BetterPhoto Q&A
Category: New Answers

lighting

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March 28, 2007

http://www.betterphoto.com/forms/QnAdetail.php?threadID=17534

Best of luck,
Debby

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March 28, 2007

In portraiture we provide a background that is boring as we generally don’t want to detract from the principle subject. The exception; the background is treated as a prop to make a statement about the subject such as law books or science lab etc. The photographer should be able to exercise control over the background intensity. Such control is generally carried out by independently lighting the background. This system requires a three light set-up or a two light set-up with reflectors.

First your two light set-up:
We use two lights to gain flexibility which translates to control over highlights and shadows. We are talking about contrast management. Such control is the solution for consistent professional quality. We position one light high and generally off to the side. This simulates midday sun, shining down in such a way that it produces highlights and shadows. This treatment is absolutely necessary as our subject is three dimensional whereas our media is two dimensional. The only way we can create an illusion of depth is by careful placement of the key or main light. As we position, we see shadows that will be recorded by the camera quite differently than our eye/brain sees them. Stated another way; the camera produces an image that has much too much contrast with blocked-up shadows, as compared to our eye/brain observation. To reduce contrast we place a second light as near to camera as possible. This lamp fills shadows from the camera’s prospective and thus reduces contrast. To this end, the fill light is set just strong enough to partially fill; we do this by setting it to ½ power, by some switch or placing it further back. Distance reduces light energy thus we set it back about 50%. Thus: Main at 200 inches – fill at about 300 inches (values true only if lamps are equal in brilliance).

So far all attention has been directed at lighting the subject. Now for the background: Generally the main and the fill are located for best effect which means they probably cast shadows of the subject on the background. As a countermeasure we need to illuminate these shadows. Best is a third lamp, bare-bulb, located behind the center subject and low. This lamp will be blocked from the view of the camera. Placement is close to the background. Start out twice as close as the main i.e. in this example 100 inches (values true only if lamps are equal in brilliance). Changing the lamp to background distance allows for remarkable control over the final background appearance. No third lamp? Use a reflector. A panel covered by white Styrofoam or covered with crumpled aluminum foil etc. Position the reflector so that it acts as a mirror and redirects main and/or fill to illuminate the background.

Alan Marcus
ammarcus@earthlink.net

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March 28, 2007

Can you help me with shutter speed? In my room, my camera wants to expose at a 1/15 or even slower shutter speed which is far too slow for a child - I see much movement. I was told to use 1/90-1/125 for portraits, but this makes my exposure much too dark, even with a 2.8 aperature.

Thanks again!

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March 28, 2007

With continuous lights you would not be able to shoot children effectively without using a very high ISO. Of course that means noise if you shoot digital and grain if you shoot with film. This is why so many people set up studios with strobes. Strobes have a duration of about 1/1000th of a second so you do not need to worry about movement. They have other advantages including consistent color. If you have daylight fluorescent bulbs and you mix with a tungsten work light you will have color problems. I’m sorry to say studio photography isn’t all that easy and the tools are certainly not inexpensive.
Try to have fun! John Siskin

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March 28, 2007

Tell me about your lights. I need to know make and model and wattage etc.

Alan Marcus
ammarcus@earthlink.net

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March 28, 2007

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March 29, 2007

http://www.dcresource.com/reviews/panasonic/dmc_fz20-review/index.shtml

With your lights( and I will look at those next) try and post the setting:

camera Manual/ 125/f9 test.

lets use a white background with one light as main and one light as back.
** set a object or subject on a stool or?? and just lay thebacklight on the floor for now pointing towards your white background.
Now please test and post.
thank you,
debby

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March 29, 2007

Just for clarification, I should set my CAMERA to 125/f9. I don't think I can change any settings on my lights.

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March 29, 2007

subject 2-2 1/2 feet from background min.

backlight lay between the subject and background.

you can not change the settings on these lights.
here is a tutorial on your system:

http://www.photoflexlightingschool.com/Equipment_Lessons/First_Studio/The_First_Studio_Portrait_Kit/index.html

I hope this helps,
Debby Tabb

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March 29, 2007

125/f9

125/f10

200/f22

**supposively your camera on Manuel may be grainy, they suggest if so trying 200.
witch when setting up lighting is a standard setting I tell everyone to test there first.(200/f22)
I was treating your camera more like the Olypumus/Sonys.

see what each of those get you, this also gives you the chance to test and discover on your own what is working with your equiptment.
and please post them all.
it is hard to know what is helping
with out seeing and it helps others who may ned it as well.
Hope this helps,
Debby

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March 29, 2007

I followed your provided link to First Studio and briefly took a look. The lighting design - it is continuous as apposed to flash (strobe). Your desires remain doable however, you should know that flash is the de facto standard for studio work, either film or digital. Most portrait set-ups are flash for a variety of reasons, heat being a major consideration. For now you are mainly concerned with gaining knowledge and a means to gain control over the background. I have suggested that you add a background light. Now I am going to further suggest an inexpensive solution.

From what I can see at the web site, the lamps (bulbs) you are using are photo grade tungsten halogen. That being the case you can just go to your local hardware store and buy an inexpensive pin-up fixture. Make sure the one you buy one that can handle the high wattage bulb I suggest. Read the fixtures wattage ratting and check to make sure the socket is made of porcelain.

At the hardware store, buy a pin-up lamp fixture. One with a removable aluminum reflector will do. Get two flood tungsten halogen bulbs wattage 200 and 300. You can get the ones with built-in flood reflector. These are made in two types one for indoor one for outdoor. The outdoor, know as a PAR is more robust and will do nicely. No need for the aluminum reflector with this design however the reflector will protect somewhat as it prevents the hot lamp from directed contract with furniture and floor.

To illuminate the background, clamp the pin-up’s to the legs of the chair or stool and point the lamp up so it illuminate the background. You can experiment with different wattages to get the effect you want. The background appearance as to lightness or darkness, on the finished image, is a function of the brightness of this lamp. No law says you can’t use more than one on the background.

The good news is this approach is a low cost solution. The bad news is the color balance produced by this hardware purchased lamp probably won’t match your First Studio set. Now listen; the color balance error produced by this lamp will be of no importance in your situation. Keep in mind, you are lighting the background, not the subject. So what if the background ends up tinted reddish (salmon) or perhaps yellowish, so what? Many backgrounds are brown or rust or otherwise off-white.

Caution: Your studio lamps use above normal electrical power. Adding the background lamp places additional burden on the house wiring. Be careful – do not start a fire with lamp heat or electrical overload.

Now go have fun,

Alan Marcus
ammarcus@earthlink.net

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March 29, 2007

The FirstStar Lamp

Our 250-Watt lamp is the industry leader in both power and safety. The FirstStar lamp offers 50-150 watts more power than our competitors'. Translated into photo terms, that’s ½ to 2 ½ stops, giving you faster shutter speed and greater depth of field. The FirstStar lamp is built in a double envelope design encasing the element in a heavy duty, clear glass shell. If the bulb explodes, the fragments are contained within the shell eliminating the need for a light reducing scatter shield and protecting your subjects from damage or injury (figure 7).

The FirstStar Lamp

at this time do not add a lght, use 1 as a main and another as a back.
this is to test and also so you can see what you will get using a backlight.
yes, do not leave these on and laying on carpet.

another link to these:

http://www.photoflexlightingschool.com/Equipment_Lessons/First_Studio/The_First_Studio_FirstStar_by_Photoflex/index.html

just a note, these are inexpensive, but I would not recommend these.
For those of you looking, LOOK.
post a thread, get some ideas of what you need to accomplish what you want to do.
I do hope this helps,
Debby

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March 29, 2007

By the way, Debby, my camera is a fixed lens and the aperature range is only f2 - f8. other suggestions for combinations to try?

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March 29, 2007

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May 10, 2007

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May 10, 2007