Discover The Magic Of Black-Light Photography

Learn how to combine ultraviolet light and neon body paint to create incredible glowing portraits

1 DAY

Black-light photography involves shooting a subject under ultraviolet light. To the naked eye, these lights appear to emit very little illumination: that’s because the bluish UV light is at the limits of the visible spectrum, so much of the output is invisible to us. But this UV light can cause white or neon colours to produce visible light, giving it a glow that looks amazing when used in conjunction with body painting.

We booked a model and a makeup artist, and hired a couple of UV LED battens for our black-light shoot. But you don’t necessarily need to spend lots on this, as you can achieve similar results on a shoestring budget – both body paint and UV lights or bulbs can be purchased relatively cheaply online. Then all you need is a willing subject, a paintbrush, and a dark space to get creative in. The main challenge is to overcome the low light, so all the usual lowlight techniques come in to play. You may need to use a high ISO, a long exposure, a tripod, a wide aperture – or a combination of these – to overcome the problem of crafting a usable exposure in low light.

We’ll explain how it’s all done here, from setting up the scene and camera to applying the glowing paint to your subject.

THE SETUP BLACK-LIGHT PORTRAITS

1 UV LIGHT