This particular image is lyrical and reminded me of a musical score. This type of image requires a large backdrop in a dark room. It is important to mark your tripod legs with reflective tape so that that you do not run into them. Then it is important to set the focal plane then mark the midway spot in front of the backdrop (and then remove it from the image later during processing). You will need to do a few run-throughs to figure out how quickly to move across your “stage” and how to move your light device to avoid extensive overlap of light that will create image confusion and some very hot areas.

This photo was taken in Hudson Yards in New York City. The building in the foreground is The Shed, a performance space. The image was taken with a Sony A7riv and a Tamron 28-75 mm lens at 75 mm. I did some basic processing in Lightroom.

There is a lot of serendipity with light painting even with advance planning—so it is important to keep shooting, make adjustments, and capture multiple images. The light is delivered by a light wand tool from behind the balls. The lens balls and the reflective mylar underneath them bounce the light around. The colors of the light demand attention because some are hotter than others requiring exposure adjustments. Here the colors were relatively similar, and the intense saturation made the simple geometry just pop.