LightPaintAR: Assist Light Painting Photography with Augmented Reality

Abstract

Light painting photos are created by moving light sources in mid-air while taking a long exposure photo. However, it is challenging for novice users to leave accurate light traces without any spatial guidance. Therefore, we present LightPaintAR, a novel interface that leverages augmented reality (AR) traces as a spatial reference to enable precise movement of the light sources. LightPaintAR allows users to draft, edit, and adjust virtual light traces in AR, and move light sources along the AR traces to generate accurate light traces on photos. With LightPaintAR, users can light paint complex patterns with multiple strokes and colors. We evaluate the effectiveness and the usability of our system with a user study and showcase multiple light paintings created by the users. Further, we discuss future improvements of LightPaintAR.