How to shoot light trails

Images of light trails often shot in evening to night time is always impressive. Be it a driveway filled with cars’ headlights or brake lights, or even a “drawing” using flashlight.

Here’s a step-by-step on how to shoot the drawing using flashlight. Please bear in mind that this is just a guide. Any improvisation is greatly welcomed. Just keep repeating until you get your desired shots.

Here we go:

1. Put your camera and tripod on solid ground.
2. Have your flashlight ready.
3. Set the shutter speed as long as you need. (5″ or 10″, totally depends on you)
4. Set the aperture to F8. (Again, you are free to try different setting)
5. Right after you click the shutter (open), start drawing until you heard the 2nd click (close).
6. That’s it.
7. [OPTIONAL] If you have a flash gun and your subject is too dark, you might want to flash it a few times.

In a nutshell, when you set the shutter to 10″, it will open up and that is when it start recording for 10″ until the shutter closed. This is a very easy technique even for a newbie. Once you try a couple of shots, you will get the whole idea.

Enjoy.

Here’s a shot without firing flash, making the subject underexposed.

Tags: flash, howto, light, night, photography, pixel, trail