LED sword
The advantage of working with LED lights is that they put out a consistent amount of light and once you find the f stop that works at the distance you are shooting, the long exposure can go as long as you want. The trick is to get the speed of movement right. That's the model's job, and it's not that easy.
For this one I ran through the form as rapidly as I could, resulting in a more compact and busier image than the longer exposure.
This is a 125 second exposure of myself doing a Tai Chi Sword form with LED lights attached to the sword.
Testing: 4 seconds at F11, ISO 160
Getting a feel for how fast movement can be and still have clear light trails.
This is a deliberate double exposure; or rather a two point long exposure. Focus on lights on ground, open shutter, move camera to get light pattern, and when fireworks went off next door, move camera to point at fire works and cross fingers, close shutter. The 4th of July can be a very pleasant evening to be outside working with LED lights. Autofocus doesn't work within a single exposure.
Rising full moon and LED sword lights
The full moons only become visible when they rise above the trees, making it a challenge to find an angle and focal length that shows both the sword moves and the moon. The moon is moving fast enough that this 5 second exposure shows elongation that I haven't the photoshop skills to fix. Still, I do like the image.
Random self portrait with the LED lit sword
Interfuse 2011: 10 seconds at f9.5, ISO 100
Interfuse 2011: This five minute exposure was my art project listed in the calendar of events -- I was the only attendee, so I performed a complete Tai Chi Sword form, triggering the camera by remote control. I attached some magnet mounted LED lights along the sword's length and did the form at a moderately slow pace, a 32 or so posture form. I can only give myself at best a B+ for how well I did the form, even after practicing twice before taking the photograph.
