Light painting at the beach

SWING AND SPLASH A LIGHT SOURCE IN THE SHALLOWS AFTER SUNDOWN TO CREATE COLOURFUL LIGHT TRAILS

1 Shoot at the beach

A beach, lake or any body of water will be ideal for your splashing light painting. Even a large puddle would do. The water creates attractive colourful reflections. We shot our scene on sand with shallow rivers of seawater at low tide. In strong coastal winds, weigh the tripod down with a camera bag.

4 Paint with light

We create our swirls of colourful light by swinging and splashing the torch over the course of a long exposure. The smoother the motion, the more attractive the curves of light will come out. It’s difficult to predict how it will look, so take plenty of frames, experiment with different motions and then take your pick!

2 Stay safe

Safety is paramount whenever you’re taking pictures around water, especially when it’s dark. A shallow expanse of water like this is the best option. Of course, shallow water is preferable in chilly weather as you won’t have to get too wet! Keep your camera and lenses away from sand as much as possible too.

5 Wear dark clothes

We’ll be in the frame as we swing the torch but we can stay almost invisible to the camera as long as we wear dark clothes (if you’re in the water, then crouch down low so that your body is mostly below the surface). Don’t worry if you show, as it’s fairly easy to correct later by combining a couple of frames.

3 Set up a tripod

We need a tripod to keep the camera still throughout the shoot. When photographing on wet sand, make sure the legs don’t slip or sink down during the shot. And after the shoot be sure to wash the tripod legs in fresh water, as sand and saltwater can destroy the vital smooth-running action of the legs.

6 Use a low angle

A low camera angle will bring the water and reflections closer to the lens for a more dynamic composition. We used a 50mm prime lens here. Focus on the spot where you know you’ll be standing (you may need to use a torch to aid your focusing in the dark) then switch to manual focus to lock it in place.