benjikan
join:2007-10-27
| Continuous vs Flash Lighting and Everything in Between Part2
Continuous vs Flash Lighting and Everything in Between...Part 2
In Part 1, I asked that you prepare a couple of 60 watt light bulbs a flash (off camera is preferable) some modifiers i.e. cardboard squares, black paper, and aluminum foil. I will now add a few more elements to this and that is a couple of empty cans, (make sure you open both ends). You can use different sizes. The more the merrier. A couple of metal coat hangers that you usually get from the dry cleaners. a few clothes clips for hanging out clothes to dry, or better yet a few clamps. Any stand that you have lying around as well. A few would be better.
Some construction gloves (NOT RUBBER) light bulbs are hot! Oh we don't want to forget the box cutter and gaffers tape.
Now the reason for these elements have more to do with experimenting with the absence or abundance of light that will be created by you during this first preliminary exercise.
Here is where the fun begins. You must please understand, that there are NO hard fast rules about lighting and the more open you are to experimentation, the more original your set up will become.
Here goes. You find a way to clamp your lamp to a stand. You might consider a cheap lamp with the standard metal shade like one of those old reading lamps for example. Or one of those clip on types. NOT PLASTIC PLEASE!!!
Take a couple of those metal hangers and force the shape in to a square, leaving the rounded part to be used to attach to a stand. You may need to adjust this segment of the hanger accordingly. Tape the white paper to the hanger. The hanger acts as the skeleton support for the paper. You will be using this paper as either a reflector or to shoot your light through it. I suggest find different types of paper as well. Some more transparent than others. Now it is time to prepare the black sheets of paper. It can be cardboard the larger the better. Find a way to support these sheets to a stand. You might build a frame out of a wire hanger or "What Ever..."
If any of you have a light/flash meter, that might also be useful, but not imperative. I suggest that you are in an environment, where you can darken or partially darken the space you are in. It can be done in a space that is exposed to daylight, but it is more problematic as highlighted by the Steve Jacob article found HERE.
Now that you have all of these elements you might ask, "What next?..." You can do one of two things at this point. You can use your imagination, or wait for Part 3.
I would love that you do the later, but that is your choice.
Have Fun!
»www.benjaminkanarekblog.com/?p=485 |
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Splitpair
Premium
join:2000-07-29
Cow Towne
 ·T-Mobile US
1 edit | said by benjikan  : You must please understand, that there are NO hard fast rules about lighting and the more open you are to experimentation, the more original your set up will become. Au contraire! There are many cast in stone rules about light and lighting and once learned make the task of experimenting considerably easier and the results generally more predictable.
The concepts and reasons for hard and soft lighting, lighting ratios, the effects of the angle of incidence and the inverse square law are just a few examples of hard and fast lighting rules that should be etched into the brain of any photographer worthy of the title.
Lighting like everything else in photography is first learned in baby steps and once mastered can be one the most powerful tools in the photographers kit.
By the way never fear or consider daytime lighting as non-controllable for it’s not, I can shoot a full sun noontime shot with extremely hard contrast or temper it down to the point one would think the work was done in the early morn or late afternoon. It’s all in knowing how to control that main hard spotlight called the sun.
Oh yea your links are broken.
Wayne
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If you cannot fix it with a buttset and some beanies you ain't a technician |
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Exit
Premium,ExMod 2002
join:2001-04-10
Canada
 ·TekSavvy Solutions..
| reply to benjikan
Every rule is made to be broken. People say don't shoot with hard light or hard shadows, but others make it work well for them. There is no lighting rule that can't or shouldn't be broken, but I agree that it's important to learn the basics before you go blazing your own trails.
benjikan I bookmarked your blog. Your pictures are something else! |
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Splitpair
Premium
join:2000-07-29
Cow Towne
·T-Mobile US
| said by Exit :There is no lighting rule that can't or shouldn't be broken, but I agree that it's important to learn the basics before you go blazing your own trails. I would say you fail to understand there are certain rules that cannot be broken, for example the angle of incidence is not a variable as light will work in a predictable manner based on the angle it strikes a subject, understanding just how that works is one of the keys to mastering it.
Another rule that cannot be broken is the inverse square law, it is not variable and there is no miracle light amplifier, if ones light is 5.6 feet from the subject and it is moved to 8 feet you will only have half the light to work with, move it to 11 and the light will be reduced by another half.
Another basic rule that cannot be bent is direct lighting flattens features and as the light is moved off direct it begins to sculpt.
By understanding the rules which become the basics of lighting allows experimentation with predictable results, while failing to understand the rules leaves one wondering what went wrong…
Wayne
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If you cannot fix it with a buttset and some beanies you ain't a technician |
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benjikan
join:2007-10-27
1 edit | reply to Exit
You can find more examples of some of my published work here:
»www.pbase.com/benjikan/publishedworks
»www.benjaminkanarek.com
a funny video as well here:
»www.benjaminkanarekblog.com/?p=285
None the less...Light can be reflected, bounced, enhanced and played with. I do agree that knowing the laws of physics does help in understanding how to "F..K" with them.
Ben 
Thanks for bookmarking my blog "Exit"... |
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Exit
Premium,ExMod 2002
join:2001-04-10
Canada
·TekSavvy Solutions..
| reply to Splitpair
said by Splitpair :said by Exit :There is no lighting rule that can't or shouldn't be broken, but I agree that it's important to learn the basics before you go blazing your own trails. I would say you fail to understand there are certain rules that cannot be broken, for example the angle of incidence is not a variable as light will work in a predictable manner based on the angle it strikes a subject, understanding just how that works is one of the keys to mastering it. Another rule that cannot be broken is the inverse square law, it is not variable and there is no miracle light amplifier, if ones light is 5.6 feet from the subject and it is moved to 8 feet you will only have half the light to work with, move it to 11 and the light will be reduced by another half. Another basic rule that cannot be bent is direct lighting flattens features and as the light is moved off direct it begins to sculpt. By understanding the rules which become the basics of lighting allows experimentation with predictable results, while failing to understand the rules leaves one wondering what went wrong… Wayne Those weren't exactly the rules I was talking about, but you are correct. That is more the characteristics of light rather than how a person uses it to light things. Some rules can't be overcome, but sometimes people don't care either |
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Splitpair
Premium
join:2000-07-29
Cow Towne
·T-Mobile US
| said by Exit :Some rules can't be overcome, but sometimes people don't care either For what it is worth a rule that can be bent or even tossed out the window depending on what one considers acceptable would be the ratios and is one angle of experimentation that even a beginner straddled with an on camera flash can use to improve a shot with something as simple as a reflector.
Wayne
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If you cannot fix it with a buttset and some beanies you ain't a technician |
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Splitpair
Premium
join:2000-07-29
Cow Towne | reply to benjikan
A few of those commercial shots are excellent.
Wayne |
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benjikan
join:2007-10-27 | Thanks Wayne! |
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