How to pick the best lens for light painting photography.

Discover light painting photography and determine how to choose the best camera lens for this unique art form.

It might not sound like a style of photography, but light painting is an exciting, long-exposure photographic technique that can turn even routine, everyday images into dreamy captures.

Want to learn more about painting with light? Keep reading — we’ll cover the basics and provide guidelines for choosing the right lens for this style.

What exactly is light painting photography?

Like its name suggests, light painting photography is an art where you create photos by setting long exposure times on a camera and using a moving light source to “paint” in your image.

This type of photography is very artistic, but very technical too. To be effective, you need to understand how your camera works and how to control the three parts of the exposure triangle — the aperture, ISO, and shutter speed.

Picking the best lens for painting with light.

For this style of photography, you’ll need to consider the right type of camera lens. When choosing the best lens, think about factors like:

• Aperture: How much light can the lens let in? Light painting needs a narrow aperture, which means the lens should capture stunning images in an f-stop range of 8-10.
• ISO: How light-sensitive is the lens? You’ll want a lens that functions with a low sensitive number (between 100-250) so you don’t get stuck with blown-out images that are oversaturated.
• Shutter Speed: How long can you set the shutter speed to expose a photo? This type of photography requires long exposures — sometimes up to an hour — so look for a lens that can stay open for a long time.

Take your photography to new heights.

The only thing standing in your way of becoming a pro light painting photographer? A little practice — and some helpful tips and tricks.

Explore how Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop can help you discover new levels of potential with light painting photography.