Discussion: Lighting Techniques - DPChallenge Forums

Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS

10/09/2002 11:20:14 AM · #1

Linda Hall asks:

How do I use lighting appropriately to get exactly the look I'm going for?

Let's discuss some lighting issues....

Gordon

RIM BlackBerry Curve

Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM

10/09/2002 11:29:45 AM · #2

Basics: I almost always never use the on-camera flash.

A light source coming straight from the camera kills most interesting
shadows and results in dull, flat, boring pictures. Better to use
available light than the camera flash.

I occasionally use the built-in flash, but only outside, in bright light, to provide
some fill light to soften shadows. No other time if I can avoid it.

I have a Canon 420EX speedlite. I also try to avoid using it
directly on any subject. Bouncing the flash off walls/ ceilings/ white
cards etc gives a much softer, more even effect.

Also covering the flash with e.g., tissue paper provides a softer light.

I also use a really cheap lighting setup - walmart 500w work lights,
about $20 each. These I shine through a 'softbox' I made with an old
white sheet and a shoe box. You can get away with this for digital because
of the ability to set white balance and easily post process. Anyone
who uses film is probably having fits reading this, just because of the
colour casts that this would normally cause.

Konador

Canon EOS-500D Rebel T1i

10/09/2002 11:29:52 AM · #3

I use a small desk lamp, because it is easy to position correctly, so you can create or reduce shadows, and move it close for harsh shadows, further away for paler shadows. Using more than one of these lights is also good for nice overall lighting.

I know this isnt the most technical thing in the world, but it is flexible and cheap.

Sometimes I use a piece of wood with 3 diff colour high power light bulbs attached onto it that me and my dad made for a yr2000 disco believe it or not. On the back there are just normal household light switches so you can choose which ones to turn on or off.
This is harder to position but great for coloured lighting.

Warning: They get very hot, and when you start seeing smoke come from your props, I suggest turning them off!

* This message has been edited by the author on 10/9/2002 11:28:48 AM.

kathleenm

Canon EOS-D60

10/09/2002 11:31:04 AM · #4

Okay, I have a question. For Ghost in the Machine you said you used clamp (desk type?) lighting. I've seen others that have mentioned this as well. When I tried that for my pencil shot I ended up with very harsh lighting and lots of shadows. My bf and I ended up holding sheer scarves over the lights that we were holding in the air at optimum angle while I juggled the camera remote..lol. What's the secret? :-)

10/09/2002 12:11:52 PM · #5

I FULLY second Gordon's comment about on-camera flash. To me that's the lighting of last resort. Light from a different angle is usually far more flattering and interesting.

Here's a little tutorial I once did about the effects of using one light source from different angles, and what to think about/look for when you're setting up.

Simple Lighting Tutorial by Magnetic9999

Hope this helps someone!!!

10/09/2002 12:14:57 PM · #6

Originally posted by kathleenm:
Okay, I have a question. For Ghost in the Machine you said you used clamp (desk type?) lighting. I've seen others that have mentioned this as well. When I tried that for my pencil shot I ended up with very harsh lighting and lots of shadows. My bf and I ended up holding sheer scarves over the lights that we were holding in the air at optimum angle while I juggled the camera remote..lol. What's the secret? :-)

My lighting for that photograph was a little strange... The clamp lights that I refer to are the round $5 fixtures you can get at Walmart (See Connie's How'd they do That article on her ELEVEN photo). I had one light on each side of the camera (camera is elevated on a tripod) and the lights were pointing in the came direction as the lens on the Nikon camera. I was not pointing the lights directly at the camera... I was using the lights for soft illumination rather than direct lighting... I also had my overhead light on directly above the camera... this light has a dial that I can adjust the intensity of the light...

10/09/2002 12:22:17 PM · #7

I also agree totally with Gordon't statement about using the on camera flash. This should be used only as supplemental lighting in bright light situations where shadows need to be removed.

When working in natural light, there are several issues that should be considered. First of all, you will probably want to use a tripod unless your natural lighting is very bright. Natural indoor lighting is often too dark to generate a fast enough shutter speed to be able to effectively hand hold the camera. The slower shutter speeds on shots like this are the source of the blurred images.

If you are setting up lighting with your own light sources, you can simply play around with it to get just the right effect. There is no right or wrong way to light your subject... You just have to experiment with it and see what YOU like the best...

10/09/2002 12:28:19 PM · #8

Take a look at This Page for some great inexpensive ideas for your light sources.

I have three of the Regent 500w halogen work lights and two of the clamp lights with the round metal reflectors. Total cost is less than $40 on all that stuff... I think I got my Regent 500w work lights for about $8 or $9 each, but I could be mistaken...

Using this kind of lighting also requires, as Gordon mentioned, knowledge of your white balance settings on your camera :)

10/09/2002 12:30:03 PM · #9

HOWEVER

A caveat about the flash advice:

it can be very useful to use your on camera flash as a 'fill' light in certain situations where the main light is ALREADY provided.

I.e. Outdoors, solar lighting can be very contrasty, and using your on camera flash can 'even things out', reducing a lot of shadows and creating a more pleasing effect. This is esp true if the solar light is backlighting your subject. Like a bright window behind your subject might require a fill flash to bring the inside light level up to the same strength as the window.

hope that helps and see my tutorial about using one light :
Simple Lighting Tutorial by Magnetic9999

Tamron SP 24-70mm F/2.8 Di VC USD for Nikon

10/09/2002 12:35:45 PM · #10

Just want to add :

if anyone thinks something is missing in my tutorial or wants to suggest some related directions/topics to expand upon and maybe do another tutorial about, I'm wide open!

Thanks!

jimmsp

Canon EOS-60D

10/09/2002 12:40:49 PM · #11

Has anyone tried using some of the commercial colored lights that are available to get different effects?
Or can PS effectively do that?

10/09/2002 12:43:47 PM · #12

here is some more elaboration the useful concept of 'fill flash'

Fill Flash for Film or Digital Cameras

Comprehensive Fill Flash discussion

Fill Flash Examples

Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM

10/09/2002 12:47:40 PM · #13

I have not used colored lights per se although many here have. What I did was order a photo gel sampler pack which contains about 20 different colors and put those over my lights with a simple binder clip setup : ) ...

I used blue in this picture for DPC, and red in this shot of a wine bottle.

I find that system more flexible than changing bulbs all the time :) ..

You can get the gels from bhphotovideo.com. Search for Roscoe cinegel sampler pack. it's about $30 and they last forever if you take care of them!

Originally posted by jimmsp:
Has anyone tried using some of the commercial colored lights that are available to get different effects?
Or can PS effectively do that?

* This message has been edited by the author on 10/9/2002 12:46:14 PM.

LindaLee

Canon EOS-40D

10/09/2002 12:56:37 PM · #14

Mag, your lighting tutorial was very helpful, and illustrative of the effects.

What is the appropriate way to use "white balance", and in what situations do you do what. I am having trouble grasping the white balance use.
Linda

10/09/2002 12:57:20 PM · #15

Using work lamps --

Check this out - builder's lamp with diffuser.

Btw, i want to reiterate that the best place i've found on the net to discuss and learn about lighting is the dpreview.com lighting techniques forum. It's really really informative with lots of helpful peeps.

* This message has been edited by the author on 10/9/2002 1:00:35 PM.

Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM

10/09/2002 01:01:32 PM · #16

White balance is simply an electronic correction for the color cast in whatever lighting you're using.

Incandescent lights tend to be on the redder/orangey side, flourescent lights are more green, and sunlight is more blue, although sunny daylight is considered to be 'neutral' in temperature since it's about in the middle of the spectum. Cloudy days and shade though, are even 'bluer' (literally as well as figuratively!)..

All white balance does is correct for that color emphasis and make your shots look more neutral, as if they had been shot in clear sunlight with no weird color shift.

That help????

Originally posted by lhall:
Mag, your lighting tutorial was very helpful, and illustrative of the effects.

What is the appropriate way to use "white balance", and in what situations do you do what. I am having trouble grasping the white balance use.
Linda

kathleenm

Canon EOS-D60

10/09/2002 01:03:21 PM · #17

I just want to say that I'm finding this thread enormously helpful and will be bookmarking and printing for future reference! Thanks all :-)

LindaLee

Canon EOS-40D

10/09/2002 01:09:54 PM · #18

Originally posted by kathleenm:
I just want to say that I'm finding this thread enormously helpful and will be bookmarking and printing for future reference! Thanks all :-)

Same here !!

Mag; yes, that definitely helps me to understand the purpose of it. I think I'll do some shots today with some of the different lights I have and see what I get. One of my lights (a small clamp-on desk lamp) casts a very "orangey" warm cast, and the other (my drafting table magnifying lamp w/flexible arm) casts a very blue "cold" cast. I've had trouble with correcting those color casts in post-processing and didn't understand the use of white balance to help correct it.

There is so much information here that I am going to have to start a notebook! Thanks to all!!

Linda

10/09/2002 01:10:04 PM · #19

When this thread dies out, I will probably attempt to make a summarization of all of it that we can build into some sort of FAQ or onsite tutorial... I hope that MAG brings his tutorial here :)

Gracious

10/09/2002 04:07:06 PM · #20

Originally posted by kathleenm:
Okay, I have a question. For Ghost in the Machine you said you used clamp (desk type?) lighting. I've seen others that have mentioned this as well. When I tried that for my pencil shot I ended up with very harsh lighting and lots of shadows. My bf and I ended up holding sheer scarves over the lights that we were holding in the air at optimum angle while I juggled the camera remote..lol. What's the secret? :-)

I use bulbs of various wattages in gooseneck clamp lamps. (I have 3) I have 40 and 60 watts mostly. And as has been mentioned before, use tissue, paper towels, fabrics in front of them to further regulate the strength of the light and the tone. A lot of time I don't use the direct light but I bounce it off the ceiling or other objects, like fabric.
I also have a small milk glass lamp nearby that I sometimes use too. It has a white glass chimney type shade, and sometimes over that I place an amber pleated lampshade.
Another thing I do is use various things to bounce the illumination back on the subject(s) I'm photographing. I've used white cardboard, ( a pizza box works well) aluminum foil,(be careful that can be too harsh) construction paper, fabric.
One of my favorite light sources is a little wooden lightbox I found at a yard sale. It has a 15 watt bulb and over the light compartment is a sheet of glass. That usually produces a nice soft light.

Gordon

RIM BlackBerry Curve

Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM

10/09/2002 05:10:09 PM · #21

On white balance : most cameras try to correct the difference in colour
temperatures - they also have some pre-defined white levels, such
as the ones you typically get from flourescent light, or a cloudy day,
or a tungesten light source.

You can also often set a 'custom white balance' where you provide a
white reference, under the illumination, point at it and set the white
point to the colour of whatever you used as a reference. This can be
used for interesting 'filter' effects, where basically if you set the
white balance on a coloured surface, you shift the colours into the
opposite 'complimentary colour' for whatever you used as the white balance.

Cheap colour filters! I have a printed card with about 64 different colour
pairs that can be used to set custom white balances for different effects.

Also white balance is about the major reason I use Canon RAW mode, as
I can change the white balance for the files before converting them.

10/09/2002 11:12:14 PM · #22

Has anyone tried using colored fabric or plastic transparencies to cast colors with their lighting?

10/10/2002 11:14:58 AM · #23

john, please scroll up and read my post about using colored gels (plastic sheets) .. : )

Originally posted by JohnSetzler :
Has anyone tried using colored fabric or plastic transparencies to cast colors with their lighting?

kathleenm

Canon EOS-D60

10/10/2002 11:33:16 AM · #24

Now you're just making me look bad, magnetic. LOL...I just asked about finding threads cause I couldn't find this one.