Light Painting (while pregnant) - Smarter Every Day 41

Destin brings his pregnant wife to an abandoned warehouse to do pregnancy photos with light painter Wes Whaley, who is one of the best light painters he has ever seen.

Most pregnancy photos end up being regrettable, so this is an unconventional approach to create something unique and memorable.

The episode will teach viewers about light painting and how it works as a photographic technique.

The video showcases one of the resulting pregnancy photos created using light painting techniques in the warehouse setting.

When a camera shutter opens, it reveals an image sensor made up of several pixels. Any photonic energy hitting the sensor is converted from light energy into electrical energy.

• Red and green photons combined create yellow light • Different colored light can be added to the sensor before the shutter closes • The final image is determined by all the light energy that reaches the sensor before exposure ends

Light painting works by exposing the sensor while gradually adding light like paint on a canvas, then closing the shutter. The timing and intensity of light determines what appears in the final image.

Camera shutters actually open from one side and close from the same side to ensure uniform exposure across all pixels, unlike the simplified illustration shown.

• Charge Coupled Device sensors are uniform in their operation • Convert incoming light to output voltage • Typically used for low-noise applications and low-cost solutions

• Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor sensors have on-board circuitry that processes each pixel individually during exposure • More expensive to manufacture than CCDs • Tend to have slightly more noise but technology continues to improve

CMOS chips are typically used in applications requiring tight form factors since processing happens on the chip itself without needing auxiliary circuit boards.

Regardless of sensor type, exposure timing doesn't matter. A 3-watt laser pulsing for a nanosecond can be equivalent to a dim LED shining continuously, which is why you can paint with light without appearing in the final image.

Wes Whaley's light painting work and portfolio can be found on his Flickr page linked in the video description. He maintains some mystery around his techniques and secret methods.

• Tie LEDs to your dog and use a laser to make it chase while photographing to create light-painted images • Numerous possibilities exist for experimenting with light painting beyond traditional methods

All songs used in Smarter Every Day videos are compiled into a single album with information provided in the video description.

Viewers are encouraged to learn more, experiment with light painting, and potentially create their own unique light-painted photographs using the principles explained.