Lightsaber photography - or - why using photoshop?

[Bryanakin]

Using the abovementioned photoshop techqniue and a little trick of my own produced this. Poses like these may look good but are painful to do.

[Granny-Wan]

Painful? Well, you guys look great, if it's any consolation.

I prefer to photoshop in my blades, but if you are trying to photograph them, the lower the surrounding light, the brighter your blade will be. However, it is not recommended to hand hold a camera at less than 1/60 of a second shutter speed, so use a tripod. Getting your subject to hold still is another problem. Using a higher ISO film or setting on your digital camera will produce a grainier picture, like the one in my signature file...

Also, the color of your blade will be affected by the type of ambient light... daylight, cloudy daylight, flourescent lights, incandescent light, halogen lights.... all produce a different color temperature and will affect the overall color cast of your photo... but especially the light coming out of your blade. If you can change the "white balance" setting on your camera, then you should set it to match your surrounding light source.

[Olos Nay]

I fully agree its easier to use photoshop, but I like to experience the possibilities of lightsaber photography.

An example of that - you can have a correct flash-photography setup and a polaroid camera to give pictures to participants in an event where the blade appreared rotoscoped, without having to digitize it, by simply using a reflective blade. The same setup isn't ment for ALL situations.

BTW good job on the poses, and the rotoscoping.

[Granny-Wan]

I wasn't knocking either method, just trying to share some of my photography knowledge as far as lighting is concerned...

I love to set up a tripod and take a really long exposure (in the dark, of course) of lightsabers in action... that would be cool... when I was taking classes, night photography was one of my favorites...

[Olos Nay]

my latest favourite lightsaber picture.