Painting With Light
The definition of the word photography is drawing with light. This quarter, students in Photo 2 and Photo Portfolio, did just that, draw with light. We took a field trip down to the basement where it was nice and dark, and just a little bit creepy thanks to leftover cobwebs and other detritus from the annual senior class Halloween haunted house.
Students were provided with a variety of tools to use for their light sources including glow sticks, color-changing light wands, UV flashlights, light-up bouncy balls, and more. Once they chose their subject and the proper lighting tools, they set up their shot in the dark recesses of the room to avoid any unintentional light from exterior sources.
Taking photographs in the dark isn’t the same as doing so out in bright sunlight or even indoors with lots of overhead lighting. Without light, we cannot make photographs. And without the proper camera settings, there isn’t enough light to make a proper exposure. So, the students needed to figure out what settings would be best for the image they wanted to capture. This involved keeping the ISO small enough in order to avoid noise in the image, which in turn meant a much longer shutter speed, sometimes upwards of 30 seconds. This longer shutter speed allowed for capturing both still and moving objects, to make for some really creative images.
All in all, students had a great time taking photos and trying to creep each other out in the dark. They produced some beautiful images as well!
Stephenie Koerne is a Graphic Designer, Photographer, and Educator but better known as Jill-of-all-Trades. When not juggling work tasks, Stephenie wiles away the hours working on her photography and other art projects, collecting toys (as showcased in her office!), and reading. She loves dogs, cats, and cupcakes and pink is her signature color.
