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01/25/2004 11:41:22 PM · #1 |
Hello Good People!
So, I grow tired of poorly lit shots. No matter what I do, I can;t seem to get a good shot in terms of light (unless it is in natural light). My question is this- any tips of creating natural light from unnatural light? When shooting indoors, how do you get the lighting just right?
Secondly, any thoughts on creating an in-home (very cheap) makeshift studio? What are some essential things that are needed? How do you set things up? What kinds of things do you shoot in your studio or would if you had one?
As always, any thoughts & advice is appreciated!
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01/25/2004 11:50:49 PM · #2 |
The first two things are key:
1 White balance
2 Proper exposure
You might think about diffusing light, too. Even a cloth placed between the subject and the light helps to create a more balanced effect. |
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01/25/2004 11:52:07 PM · #3 |
Use lots of light, though. That's my problem. In general, the regular corner living room lamp doesn't provide enough light.
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01/25/2004 11:53:01 PM · #4 |
I found the key to making good indoor lighting is reflecting it off a white sheet or something. This really helps make it look more natural. It also depends on what you're lighting in general. The two things Koriyama stated are important as well, as is a good strong lamp.
Lee
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01/26/2004 12:01:42 AM · #5 |
White balance is important.
I have discovered that if I use Morris mini slave flash plus, I can do all kinds of things with my lighting. They go off automatically when your flash goes off and they are really cheap. So, if I don't want a on-camera looking flash, I'll cover that one up and place the little minis about the set up. The bad thing is they have hardly any range. You have to place them close to your subject, but this makes them almost perfect for macros. Morris also makes mini wide flashes that are cool. They have little caps that you can purchase to change the colors. Anyway. You can't go wrong buying the little slaves. Play around a bit and see if they help. |
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01/26/2004 12:14:03 AM · #6 |
One thing you can do is buy one of those quartz halogen tourcherie lamps. Get one or two of them with 500 watt bulbs, but you should know that they become very very hot and are a fire hazard if not careful. They will heat up your house quickly, so they may not be appropriate with all kinds of subjects, such as food. They may cause your human subjects to sweat which would certainly be unattractive.
Another option for a powerful halogen lamp is to buy a work light that comes with either 250W or 500W bulbs. Same issues as above, but you may be able to aim them better. They would be harsh and directional and so to offset that aspect, you may want to invest in a couple of umbrellas to soften the lighting. You can get a 45 inch for about $30 and don't forget to buy clamps and adapters to attach your brollys to.
Another option for a cheap setup is reflectors. You can get white opalescent fiberglas for about $30 for a piece that's 2 ft x 3 ft. They are good because they double both as reflectors and as light diffusing filters. Put a couple of 24 inch sunlight balanced flourescent bulbs behind them and they can be used for backlighting.
Hope I didn't forget anything...good luck. |
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01/26/2004 12:34:14 AM · #7 |
thanks everyone! Will take a bit of time to get it all together but I will most def post the first shoT!
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01/26/2004 06:01:25 AM · #8 |
The following link is a great tutorial for building an inexpensive "home studio".
"Home Studio" for less than $100. "Shopping list, prices, and step-by-step instructions to build a durable and versitile home studio...for less then $100!"
I hope this helps,
Quadrajet
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01/26/2004 11:10:55 AM · #9 |
My home studio consists of two desk lamps with adjustable necks and halogen bulbs(under $10 bucks each); one piece of black poster board; one piece of white poster board (both around $2), and the kitchen counter. Ain't fancy, but it works. As others have mentioned here. Set your white balance.
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01/26/2004 03:02:41 PM · #10 |
Great Link!!! i will have to try this one. Very detailed instructions.
Originally posted by Quadrajet:
The following link is a great tutorial for building an inexpensive "home studio".
"Home Studio" for less than $100. "Shopping list, prices, and step-by-step instructions to build a durable and versitile home studio...for less then $100!"
I hope this helps,
Quadrajet |
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01/26/2004 03:31:31 PM · #11 |
that $100 studio looks pretty good, but i by passed all the fixed light posts with cheap clamp on lamps from the hardware store. that way you can clamp and aim them, and also move them anywhere you want. or clamp them onto a spare tripod, i have a old one where the legs don't retract well anymore.
also a couple pieces of scrap matte board for backing, and couple sheets of white styrofoam from packaging. @ 1/4" thick. for reflecting.
i also use a workshop fluoresent lite sometimes if i need a lot of light. the small halogens that article speaks of are in no way bright enough to get fast shutters inside for stop action of any kind.
i spent about $30 total on the lamps and bulbs. still not enough light though. although i have shot at iso 100 - 1/640th f:7 indoors at night.
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