<div style="page-break-before: always; page-break-after: always;">
<p>Once the scourge of film photographers the world over, there are now thousands of free light-leak overlays to download and apply to your images, perfect for digital photographers wanting to achieve that &lsquo;vintage&rsquo; look. Like grain and negative rebates (visible edges of the film frame in the final image), these optical imperfections are evocative reminders of analogue technology&rsquo;s unique idiosyncrasies and offer a quick and easy way to add warmth and individuality to an image, a fact not lost on the likes of Lomography, who have warmly embraced the &lsquo;lo-fi&rsquo; aspect of their artistic appeal. If you&rsquo;re drawn to these unpredictable bursts of fiery oranges and yellows and want to try creating your own light leaks, all you need is a roll of 35mm colour or black-and-white negative film, a camera, and a sense of adventure. Light leaks occur when minuscule traces of light creep into a camera&rsquo;s film compartment, typically when a camera&rsquo;s sealing foam isn&rsquo;t as light-tight as it once was, or the back of the camera is opened by mistake. These errant traces of light can lead to uneven exposures and flame-like &lsquo;burn&rsquo; patterns across the film and, like lens flare and vignettes (dark corners), were traditionally seen as unwanted defects associated with cheap cameras and poor technique. The irony is that intentional light leaks have become so popular you can now buy pre-exposed films from the likes of Psych Blues that come with ready-made light streaks and orbs. We&rsquo;re going to adopt a more DIY approach, however, and there are two simple techniques that guarantee dramatic effects. The easiest way to create light leaks is to shoot your images as you normally would and then expose your film to light. Once you&rsquo;ve taken your pictures, wind the film back into its cartridge and remove it from the camera as normal. Use a film retriever to pull the leader back out and reload the cartridge as though it were a fresh, unexposed roll. At this point, make sure the lens or body cap is firmly in place, as we don&rsquo;t want to shoot any multiple exposures. It&rsquo;s best to start your light-leaking adventures in a darkened room &ndash; you can always add more light, but you can&rsquo;t take it away. With your camera comfortably supported between your thighs, click the shutter and wind the film on several times, turn the camera off, and then open the back of the camera for a split second. Repeat this process until you reach the end of the film and then wind it back into its cartridge again. For stronger light leaks, work in a brighter room or open the back of the camera for longer, but be aware that too much light can &lsquo;burn&rsquo; away entire frames. If you&rsquo;re feeling brave and want more control over which frames are affected by light leaks &ndash; or don&rsquo;t like the idea of using a film retriever &ndash; you could try &lsquo;leaking&rsquo; as you&nbsp;shoot. Just remember that the same rules apply: make sure the lens cap is in situ, turn the camera off every time, and only open the film door for a split second. Of course, if time is of the essence and you still want to &lsquo;leak&rsquo; on location, you could always take your pictures and intermittently open the back of the camera as you rewind the film, though this is a less predictable approach that may result in a few lost frames. Up to five frames will be exposed to light every time you open the film door, so less is often more with this technique. For truly unique results, adopt a mix-and-match approach and combine intentional light leaks with cross-processing, multiple exposures, or zoom bursts. <strong>@liza_kanaeva_</strong></p>
</div>

Creative light flaws

English

Spanish(español)

Bengali(বাঙালি)

Gujarati(ગુજરાતી)

Hindi(हिन्दी)

Malayalam(മലയാളം)

Tamil(தமிழ்)

Telugu(తెలుగు)

Digital Camera UK

Walter Moser on Gregory Crewdson

DJI Neo

Sony FE 85mm F1.4 GM II

Lumix S 14-28mm F4-5.6 Macro

Ricoh GR III HDF

Lumix GH7

Scanning ahead...

Behind the lens

CAMERA CLINIC - Master the art of modern photography

MASTER THE MAGIC OF MACRO

Download your favorite titles and read them offline, anytime and anywhere

Gift your loved ones with a Magzter Gift Card instantly and give them the freedom to read their favorite magazines and newspapers from thousands of best-selling titles.

Gift your loved ones with a Magzter Gift Card instantly and give them the freedom to read their favorite magazines from thousands of best-selling titles.

Gift your loved ones with a Magzter Gift Card instantly and give them the freedom to read their favorite magazines from {{magCount}}+ best-selling international titles.

Name

Please fill out this form if you need any help regarding publishing your content on Magzter

Since we launched, Magzter has been committed to partnering with global organizations to provide the greatest possible newsstand technology & service to our customers. Whether you are looking to offer magazine subscriptions to your customer database or just want to learn more, Magzter is committed to helping your business grow. To find out more, please fill out the questionnaire below: