Continuous vs Flash Lighting and Everything in Between…Part 7

[BenjaminKanarek]

Continuous vs Flash Lighting and Everything in Between…Part 7

In Part 6

I stated that I would discuss a more complex set up of the same setting. When using your standard flash head, i.e. (those that usually are fixed to the hot shoe), they never come with a pilot or modeling light. What I suggest you consider here is placing a 60-100 watt light bulb directly above or below your flash unit to mirror the direction of the flash you will be using. What I also suggest is that you frame that pilot light in the same manner as you did with your flash. For example if you built a "Snoot" for your flash our of an elongated tin can you could mirror that on on your pilot light. The ideal situation would be to place your flash slightly behind the pilot light bulb and share the same snoot. This would then cast only one shadow. However, as the light bulb can be very hot, this must cause damage to the flash unit. You might consider using cold lamps that generate very little heat by comparison, thus allowing you to apply this configuration.

I would like to introduce another element that can be used quite creatively and that is what is called "Barn Doors". "Barn Doors" look just like what you might think and that is two small perhaps black cardboard or metal rectangular shaped modifiers around 6-9 inches wide by 8-12 inches long that frame the flash or tungsten light unit allowing you to frame the light coming of of your lighting source. The more you close these barn doors the tighter the light becomes on the subject you are lighting. It is ideal that you find a way to pivot these panels. This will make it a lot easier to manipulate. You can add two more barn doors horizontally, allowing you to create a horizontal and vertical window of light. You may wish to use several of these units to create some very interesting lighting landscape in your composition. If the light is too harsh, you may also add a diffuser to soften the light coming from your source.

I hope you have found this mini series helpful and hope it gave you the inspiration to experiment and to break with convention. When it comes to lighting, the sky is the limit.

In Part 8, I will discuss a totally new lighting set up.

[Fen]

Don't you get bored cutting and pasting to all these sites?

This (which is part 7, but the first part here) is already at:
- Pentax Forums
- Digital Camera Resource
- photo.net
- dslreports
- DP Challenge
and of course Steve's Digicams.

Not to mention on your own blog!

Most of these places people haven't even bothered to reply or comment

[BenjaminKanarek]

Don't you get bored cutting and pasting to all these sites?

This (which is part 7, but the first part here) is already at:
- Pentax Forums
- Digital Camera Resource
- photo.net
- dslreports
- DP Challenge
and of course Steve's Digicams.

Not to mention on your own blog!

Most of these places people haven't even bothered to reply or comment

Not at all...But if it really bothers you so much, I will stop posting the series here. You obviously had more time to write this note than actually reading the information I have provided.

[img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

[frank1]

Come on now people can we not give the guy a break. Maybe an arm or a leg his spirit. Or a chance to break free so he can bother some other forum.

[Nod]

I managed to read a few lines then got to ... "When using your standard flash head, i.e. (those that usually are fixed to the hot shoe), they never come with a pilot or modeling light." Which is plain WRONG. On the D700, if a speedlight is fitted (and on!) or the built-in flash is raised, you can press the depth of field button and you get a modelling light from the flash. My old D200 had the same feature and I suspect the D300 and other higher end Nikons share it. Can't speak for Canons since I don't have any.

[Benchista]

Works with Canons too.

[OM_Man]

Dull AND wrong? What a terrific combination!

[mediaman]

Devoid of any kind of original thought/a "cut'nPaste Artist"
Is this the time for a DFTFT warning to fellow forumites?

[BenjaminKanarek]

I managed to read a few lines then got to ... "When using your standard flash head, i.e. (those that usually are fixed to the hot shoe), they never come with a pilot or modeling light." Which is plain WRONG. On the D700, if a speedlight is fitted (and on!) or the built-in flash is raised, you can press the depth of field button and you get a modelling light from the flash. My old D200 had the same feature and I suspect the D300 and other higher end Nikons share it. Can't speak for Canons since I don't have any.

I am referring to a continuous modeling light that can be used as an ambient fill for longer exposures, like 1/4-1/15th of a second.

[daft_biker]

2 out of 3 of my Canon flashes have continuous "modelling lights". Ok so the ones on the ringflash don't exactly give a preview of the lighting the flash will give the ones on the MT-24ex (macro twin flash) do. Having preview lights for macro not only gives an indication of how the lights hit the subject it makes focusing easier and, if you cover the lamps and flash with the same bit of polarising filter, you can see the effects of cross-polarised flash in the viewfinder

[Nod]

I am referring to a continuous modeling light that can be used as an ambient fill for longer exposures, like 1/4-1/15th of a second.

So, not a modelling lght, just a continuous light. The problem (or one of them) with that would be getting the colour temperatures of the light sources to match.

[BenjaminKanarek]

I am referring to a continuous modeling light that can be used as an ambient fill for longer exposures, like 1/4-1/15th of a second.

So, not a modelling lght, just a continuous light. The problem (or one of them) with that would be getting the colour temperatures of the light sources to match.

I totally agree that if you are concerned about perfect color fidelity you would have to tape a Half to Full Blue gelitan on to the modeling light to bring it to around 5000k. However I usually don't worry about small output lamps, as I can balance pretty nicely in Post Prod. It really depends on what you are shooting. If it is for a catalog that demands color fidelity, that might be an issue. But if it is for an editorial and you have more creative control and you don't mind the differences in tonality, it shouldn't be an issue. It really comes down to personal taste.

Here is a sample of what I am referring to.

Moderators Note: This is your last warning regarding links in signatures. You have told repeatedly the rules for posting links in signatures but you continue to ignore them.