It’s amazing what you can do with a torch and a piece of string in a darkened room!
![Create A Physiogram](https://magarticles.magzter.com/articles/15273/302900/5ba4eb8e1249f/Create-A-Physiogram.jpg)
Difficulty level: Intermediate
Time taken: One hour
Before we know it, the long, hot days of summer we’ve all enjoyed this year will be over and autumn will be upon us – dark evenings, dodgy weather and that familiar question all photographers ask themselves when it’s pouring with rain outside: “Okay, so what do I do now?”
Well, here’s one technique that will definitely help you while away a wet day and produce some amazing images at the same time – creating physiograms. Never heard of it? Don’t worry, most photographers haven’t. But once you try it, you’ll be hooked.
The idea behind this technique is that you suspend a small torch (you can buy them from £1 shops) on the end of a length of string in a darkened room directly over your camera. Set the torch spinning, then use a long exposure to record the patterns traced in the darkness by the torch bulb. The results are infinitely variable and you can make the patterns as simple or as complex as you like. The images are also much easier to create than they look, so what’s not to like?
Right
Painting with light This is the kind of result you can expect by spinning the torch several different ways and placing colour filters on your lens during a single exposure © Lee Frost
Shooting steps
1 Attach your string Tie a small pen torch to a length of string, then attach the other end to a light fitting on the ceiling in a room in your house so you can suspend the torch above ground. The length of the string isn’t crucial, but start with approx 1m and see how you get on.
Denne historien er fra Issue 205-utgaven av Digital Photographer.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra Issue 205-utgaven av Digital Photographer.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
![Apply a stylised detail enhancement](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/15273/1725287/6871W71c91717750228538/APPLY-A-STYLISED-DETAIL-ENHANCEMENT.jpg)
Apply a stylised detail enhancement
Give your photos a movie aesthetic with the bleach bypass effect in Photoshop
![Sony FE 16-25mm f/2.8 G](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/15273/1725287/WXvnZRe061717752809716/SONY-FE-1625MM-F28-G.jpg)
Sony FE 16-25mm f/2.8 G
Matthew Richards investigates this lightweight wide-angle zoom lens with a unique focal range
![Nikon Z 28-400mm f/4-8 VR](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/15273/1725287/67lVW9AUm1717752607181/NIKON-Z-28400MM-F48-VR.jpg)
Nikon Z 28-400mm f/4-8 VR
This lens offers everything from wide-angle to super-telephoto reach, says Matthew Richards
![Novo Helix T50 Carbon Fibre Tripod](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/15273/1725287/GHl1WKAW11717752341110/NOVO-HELIX-T50-CARBON-FIBRE-TRIPOD.jpg)
Novo Helix T50 Carbon Fibre Tripod
Adam Waring discovers an unfeasibly small yet feature-packed travel tripod
![OM System OM-1 Mark II](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/15273/1725287/v9itwiBUw1717752022054/OM-SYSTEM-OM1-MARK-II.jpg)
OM System OM-1 Mark II
James Artaius finds the OM-1 Mark II has features that you wish your camera did
![How do I get into events photography?](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/15273/1725287/w4usrYYSC1717751812382/HOW-DO-I-GET-INTO-EVENTS-PHOTOGRAPHY.jpg)
How do I get into events photography?
Jules Renahan, owner of Jules Renahan Photography and co-founder of PhotoHound, tells us what to expect when photographing events
![Career advice](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/15273/1725287/_oT7QPrN-1717751211808/CAREER-ADVICE.jpg)
Career advice
This issue, Claire Gillo looks at the logistics behind running a photography business and talks to an events photographer
![My dream photo kit](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/15273/1725287/aLWJy_ONL1717751043353/MY-DREAM-PHOTO-KIT.jpg)
My dream photo kit
With help from used camera gear specialists MPB, we've created an expert photographer's fantasy camera kitbag
![Create wet plate portraits](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/15273/1725287/OO2Tx0xaV1717750893121/CREATE-WET-PLATE-PORTRAITS.jpg)
Create wet plate portraits
Recreate the collodion process for enhanced detail
![Fine-tune colour and saturation](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/15273/1725287/QVvLL1XBg1717750540369/FINETUNE-COLOUR-AND-SATURATION.jpg)
Fine-tune colour and saturation
Use Lightroom's extensive controls to enhance individual colours in your shots