Tutorial: Geeky Photography with Space Invaders Flash Stencils
April 18, 2013 4:17 PM   Subscribe

Clever camera trickery in the form of flash stencilling by enclosing the flash and creating a window of a specific shape to let the light through, and then ‘light painting’ for the camera.


Downloadable Space Invaders stencil templates


Previously. The main links are dead now but this one is relevant.
posted by Room 641-A (4 comments total) 13 users marked this as a favorite
 
Are there any videos on YouTube of how it looks to do "light painting" correctly? Like to an outsider what does this running around look like?

I read the instructions and hear you're supposed to run around in the dark with your light doing stuff over a long exposure, but then the final shots never show streaks of a person's body running through them.

How are they taking such clean photos of the space invader? I would think a blurred arm or leg or body would certainly get picked up by the camera, no?
posted by mathowie at 4:23 PM on April 18, 2013


Good idea. Light stencil videos on YouTube.
posted by Room 641-A at 4:27 PM on April 18, 2013


I would think a blurred arm or leg or body would certainly get picked up by the camera, no?

From the tips:

Don’t stand too still when the camera is shooting otherwise you may end up appearing as a ghost in your image. The long exposure means you can get away with being in the field of view as long as you aren’t in the same spot for too long. Once you are done ‘painting’ get out of the shot.

Remain behind your flash. If any light is directed at your arm/face the camera will see you.
posted by Room 641-A at 4:30 PM on April 18, 2013


Tigtab, the artist in the last link, has a pretty good web site too with a different version of the tutorial plus one on making a portable light box.
posted by Mitheral at 7:39 PM on April 18, 2013


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