As we are doing light in Science, I have set you a practical challenge this week! See if you can master any of these amazing light tricks at home (with an adult please! 😉)…. they really are SPARKLINGLY GOOD! ✨Don’t worry if you don’t have access to a professional camera, these should all work with a normal camera. If however they don’t, why not have a go at recreating other great pictures with light…..Good luck! ✨✨

1. Light Tracing

Light Tracing – the art of tracing around an object, with light!

If you’ve seen examples before of this quick light trick, then you’ll know it’s a visually stunning way of re-creating the form of any object.

You’ll amaze yourself by how easy it is to make a simple household object look futuristic!

All you need is an object with a distinctive shape – headphones, bicycles, flowers or a toaster for example.

It’s best to get behind the object as opposed to in front.

The camera needs to see the object constantly so find a decent space to work in and make sure it’s fairly dark.

2 Second Tip – Don’t choose objects that have narrow outlines such as forks, it’s hard to trace the outline precisely.

It depends on the size of your chosen object, but a shutter speed of 30 seconds should be more than enough.

When tracing small objects in this quick light trick use a small light source such as a laser pen or penlight. However, you may need to go bigger with larger items and use a torch or smartphone light. Above all, make sure there’s enough battery life in it!

Steady the camera, keep the ISO low (200 max) and use shutter priority mode so the aperture is taken care of. But if you prefer to use manual mode then start at f16 and adjust depending upon your results. You may need to do this a few times.

When the camera is ready to go, hit the shutter and start tracing the outline of your object. Make sure you keep as close as possible to the actual outline. Finally, try to follow all the curves and shapes to ensure your tracing has an obvious result.

Equipment: Object, Laser Pen / Pen Light

Time to Complete: Less than a minute

Difficulty Rating: ★

2. Physiograms

Although the name sounds highly scientific and complex, Physiograms are actually rather simple, quick light tricks.

Start by attaching a long piece of string (approx. 1 meter) to a small laser pen or finger light and pin (or securely tape) it to the ceiling of a dark room.

Mount your camera to a tripod beneath the light, and tilt it 90 degrees so it’s looking upwards. Remember to turn the light on and set the focus. Next, switch your camera to shutter priority mode (or manual) and slow down the shutter speed to around 10 seconds, to begin with.

When you are ready to start, push your dangling light so it starts to swing. The first few movements may be a little chaotic but as soon as they regulate, begin your exposure.

Hints and Tips

The effect of the light moves in a pendulum-like motion, slowly progressing to different directions as it slows. Consequently, this will give you a consistent and equal path of movement. It looks a little like the old Spirograph toys that we used to see in the 80’s & 90’s!

You can manipulate the shape of the Physiogram by changing the force and direction of your nudge. Each exposure will be different from the next.

Because the camera is low down and pointing at an awkward angle, flip out your LCD screen, if you have one, to help save your back!

Physiograms take on the look of a futuristic science illustration. It will certainly impress any audience given the simplicity of the original trick – especially since it’s a great project to try at home.

If you need to improve the contrast or the saturation of your light trick after the shot has been taken, then don’t be afraid to make those adjustments in post-production.

Equipment: String, Laser Pen / Finger Light

Time to Complete: Around 2-5 minutes

Difficulty Rating: ★★

3. Glowing Box

There’s nothing more magical than capturing the reaction of a child, or a really excited adult opening up a surprise gift.

It’s that expression above anything else that will make this next light trick a brilliant idea to try out.

Find a box, and if it’s not already, decorate it with some wrapping paper to make it look like the perfect gift.

Make sure it’s easy to open, with some loose flaps or a lid so the light inside can be seen clearly.

Place a bundle of battery-operated fairy lights into the box (similar to Christmas Tree lights).

As a result, the more lights the better as they will make the effect brighter.

2 Second Tip – Make sure not to fill them to the rim, you don’t want them visible in the final shots – use blu-tac to hold them down. White lights are best, as they’re going to be illuminating your subject too.

Top Tips for this Light Trick

If you decide to place an actual present in the box too, remember the first seconds of their reaction is the most genuine. It could be a good idea to switch to continuous/burst mode just for those moments.

The lights in the box will illuminate their face, offering a soft glow emitting from the box as if they’d opened an amazing treasure. This looks perfect with children as it adds a magical feeling to the atmosphere. It’s best to give a child a smaller box to hold so they can manage to bring it closer to their faces, otherwise, the shot may be a little too dark.

You’ll need the surroundings to be dark, so it doesn’t overpower the glowing box. Open up your aperture as wider as you can (f5.6 or wider) to create that sumptuous shallow depth of field. Keep the ISO below 400.

If you want to step up the creativity to this light trick then apply the same process to opening large books, or even add in some coloured fairy lights to add a bit of ambence to the shot.

Equipment: Box, Blu-Tac, Fairy Lights

Time to Complete: 5 minutes

Difficulty Rating: ★★