Shoot indoor light trails
Claire Gillo shows you how to slow down the shutter speed setting and create a masterpiece at home
On those rainy days when you don’t want to venture outdoors, indoor light trails are a fun mini project. You don’t need much to try this yourself: just a piece of string, a torch or small light, and a tripod. I also used an old-fashioned science vase so I could twirl the light around the transparent object, and see the light trails behind as well as in front. What you use as the main subject to cast your light trails around is up to you; experiment with alternative objects.
Taking the image is all about using a long shutter speed to record the swirling twirling light patterns. To avoid any camera movement, check your camera is securely fastened to your tripod and that the catches have been tightened. You may also want to use a remote shutter release (or self-timer if you don’t have one) and the mirror lockup feature.
Finally, the trick when making the twirling motions is to keep moving! If you do make a pause, you will have an unwelcome patch of light in your frame.
1 Camera setup
To ensure my camera was reading around a 13-second exposure, I reduced the aperture down to f/16 and the ISO to 64. I then used a 10-stop ND filter to increase the shutter speed time further, as I was shooting in the middle of the day in a dark but not completely black room. You won’t need an ND filter if you shoot in a completely dark room.
2 Light on a string
To create the swirling twirling effect of the light going around the vase, I attached a small torch to the end of a piece of string. Now it was just a case of focusing the camera onto the vase, then opening the shutter and making small circle motions with the light around the object. You will need to review each shot and adjust the exposure accordingly: this is ultimately a process that requires experimentation.
3 Different colours
To get an alternative result, I wrapped a piece of yellow cellophane over the torch; this was the result. I also tried it with a brighter and larger light source that ended up being a bit distracting for my taste. But there really are no limits, so make your indoor light trails unique and stand out from the pack.