Massive Lighting Recomendations.

[Bravotwofive]

I need to get as much light as far as I can with as little cost as possible...

For example... A stand of trees 400' feet away, 100' tall, at 28mm on a full frame sensor, at night. Continous would be better than strobe.

I can work around the power source, but it needs to be portable in one way or another.

Any suggestions would be helpful.

Thanks
Chuck

 

[benhasajeep]

Missed the portable part. At 400' I can't think of anything portable and that strong. Even with the biggest flashes your going to need dozens of them if not more. Continious you would need so much power, no way it could be portable.

 

[Bravotwofive]

Missed the portable part. At 400' I can't think of anything portable and that strong. Even with the biggest flashes your going to need dozens of them if not more. Continious you would need so much power, no way it could be portable.

I could take in a generator if needed. Portable would be anything I can trailer in on a small to medium trailer.

 

[benhasajeep]

If thats the case, rent trailerable light units (have their own generators). We have a couple at work for working on airplanes. Most local places have small 4 light units that go about 20' up or so. Larger rental / leasing places rent / lease larger units.

With 400' range your going to even need several of them. No idea of cost since my company owns their units.

 

[table1349]

You may want to check into film/broadcast equipment rental. Sounds like you are talking about a lot of light.

 

[JerryPH]

NO WAY is this going to be cheap in any way shape or form. I know of a strobist that uses 4 White Lighting 3200 lights to light a train as it crosses a bridge. He himself admits that he needs at least 4 more and 4 more Pocket Wizards... and that is using all lights at nothing but 100% full power.

Now, if $2000-$4000 is not a lot for you... you are in great shape. If it is... not good.

Continuous power at those levels won't be all that much cheaper and the results won't be half as good.

Renting is about your only alternative.

 

[Phranquey]

If thats the case, rent trailerable light units (have their own generators). We have a couple at work for working on airplanes. Most local places have small 4 light units that go about 20' up or so. Larger rental / leasing places rent / lease larger units.

With 400' range your going to even need several of them. No idea of cost since my company owns their units.

In construction, we call them "light plants". I just looked one up at a local equipment rental, and the ones I typically see are 30' masts with 4 x 1000w heads, and they run $90 a day. I can't see prices varying that much.

If you are looking at really lighting up a stand of trees more than a football field away, you might need a few. On a lot of night jobs I have been on, these things will turn night into day in a local area, but fall-off is pretty rapid.

 

[musicaleCA]

Personally, I'd give it a shot just running around firing two or three flashes together at full power in various locations on a long exposure. That could get a workable result, though it's a messy way of working. :-/ (Note, I'm not saying this'll work. Actually, I highly doubt it will, given the height of the trees and the amount of running involved. And of course you'd only be able to back-light the trees, lest one see a tong of flashes all over the frame.)

 

[KmH]

That dad nab ole inverse square law.

 

[musicaleCA]

Indeed.

 

[Bravotwofive]

Thanks for all the replies. I am thinking that even the rental of light plants for the length of the shoot would come close to paying for the WL 3200, and I would own them. I have tried the multiple flash technique, and repriocity is an issue. If 4 of these can be used to light a train crossing a bridge, a long exposure with a couple of pops from these might just do the trick. At least now I have a direction to go.