Well, I’ve officially done enough photos with light sabers to have a whole blog post with tips just for that. I also realized that I have more practice with this than most photographers, so I’m excited to share this with you!
First things first:
Star Wars has always been ahead of the game with their special effects, so don’t be disappointed if your light saber photos don’t look like what you see in the movies. I hope to eventually update this post and my future photos with what I learn about their processes for bringing light sabers to life. My advice comes from my own trial and error without the high-end lighting, software, and props that they use in Hollywood. This will take practice.
Choose your locations carefully
A light saber is its own light source, so it shows the most color when it’s against a dark background without another light shining on it. This is one reason why we chose Stumphouse Tunnel for these photos—the farther you are from your light source, the darker things will be, and I can’t think of anywhere else around here that goes this deep without any lighting at all. This was one photo idea I had early on, since I’d taken a silhouette in this spot before. With a silhouette, you obviously won’t see things like faces or details on your clothes, so you need to make sure the people in the photo are posed in a way where you can see exactly what’s going on. Between the two photos below, I prefer the photo where they’re holding the sabers down to the side because the colors pop against the dark background better than the light coming from behind them.
In a darker location, you can also let the light saber do all the lighting itself, which will be super dark, dramatic, and monochromatic. This also highlights the color cast a light saber can put on your face, even if the saber itself isn’t showing as much color in the photo. I think the blue here kind of makes him look like a force ghost or a hologram.
Editing for light sabers
If you’re in a better-lit area, the best light for your face might overshadow your glowing light saber, and it’ll look white. For this, I use selective editing, meaning I select just the saber and edit that part separately. I use a hue, saturation, and luminance layer; check the “colorize” box; and then decrease the luminance, increase the saturation, and adjust the hue to the color I like. I’ve developed preferences for the exact hue setting I use for certain colored light sabers. Only a few of my light saber photos didn’t require selective editing for the saber, so I think this was a magic balance between having just enough natural light on their faces and having just enough darkness for the saber to really shine. I still edited the photo as a whole in Lightroom and adjusted the greens and blues, but I didn’t have to isolate the saber in Photoshop.
I’ve also been told by some Star Wars cosplayers that there are “day sabers,” or a blade that’s just a solid color and not a light. In the photo below, the saber on the left had a dead battery, so this is a really good example of the difference between one that’s lit up and one that isn’t. Both have been edited to better highlight the color.
These sabers are from Clayton’s Customs, which I love because of how realistic they look and sound. I also did their wedding and engagement photos, which you can see above and below. This reel from their wedding day is my demonstration of how cool they are to use.
If you’re still looking for a photographer, read more about my elopement and engagement photography services, and check out some of my other Star Wars photos below!
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My name is Christine (Scott) Gow and I’m an elopement photographer based out of Greenville, South Carolina. I’m a wife and a beagle mom. The three of us have visited beautiful places in every corner of South Carolina, to include all 48 of our state parks. We love finding new outdoor places to visit, but we also love hanging out on the couch and watching Pixar movies.
One thing I love about South Carolina is that it’s not just the beaches and colorful houses that you imagine when you picture it. Whether you’re looking for mountains, beaches, or anything in between; I can help you find the perfect place for the two of you and make it as smooth of a day as possible. No matter how you two choose to spend your day, I’m happy you’re doing it the way that you want.
I can’t wait to meet you!
