| Author | Thread |
|
|
10/27/2006 12:58:34 PM · #1 |
I have 3 Alien Bees 800 and have a photoshoot tomorrow. I have to setup the studio and need recommendations/suggestions about the placements of lights etc. I got the lights a couple of months back but have used those only once.
The lights seem to be very powerful and I had to set the speed to more than 1/1000th. When using at this speed with F8 aperture and 100 ISO there was some noise in the pictures. Unfortunately, I don't have a light meter.
Any suggestions about placing the strobes to get decent portraits are welcome. The average size of the group will be 4-6 people.
Please let me know how far the lights should be from the people and at what angles.
Thanks.
Michelle
|
|
|
|
10/27/2006 01:13:58 PM · #2 |
You can adjust the strenght of the lights I believe. Also look at what levels you want the various lights, ie... side lighting, hair highlight, back lighting etc...
//www.studiolighting.net/studio-lighting-setups/
studio lighting photography turned up a number of hits on google.
|
|
|
|
10/27/2006 03:42:12 PM · #3 |
| First, see what that flash sync speed is on your camera. 1/1000 seems WAY too fast of a shutter speed for using strobes. Usually 1/200 or 1/250 is the fastest you can go. I typically shoot f/9 or f/11 with my strobes, and I adjust the output on the back of them. And always use ISO 100; with 3 AB800s, there's no reason to go higher. As far as placement of the lights, well, it depends on the look you are going for. There technically is no "perfect" light placement for everything. Experimentation and reading articles is key. Good luck with your shoot, and have fun! |
|
|
|
10/27/2006 04:27:06 PM · #4 |
What Pixl Mastr said. You need a LOT of practice with strobes. You don't necessarily need a light meter though, although it does help. Do a search on Google on lighting ratios, broad/short lighting, rembrandt, butterfly etc. They will give you a basic start. From there on you can learn by trial and error. AB800s are very powerful from what I have heard. Even one will be enough for 4 people. A good thing would be to start learning with just one strobe and a reflector. Once you master that move on to two strobes, and then more if you like. Managing three in the beginning will be a nightmare. Good luck.
Message edited by author 2006-10-27 16:28:10. |
|
|
|
10/27/2006 04:30:37 PM · #5 |
The maximum flash-synchronized shutter speed on the D70 is 1/500 second.
The lighting setup will depend on what you want to achieve. Typically, your main light is on one side and up high, and the fill light is on the other side and lower.
If your lights are too bright, either turn them down or move them farther back from your subject.
There's lots of tips and tutorials available for free on the web. StudioLighting.net has a bunch, but there are lots of others. A quick google search should find tons of stuff.
|
|
|
|
07/22/2008 08:48:06 AM · #6 |
Honestly I don't check my settings on my strobe light.
F 4.5,ISO 200,Speed 1/200
I believe the strobe setting was 1/3 power.
 |
|
|
|
07/22/2008 09:32:04 AM · #7 |
Good luck with 24 hours to go and no clue what you're doing.
It works like this: set the shutter speed to 1/125 (you can go up to 1/500 but it won't matter -shutter speed contorls AMBIENT light and will have no effect on flash as it's duration is much shorter.
You control the amount of light on the flash itself and by aperture on the camera (and ISO as well). Use a low iso (100 if you got it). Most studio work with flash is done at F8-11 range so make sure your sensor and lenses are clean - the dust WILL show.
You NEED a meter when working with multiple lights - the dials on them are not exact to each other and for most things you need to be able to adjust to with 1/2 stop. Different modifiers will greatly affect light output to dial setting as well. You can move the lights closer/farther to achieve some adjustment as well.
There are as many ways to set up lights are there are photographers and things to shoot. Generally you set the light about 2 foot above the subject's head (assuming portraiture of one person) and about 45 degrees to the left. This is the main light. The second, or fill, is set above/behind the photographer and 1 stop less than the main. The third light is hair or kicker/separation light or can be used on the BG. If it's a hair/rim light then it's set in between main and fill depending on the subject's clothing/hair and your taste. You need a meter to do all this. Then you take a reading with all the lights on from teh subject's position for the overall exposure - if you set the main at F8, the fill at 5.6 then overall will be around 11.
|
|
|
|
07/22/2008 09:37:04 AM · #8 |
Originally posted by Prof_Fate:
Good luck with 24 hours to go and no clue what you're doing.
|
Speaking of no clue. This thread is almost 2 years old.
|
|
|
|
07/22/2008 09:44:29 AM · #9 |
Originally posted by NstiG8tr:
Originally posted by Prof_Fate:
Good luck with 24 hours to go and no clue what you're doing.
|
Speaking of no clue. This thread is almost 2 years old. |
LMAO
|
|
|
|
07/22/2008 09:47:20 AM · #10 |
Originally posted by NstiG8tr:
Originally posted by Prof_Fate:
Good luck with 24 hours to go and no clue what you're doing.
|
Speaking of no clue. This thread is almost 2 years old. |
CLASSIC!!! :-) |
|
|
|
07/22/2008 10:58:53 AM · #11 |
| I am simply responded due to an email I received yesterday (not two years ago)... from same person. Instead of replying the email I posted here which was already refreshed :P |
|
Home -
Challenges -
Community -
League -
Photos -
Cameras -
Lenses -
Learn -
Help -
Terms of Use -
Privacy -
Top ^
DPChallenge, and website content and design, Copyright © 2001-2025 Challenging Technologies, LLC.
All digital photo copyrights belong to the photographers and may not be used without permission.
Current Server Time: 08/02/2025 02:56:10 PM EDT.
