I’ve been using light painting in my automotive photography for over 10 years now, and it’s still an exhilarating opportunity when presented. The process is an excellent option for automotive photographers to add to their repertoire, if they haven’t already, as it offers a very unique way to showcase vehicles and can be very enticing to clients.

I’ve written numerous posts discussing automotive light painting. That includes the techniques and tips I believe will make your light painting most successful and the tools I use for light painting cars. Most of my light painting tools, including the Westcott Ice Light 2, my primary light source, have been in my repertoire for years. With the imminent release of the Ice Light 3, I thought it would be a good time to look back on the current Ice Light 2.

Car light painting can seem like a very involved process with significant investments in equipment, and it can be! No matter what type of photography you are into, you can spend considerable money on your gear. But the truth is, you can start your light painting journey with probably the camera you have, a tripod, and a light source. However, investing in a quality tripod and separate ball head is recommended.