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Which kind of light for still life light painting?
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Posted: Mon Jun 08, 2026 5:27 am
Post subject: Which kind of light for still life light painting?
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Posted: Mon Jun 08, 2026 5:27 am
Post subject: Which kind of light for still life light painting?
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Hallo all,

I would like to make some still life images in the light painting style that can replicate classical painting style, like these

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rcHPp3wOTDY

At minute 6:30 Mr Marcialis is showing a special kind of light.

Anyone knows what it exactly is and where it could be bought?

Pointing at anything similar would also be appreciated.

Regards


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Posted: Mon Jun 08, 2026 11:43 am
Post subject: Re: Which kind of light for still life light painting?
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Posted: Mon Jun 08, 2026 11:43 am
Post subject: Re: Which kind of light for still life light painting?
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pleto wrote:
Hallo all,

I would like to make some still life images in the light painting style that can replicate classical painting style, like these

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rcHPp3wOTDY

At minute 6:30 Mr Marcialis is showing a special kind of light.

Anyone knows what it exactly is and where it could be bought?

Pointing at anything similar would also be appreciated.

Regards


His professional accessory, seems to just be a light with a fibre optic add on. in 99% of cases the flashlight he mentions a few seconds later will work just as well.


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Posted: Mon Jun 08, 2026 3:58 pm
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Posted: Mon Jun 08, 2026 3:58 pm
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Member caspert79 is expert light painter of still life (and his wife is expert arranging flowers!)


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Posted: Mon Jun 08, 2026 9:06 pm
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Posted: Mon Jun 08, 2026 9:06 pm
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Thank you all

So far my results were fairly flat and I have the sensation my lights are way too powerful and wide.

Also if I try to get around or close a subject's part a streak of light will invariably appear in the final image.


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Posted: Tue Jun 09, 2026 12:12 pm
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Posted: Tue Jun 09, 2026 12:12 pm
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visualopsins wrote:
Member caspert79 is expert light painter of still life (and his wife is expert arranging flowers!)


That's a but too much credits, but thank you Smile
It's true I did quite a few still lives, but only a few of them I did with light painting.
So I consider myself a rookie in this field.

pleto wrote:
Thank you all

So far my results were fairly flat and I have the sensation my lights are way too powerful and wide.

Also if I try to get around or close a subject's part a streak of light will invariably appear in the final image.


Here's 2 pictures I did with light painting:
Berriesfinalklein by devoscasper, on Flickr

final by devoscasper, on Flickr

As I'm hardly an expert I can give you only a few tips:
- Use a light source, like a flash light, with a narrow light bundle (in some of them you can control this). If you can control power as well, the better; I think I used pretty low power.
- I believe I used very thin paper that I put over the light source, to filter it a bit
- I think I used a wider light source for the background
- Make sure to point your light source away from the camera, so your light source doesn't appear on the image, but make sure you don't light up the background either.
- Make sure the environment is dark
- Use low ISO, close down aperture quite a bit (f/11 for example) so you have a long exposure (you can also use grey filters, but I never did).
- Before you make the image, decide what parts of the image you want to pop out (and give extra light exposure)

Still, there's a lot of trying and experimenting involved.


Maybe you can post an example? Then it's easier to see what went wrong.
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