How I Hold the Tube When Light Painting
This post answers a question that comes up constantly:
How do you actually hold the tube when light painting?
We filmed it partly in the studio as mosquitoes, black flies and horse flies invited themselves to the party for our first outdoor attempt!
The grip
The grip I use for tube light-painting photography is intentionally simple.
No adapter. No custom mount. No extra parts to fight with in the dark.
I slide the flashlight directly inside the tube and use the side clip on the flashlight to hold the whole thing as a single unit.
If you’re looking for a “flashlight-to-tube adapter,” stop. It’s unnecessary and honestly counterproductive.
The tube needs to become like an extension of your hand.
The fewer parts involved, the better your movement control.
Using my pinky finger to push the rear button
Turning the flashlight on and off
Most flashlights use a rear button for activation. While filming, I realized I could technically press that button with my pinky to light paint!
Although possible, I wouldn’t rely on that while shooting because it limits the movement possibilities I can create with the tool. Not to mention it also introduces unnecessary tension in the grip.
My usual grip with the flashlight and its pressure switch (in this case the Olight Warrior 3S-AX2)
Instead, I use a magnetic pressure switch with two buttons:
one for continuous light
one for strobe
This allows me to control the light during the exposure without changing tools or grip.
That’s how we create images like the Deep Flower below, mixing continuous and strobe light within a single exposure.
The goal is to stay fluid, and to simplify the process when we can.
Keeping one hand free
My other hand is usually busy triggering the camera.
Most of the time, it’s just Kim and me on location. There’s nobody else to trigger the camera for us.
I press the remote, start the exposure, paint with light, and that’s it.
As usual, everything you see happens in a single exposure, lit by hand, in real conditions (bugs included).
Paint with love, Paint with light
Kim & Eric
Black Canvas image created with an Alien tube & feather