Zoomdoggle: More fun than work!

Last weekend I headed down to Ashville, NC to spend a little time with the fam. While I was there I picked up these things call Laser Finger Beams for my nephew. They’re just little lights you wear on your hands, but I figured 5-year-old Oscar would like them.

Turns out he’s not the only one. Remember Shoot Booth, that fun photo-booth that lets you write with light? You can do the same thing with just about any movable light-source and a simple point-and-shoot camera.

Here’s how:

Step 1. Set your camera to “shutter-lag.” It’s sounds advanced, but it’s not. Depending on the model, the setting either looks like a flash with a little “SL” after, or sometimes it’s an icon of guy and a half moon. What it’s meant to do is expose the foreground with the flash, then leave the shutter open to get the background. Perfect for a portrait in front of a twinkling city lights at night.

Step 2. Have someone take a picture of you, holding your light source (in this case, my finger lasers).

Step 3. As soon as the flash goes off, start move the light. You’ll apeare frozen in the frame, but the bright light you’re holding can still draw in the air.

Fun, right?