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DPChallenge Forums >> Tips, Tricks, and Q&A >> Quick question about lighting
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 01/22/2004 12:17:01 PM · #1
Can you mix types of light in a studio setup? I am currently doing a photo of a beer glass, and have run out of possible light sources. I have three tungsten lights using either 250W or 500W. I also have some Halogen lights (the indutrial yellow kind bought at Home Depot) at 500W.

Can I mix the two? Or will it give me some wierd lighting.
01/22/2004 12:47:43 PM · #2
Originally posted by mariomel:
Can you mix types of light in a studio setup? I am currently doing a photo of a beer glass, and have run out of possible light sources. I have three tungsten lights using either 250W or 500W. I also have some Halogen lights (the indutrial yellow kind bought at Home Depot) at 500W.

Can I mix the two? Or will it give me some wierd lighting.


It makes setting your white balance more difficult, but since you're shooting with a cam that supports .RAW format, it's not an issue. You just may have to tweak the custom WB settings to suit your eye.

P
 01/22/2004 12:54:15 PM · #3
Originally posted by mariomel:
Can you mix types of light in a studio setup? I am currently doing a photo of a beer glass, and have run out of possible light sources. I have three tungsten lights using either 250W or 500W. I also have some Halogen lights (the indutrial yellow kind bought at Home Depot) at 500W.

Can I mix the two? Or will it give me some wierd lighting.


You can check by shooting a neutral colored subject with each type of light using a fixed WB setting (as opposed to Auto-WB), then comparing the results. If they are close, you can probably get away with it either by setting a custom WB using a white surface that is illuminated by both sources or by just setting it for one light type and living with it. If they are unacceptably different, about the only thing you can do to balance them is to use color correcting gels over the lights to adjust them. That will require some experimentation to find the best combination. Make sure if you use gels that they are designed to be used with hot lights, melting plastic stinks.
 01/22/2004 12:56:39 PM · #4
Originally posted by Pedro:
Originally posted by mariomel:
Can you mix types of light in a studio setup? I am currently doing a photo of a beer glass, and have run out of possible light sources. I have three tungsten lights using either 250W or 500W. I also have some Halogen lights (the indutrial yellow kind bought at Home Depot) at 500W.

Can I mix the two? Or will it give me some wierd lighting.


It makes setting your white balance more difficult, but since you're shooting with a cam that supports .RAW format, it's not an issue. You just may have to tweak the custom WB settings to suit your eye.

P


If the 2 sources are noticably different and you have an area that is illuminated by one source and not the other, there will be a color shift between that area and any that are illuminated by the other source.
 01/22/2004 01:00:04 PM · #5
Thanks guys.
 01/22/2004 01:05:01 PM · #6
Originally posted by Spazmo99:
Originally posted by Pedro:
[quote=mariomel]P


If the 2 sources are noticably different and you have an area that is illuminated by one source and not the other, there will be a color shift between that area and any that are illuminated by the other source.


very good point. actually, that gives me some cool ideas :)
 01/22/2004 01:26:21 PM · #7
Originally posted by Pedro:
Originally posted by Spazmo99:
Originally posted by Pedro:
[quote=mariomel]P


If the 2 sources are noticably different and you have an area that is illuminated by one source and not the other, there will be a color shift between that area and any that are illuminated by the other source.


very good point. actually, that gives me some cool ideas :)


There was a fairly well-known photographer (his name escapes me, he used the lab I worked at in LA) who created a signature style by using this effect. Basically, he would light the shadows with a blue light and the main light was a much brighter white light. The net effect was that the shadows, instead of being dark grey, were actually a relatively bright bluish color. Very cool stuff. I'll have to see if I can remember his name and/or find some of his work.

Message edited by author 2004-01-22 13:29:19.
 01/22/2004 03:05:54 PM · #8
Originally posted by Spazmo99:
Originally posted by Pedro:
Originally posted by Spazmo99:
Originally posted by Pedro:
[quote=mariomel]P


If the 2 sources are noticably different and you have an area that is illuminated by one source and not the other, there will be a color shift between that area and any that are illuminated by the other source.


very good point. actually, that gives me some cool ideas :)


There was a fairly well-known photographer (his name escapes me, he used the lab I worked at in LA) who created a signature style by using this effect. Basically, he would light the shadows with a blue light and the main light was a much brighter white light. The net effect was that the shadows, instead of being dark grey, were actually a relatively bright bluish color. Very cool stuff. I'll have to see if I can remember his name and/or find some of his work.


Dayum you mean I didn't just have an original idea?
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