Paint With Light + Strobes: Creative Techniques to Try in 2026! With Lindsay Adler

If you haven’t tried this creative lighting technique before, put it at the top of your 2026 to do list! In this video I’ll combining long exposures AND studio strobes AND paint with light to create luminous, surreal, fashion images. I first learned paint-with-light early in my career, and it still feels like magic every time. Whether you’re brand new to the technique or ready to level up with strobes, this walkthrough will give you everything you need to start experimenting. If you want even more in-depth instruction, check out: Other paint-with-light videos: https://youtu.be/OkSCd9Zq1y0?si=HFfnUjaqfPYI2ogV , https://youtu.be/Q2SvX0X1PXs?si=WyU-ZZKVXd94Fr8y My Learn+ episode on creative light painting https://learn.lindsayadlerphotography.com/learn-plus-episode-13-light-painting/ Creative Lighting Guide #3 includes the technique! https://learn.lindsayadlerphotography.com/product/creative-studio-lighting-guide-v3/ Let’s take a look at the step by step: 1. Prep Your Space Eliminate all ambient light (turn off overheads, block windows, use V-flats) Any stray light will contaminate a long exposure Use a sturdy tripod since exposures can be 10–30 seconds 2. Set Your Base Exposure Begin by testing your flash light to see its ‘correct exposure’. Give yourself between 8 and 20 second exposure, and adjust ISO and aperture to change brightness of flash light. Make sure minimal ambient light registers. 3. Add Your Strobe Lighting Adjust your strobe power to match the exposure settings that work for the flashlight. Main light: For this shot we used a Westcott Optical Spot to carve a thin slice of light across the face/body Fill light: This allows you to light the garment, background and add a bit of color of desired. For this setup we used a Bare bulb with a blue gel. 4. Transition to Paint With Light Drop shutter to 15 seconds (or longer as needed) Use first curtain sync so the strobe freezes your subject at the start Turn off all modeling lights before beginning the long exposure 5. Manual Focus Focus on the eye Switch your lens to manual focus 6. Paint the Scene Use a flashlight or fiber-optic wand to trace shapes and streaks around the subject. Here I used a tool from ‘Light Painting Brushes” Move steadily—too slow = blown highlights, too fast = faint streaks Expect trial and error. This technique is artistic, unpredictable, and requires practice. Experiment, Adjust, Repeat! SUBSCRIBE AND BE PART OF THE ADORAMA FAMILY: ➥ https://www.youtube.com/user/adoramaTV __________________________________ Be the first to shop our great deals and sales by signing up for emails from Adorama! https://www.adorama.com/MyAccount/Login 🔷 Save 5% Every Day† or Special Financing* On purchases of $199+ with the Adorama Edge Credit Card. Learn More: https://www.adorama.com/g/adorama-credit. __________________________________ ✘ GEAR USED: Canon EOS R5 Mirrorless Camera https://prf.hn/l/w94R48j/ Canon RF 24-105mm f/2.8 L IS USM Z Lens https://prf.hn/l/55AEzkR/ Profoto Pro-D3 1250Ws Monolight https://prf.hn/l/K9ENnmk/ Rosco Color Effects Filter Kit, 12 x 12" Sheets (Blue Gel) https://prf.hn/l/7gzpR9a/ Savage 107"x36' Widetone Seamless Background Paper Fashion Gray Single (Savage Universal Fashion Gray Background) https://prf.hn/l/7gzpjPy/ V-FLAT WORLD Foldable V-Flat 2.0, Black/White https://prf.hn/l/EJnOwJ0/ Light Painting: (flash light, fiber optics) https://lightpaintingbrushes.com/collections/featured-collection/products/light-painting-brushes-starter-kit #lightpaintingphotography #longexposure #adorama __________________________________ ❐ LET'S GET SOCIAL ❏ ➥ TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@adoramanyc ➥ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/adorama/ ➥ Instagram https://www.instagram.com/adorama/ ➥ X https://x.com/adorama ➥ Discord https://www.adorama.com/discord ❐ MORE ADORAMA ❏ ➥ Shop https://www.adorama.com/ ➥ Blog https://www.adorama.com/alc/ ➥ Adorama Events https://www.youtube.com/@AdoramaEvents __________________________________ 📸 More from me: Instagram: @lindsayadler_photo Website: www.lindsayadlerphotography.com Education: www.learnwithlindsay.com Video by Samuel Bouret @samuelbouret Styling by Newheart @newheartnyc Hair by Linh Nguyen @linhhair Makeup by Grant Karpin @gkarpinmua Model: Madilynn @madilynnsmith __________________________________ THANKS SO MUCH FOR WATCHING!