You should set achievable goals for yourself. How these are then defined depends on your personality, the time you have available and a few other aspects. But without a plan and a goal, your journey could quickly lead to major breaks or stagnation.
Plan your pictures as thoroughly as possible
It is always advisable to explore the location in daylight. The work in the hangar in the picture on the right was not quite so safe. There were many tripping hazards, parts of the roof had collapsed and there were sharp or pointed objects on the floor. In the dark, you might overlook such danger spots. It’s also easier to get a better visual impression when it’s light.
Look for inspiration from other photographers
Inspiration does not mean copying images from other photographers. What’s the point? The image already exists. You should carefully analyse pictures that you like. What is so fascinating about the picture? Why are the picture elements placed in this way? How did your esteemed colleague realise the picture? What light sources and techniques could he have used? Based on the answers to these questions, you plan your next picture. The experiences you make are then part of your journey and become part of your creative process, if they work for you. You are also sure to find inspiration outside of the light painting community and friends of astrophotography. Be it in painting or in everyday situations. Anything that fascinates you could have an influence on your next painting.
Don’t believe everything the great masters say
Just because some self-proclaimed master claims that you absolutely need a camera from manufacturer A and torches from manufacturer B for light painting doesn’t mean that this is actually the case. Apart from the fact that you can basically do light painting with any camera that allows you to control long exposure times and with pretty much anything that lights up, you should always do additional research elsewhere before transferring money to an online dealer.
The motivation for “wrong” recommendations can be manifold. In the example above, the master craftsman will probably have a close business relationship with the manufacturers mentioned. However, the master craftsman may simply not have bothered to think outside the box when recommending certain products. In the worst case scenario, the master craftsman is only telling half the truth so that no-one will be as good as him. He would then no longer be the great master if there were hundreds of other people taking equally good or even better pictures.
You should also check whether the working method described by the master is actually the best and simplest. And perhaps the working method is completely unsuitable for you, even if it works in principle. In light painting and astrophotography, there are no simple, ready-made methods for creating good images.
Even if my motivation for writing this article is not influenced by any business relationship with a manufacturer of torches or cameras, I am by no means omniscient and infallible. You should therefore also check my statements and compare them with your own needs.
Equipment
Finally, some Amazon affiliate links to the equipment I use.
Nikon Z5 – Camera with high dynamic range and low image noise at an attractive price. If you don’t need a high continuous shooting rate and don’t want to record videos in high resolution, this camera is your perfect companion at night. Alternatives: Sony α7 III, Nikon Z6 II
Viltrox 16mm/f1.8 – Affordable, fast, very well-made ultra-wide-angle lens with very good imaging performance. In my opinion, currently the best lens for astro landscape photography. With the aperture ring it is possible to adjust the aperture during exposure. Alternatives: none really, there is currently no other 16 mm lens available. Slightly shorter: Sony 14/1.8 GM, slightly longer: Nikkor Z 20/1.8 S. Both lenses cost about twice as much. The Nikkor has no aperture ring.
Laowa 12mm/f2.8 – Almost distortion-free ultra wide-angle lens. The Laowa is completely mechanical, very well made and has good imaging performance. Alternatives: none, slightly longer focal lengths see above.
Nikon FTZ adapter – Adapter to use lenses with Nikon F bayonet on the Nikon Z. Adapters are also available for other lens mounts, such as Canon L, M42, Leica etc..
Nikkor 17-35/2.8 – Fast wide-angle zoom lens with excellent imaging performance. The Nikkor is one of the very few zoom lenses with an aperture ring. This lens is only available second-hand. Alternatives: none, unless you can do without the aperture ring: Nikkor Z 17-28/2.8. The outrageously expensive Nikkor Z 14-24/2.8 S is also available in a different focal length range.
Nikkor 35/1.8 G – Fast 35 mm lens, only available second-hand at favourable prices. Alternatives: Nikkor Z 35/1.8, Viltrox 35/1.8 and a few others. Every supplier probably has a fast 35 mm lens in its portfolio.
Nikkor 50/1.8 D – Small, lightweight 50 mm lens, only available second-hand at favourable prices. Alternatives: Nikkor Z 50/1.8 and a few others.
Benro TMA48CXL – Stable tripod with a working height of approx. 2 metres. Alternatives: none in this size, stability and for this price. Smaller version: Benro TMA38CL
Benro Tortoise 34CLV – Stable tripod with integrated levelling base. Easy alignment and secure hold when using astro-tracking devices, siders or other heavy equipment. Alternatives: Leofoto LS-365CEX Ranger, Innorel LT364C,
LRTimelapse PRO Timer 3 – The ultimate interval shutter release. https://lrtimelapse.com/de/lrtpt/
Wurkkos HD50 – Bright, robust headlamp.
Lumintop Tool AA – Small, bright torch with high CRI at a very favourable price
Lightpainter Ryu’s Lightworks v.2 – The ultimate light painting torch.
Wurkkos HD01 – Multifunctional torch with bright front light, white side light with 97CRI, RGB side light and UV light.
Emisar D4K – Small, very bright torch, available in different versions. Recommendation: Option “floody optics”, SST-20 4000K 95CRI Led’s or Nichia 519A 3500K or 4000K.
Noctigon M44 Meteor – Very bright dual channel torch. Recommendation: SST-20 2700K 95CRI and SST-20 4000K 95CRI or Nichia 519A 2700K and Nichia 519A 5000K
Sven Gerard, Jahrgang 1969, geboren und aufgewachsen in Berlin. Er fotografiert seit frühester Jugend mit großer Leidenschaft. Neben dem fotografischen Erkunden zahlreicher beeindruckender verlassener Orte, widmet er sich seit mittlerweile 10 Jahren intensiv dem Lightpainting. Sein umfangreiches Wissen teilt er auf seinem Blog „Lichtkunstfoto.de“, weiteren Publikationen und in seinen Workshops. Darüber hinaus organisiert er Veranstaltungen zum Thema Lightpainting, wie „Light Up Berlin“. Gerard lebt gemeinsam mit seiner Lebensgefährtin in Berlin und hat einen erwachsenen Sohn.
Sven Gerard was born in 1969 and grew up in Berlin. He has been a passionate photographer since his early youth. In addition to photographically exploring numerous impressive abandoned places, he has been intensively involved in light painting for 10 years now. He shares his extensive knowledge on his blog ‘Lichtkunstfoto.de’, other publications and in his workshops. He also organises events on the subject of light painting, such as ‘Light Up Berlin’. Gerard lives in Berlin with his partner and has a grown-up son.