THE SETUP

Black light portraits

1 UV light

Ultraviolet light causes the pigments in phosphorescent paint to glow. We used two UV LED battens to illuminate our paints and subject. These were hired from a party company (£20 each for the day). Cheaper ultraviolet lights and bulbs are available online too.

2 Body paint

Phosphorescent body paint can be bought online (search for UV Body Paint). As well as normal paints, you can also find mascara, nail varnish, hair spray and more. The brand that we used and recommend is Moon Glow (www.mooncreations.com). 3 Tripod UV lights typically have quite a low output, so you might need to lower your shutter speed in order to get a usable shot. A tripod or monopod lets you drop your shutter speed down as low as 1/30 sec – shooting any slower increases the risk of motion blur in your subject.

4 Camera

A camera with decent low-light performance, like the D850, allows us to capture usable shots at high ISOS – often necessary when shooting under the low output of UV lighting. A lens with a wide max aperture is also handy in low light.

5 Still poses

Motion blur can be a problem in low light. It’s caused either by camera shake or movement in the subject during the exposure. Ask your subject to try to stay still while you take the picture, and fire off two or three frames at a time.

6 Coverage

It’s a good idea to cover the floor and your makeup area with tarps or old towels so that they don’t get splashed with paint. And, as with any shoot where the subject will be partially unclothed, ensure the environment is comfortable.