studio lighting questions

[Josh Bear]

Dear All,

I would appreciate any help. I have a couple of questions re studio lighting at home. I have scoured local bookshops but have not found what I need.

In summary i want to get the best out of my interfit studio lights. So is it true that it is better to have a studio that can be made pitch black, then lit with the modelling lamps. Then when you take a picture the flash fires to give the same amount of light that the modelling lamps have done?

I hope this is correct as I can understand this process and the fact you would meter when the subject is lit by the modelling lamps allowing you to get a good idea of what the final pictures will look like.

Any help appreciated.

Best Regards

Josh

[Stephen]

Re: studio lighting questions

Dear All,

I would appreciate any help. I have a couple of questions re studio lighting at home. I have scoured local bookshops but have not found what I need.

In summary i want to get the best out of my interfit studio lights. So is it true that it is better to have a studio that can be made pitch black, then lit with the modelling lamps. Then when you take a picture the flash fires to give the same amount of light that the modelling lamps have done?

I hope this is correct as I can understand this process and the fact you would meter when the subject is lit by the modelling lamps allowing you to get a good idea of what the final pictures will look like.

Any help appreciated.

Best Regards

Josh

You are basically wrong Josh. Many studios are actually all white in order to give the maximum reflected light. Modelling lights are mainly so you can see where the light is going, where the shadows are etc., their light output should be far less than the flash output.

When using flash, unless you specifically need to burn in some ambient light source, you would be using a shutter speed of maybe 125/sec at ISO 100. The flashmeter then gives you the aperture you need for the flash to subject distance. You can actually turn off the modelling lights as potentially they can produce a colour caste, however at the settings I mention this is unlikely and if you press the shutter with the sync lead pulled out you should get a black screen, which shows no ambient light.

Essentially then for most studio work such as portraits still life etc where you are using a flash set up, the flash output is what is totally lighting the scene and the modelling light just gives you an indication of that.

[Josh Bear]

Re: studio lighting questions

thanks stephen. So on my interfit kit the modeling lights are the same as the flash unit and there is a knob to dial the light up and down. I belive that this knob also increases and decreses the flash output.

So how do know what the correct exposure (av and Tv) should be or is just a case of trial and error? This is what I have been doing to date but wanted to know if there was a better way.

So in step format
1. set up the lights and subject
2. use the modelling lamps to get a feel for lighting
3. set the aperture for the creative effect you want
4. meter off the subject
5. set the shutter speed
6. take the picture
7. adjust shutter speed to compensate for any under or over exposure
8. take the picture again.

is this the correct way?

Thanks

Josh

[Stephen]

Re: studio lighting questions

thanks stephen. So on my interfit kit the modeling lights are the same as the flash unit and there is a knob to dial the light up and down. I belive that this knob also increases and decreses the flash output.

So how do know what the correct exposure (av and Tv) should be or is just a case of trial and error? This is what I have been doing to date but wanted to know if there was a better way.

So in step format
1. set up the lights and subject
2. use the modelling lamps to get a feel for lighting
3. set the aperture for the creative effect you want
4. meter off the subject
5. set the shutter speed
6. take the picture
7. adjust shutter speed to compensate for any under or over exposure
8. take the picture again.

is this the correct way?

Thanks

Josh

Err sorry Josh no not quite. The shutter speed remains constant and unless using ambient light has little or no bearing on the exposure. This is controlled by altering the aperture, or in some cases the iso setting (yes indeed) or the distance the flash is from the subject.

If your lights have adjustable output, the aperture can be controlled by turning the output up and down, or moving the flash light nearer or further away. Usually I would control the exposure by adjusting the flash output so enabling me to have the desired aperture. Hope that makes sense

[Josh Bear]

Re: studio lighting questions

yep getting there. So shutter speed constant and the aperture rrequired is controlled by available light to get the required exposure.

Will give all this a go.

Best regards

Josh

[Stephen]

Re: studio lighting questions

yep getting there. So shutter speed constant and the aperture rrequired is controlled by available light to get the required exposure.

Will give all this a go.

Best regards

Josh

Well flash output really. I always associate available light with ambient light

[Stephen]

Re: studio lighting questions

Any progress with the studio flash Josh?

[Josh Bear]

Re: studio lighting questions

Hi,

Not yet. Surprise visit from parents today. Threw my plans into disarray

Best Regards

josh