Archive for the ‘studio’ tag
Photography Lights Backdrop
What lights should i use and how do I set them up for a photography studio?
I have 2 umbrella lights (shoot through) with NVision ESM227 Compact Fluorescent bulbs (120 vold; 27 watts); I don’t seem to be getting enough light to use a lower ISO or faster shutter speed. I also purchased a 10″ reflector (from Home Depot) and use basically the same bulb as the others. So I have played around with all three lights. If I get enough light in front so my daughter’s eyes aren’t dark, I have a shadow. Should i use the reflector light to light the backdrop? What should be my main light and what should be my fill light. I have never had classes on this and am trying to teach myself and do research. So far, no luck. This is more difficult than I thought.
Here is a link to a photo that was one of my experiments.
1. The lights you are using are not terribly powerful. I use similar bulbs to light jewelry and small products, but you will continue to be very limited with them for portrait work. I generally recommend people look at http://strobist.blogspot.com for techniques on using standard hotshoe flashes off-camera as an inexpensive way to get into studio lighting, and it offers superb tutorials. Hotshoe strobes will get you a great deal more power and flexibility than your CFL bulbs.
2. I’ll second Ace’s recommendation to get a good book on the subject. You can try to figure this stuff out on your own, but you’ll have a better time standing on the shoulders of giants. I HIGHLY recommend the book Light: Science and Magic by Paul Fuqua.
3. There are a few ways to eliminate the background shadow. Physical Separation of the subject from the background is useful here, as it will let you either A) move the light on an angle such that the shadow is cast out of frame, or B) Use a separate background light to obliterate shadows without impacting your lighting of the subject.
Another technique would be to place the key light directly over the lens, which would place the shadows directly behind the subject and create what is commonly referred to as “paramount” or “butterfly” lighting, popular for glamor photography.
I would strongly encourage you to focus on using one light to start out. Take that one light and move it around your subject, trying out different combinations of face angle and light placement. Once you feel comfortable with what is achieved moving the light 360 around a subject, then consider adding a reflector for fill light (white foam-core works wonderfully). One-light setups can create very powerful photos. If you jump right into multiple lights without a solid grounding, you’ll often find yourself flailing about and changing things without really seeing how each light fits into the big picture. When you do add lights, do so one-at-a-time, with a clear purpose in mind for each.
Hope this helps.
Portrait Photography Lighting Techniques : Portrait Photography Lighting: Background Lighting
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STUDIO PHOTO 6 PRO GAFFER CLAMPS by PBL $9.39 These photo clamps are perfect to hang your backgrounds onto your support system or clamp lights to stands. 100’s of uses. Heavy duty metal construction with rubber pads. Keeps things extra secure and damage-free…. |
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27 Watts 5500K Color corrected Day Light Fluorescent Lamp Photo Bulb – 2 Pack $44.99 This is a fluorescent 27 watts energy saving daylight photo bulb (5500 Kelvin temp.). This Fluorescent lamp bulb emulates a soft daylight measured at full spectrum color of 90 CRI at 1800 lumens. Lifespan: 10,000 hours. Ideal for all Tungsten Continuous Lighting Kit. This photo bulb would cost you $21 each at your local retail store. Best price combo on the internet. **Limited Time Promo**… |
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Smith Victor 20 X 40 Set of 5 Background Cloth Sweeps for LB-20 Light Tent $14.95 A 20″ x 40″ Rainbow Set of 5 Smith Victor Background Cloth Sweeps for the LB-14 Shooting Tent. These sweeps have a velvet like appearance and cover back & bottom of shooting surface. Pack includes one each of ruby red, sky blue, medium grey, midnight black, & snow white…. |
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PBL SANDBAG HEAVYDUTY SADDLEBAG DESIGN 4 BAGS HOLDS 20LBS OF SAND NEW by PBL $18.49 YOU CANNOT PURCHASE A BETTER QUALITY SANDBAG ANYWHERE AT THIS PRICE. WE GUARANTEE IT. This is a set of 4 professional heavy duty sand bags. Their unique saddlebag design can be draped over or clamped onto light stand legs, or to boom arms to provide extra stability. With dual 10 1/4″ x 9 1/4″ interior compartments, these heavy duty bags can be filled and emptied over and over again with sand, g… |
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CowboyStudio Table Top Photo Studio Light Tent Kit in a Box – 1 Tent, 2 Light Set, 1 Stand, 1 Case $19.50 This kit is the perfect set up for web retailers or anyone wants to get high-quality shots without lots of hassle. This set includes everything you need to photography small products, with all the equipment inside one carry case, it is very easy to carry out and set up. Here, the system uses 5100k daylight bulbs give your shots the perfect look. The most impressive part of this set is the design o… |
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CowboyStudio Photography/Video Studio Triple Lighting Kit with 10ft x 12ft Black, White and Green Muslins Backdrops and Background Support System with Case $121.99 Complete photo studio easy set up, includes continuous triple lighting set, 3 muslin backdrops, and the portable support system. Daylight balanced bulbs: Do Not Be Fooled By the cheap bulbs, our bulbs have been serving U.S for almost 7 years. It is UL, CE listed and Energy Star. These high-output daylight balanced compact fluorescent bulbs are ideally suited for digital photography. They also have… |
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420W Photo Studio Umbrella 3 Light Kit with 10 x 10 ft White & Black Muslin Backdrop, Carry Bag, LimoStudio $167.88 Double Muslin (Muslin Backdrop + Muslin Protector)Muslin Protector Specially Designed by Professional Photographers’ Needs Helps Protect from Dust (Back, Front, and Floorside) Controlling Light Source & Enriching Muslin’s Color No Hot Pointson Light Beam (Not like Vinyl or Reflective Materials) Essential Parts for Professional Photographer(1) x LimoStudio 10 x 10 ft. Muslin Backdrop… |
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420W Photography Studio 3 Umbrella Lighting Light Kit with Double White Muslin Kit, LimoStudio $130.91 Double Muslin (Muslin Backdrop + Muslin Protector)Muslin Protector Specially Designed by Professional Photographers’ Needs Helps Protect from Dust (Back, Front, and Floorside) Controlling Light Source & Enriching Muslin’s Color No Hot Pointson Light Beam (Not like Vinyl or Reflective Materials)(1) x LimoStudio 10 x 10 ft. White Muslin Backdrop Background(1) x LimoStudio 10 x 10 ft. Whi… |
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Understanding Flash Photography: How to Shoot Great Photographs Using Electronic Flash $15.92 This guide to on- and off-camera flash picks up where Understanding Exposure leaves off, helping free photographers from the limitations of “auto” to get the images they want when natural light isn’t enough. For the many amateur photographers afraid to venture past natural lighting, here is the book that will finally help them explore the exciting possibilities of artificial light. In his trademar… |
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Deluxe Tabletop Lighted Photo Studio $69.95 Professional photo shoots… from your own home! Tabletop Lighted Photo Studio Kit! This portable Photo Studio provides pro-quality photos from your home, office or on-location. Just the thing for your home business or on-line store. 16 3/4″ cube Diffusion Box delivers uniform illumination without glare or harsh shadows. Folds flat for easy storage; Switch-out light and dark backgrounds for best c… |
