Can we discuss lighting?

[Rogan]

a film SLR camera. about 18 years old

 

[Village Idiot]

naa there is next to know settings on the eos 700.
not even manual focus on the lens i have !

Use a fast lens. The only reason I'd use a flash at a show with bands is if they're just using crappy house lights. Besides, large gigs will often not allow flash lighting. Those large gigs usually also have adequate stage lighting.

 

[Rogan]

i mainly shoot at pub sized venues that sometimes dont even have a stage or lights

 

[asfixiate]

Village
I'm assuming a negative can be altered the same way a raw image can be altered for lighting?

 

[Village Idiot]

I never got into developing film as I didn't have the room or resources, but I believe that the WB of film is controlled by the type of film. Certain types of film have a different WB to them. I'm sure it can probably be shifted a bit in the post processing, but I remember some one talking about buying different types of film for different colors.

 

[JerryPH]

Village
I'm assuming a negative can be altered the same way a raw image can be altered for lighting?

You can under and over expose a film, yes. I am not sure about adjusting for WB, but assume that it can also be done as part of the developing process.

 

[asfixiate]

Well Rogan
Village and Jerry would know better than me.

 

[Helen B]

Village
I'm assuming a negative can be altered the same way a raw image can be altered for lighting?

Yes, that's correct. Using colour negative film is similar to using raw with digital. You can correct colour balance after developing the film, either in digital post processing or optical printing. Negative films are balanced for daylight, so you just boost the blue and green to get a neutral colour balance if you have shot in tungsten lighting. It helps to give them more exposure than their box speed (ie if you have ISO 800 film, set the meter to 400 and process normally).

You can't colour balance to the same extent if you shoot with reversal ("slide") film, so you need to get it right in camera. You can get daylight slide film and tungsten slide film.

Good colour negative films for low light are Portra 800, Fuji Pro 800Z (used to be called NPZ, same film, different name) and Superia 1600. Among those, I use Portra 800 most of the time. It also pushes very well - I rate it at EI 2000 for 'Push 2' development.

Good luck,
Helen

 

[asfixiate]

Helen
Thanks a lot. I was mainly trying to help Rogan with the issue regarding his post. I might get back into film but not any time soon I think.

 

[JerryPH]

As far as Rogan's question concerning loss of detail and coloured lights, it really depends.

First if the picture is properly exposed and at a speed that prevents motion blur, you will find that stage lights add to the charm of the shot.

Now, if it is not the stage lights but an overall colour shift due to an incorrect WB setting, you can correct for this by playing with the WB settings in camera *or* if your camera has a the ability to shoot RAW format, then you can change the WB in Adobe Camera RAW sftware.

For more info about WB, visit HERE.

 

[asfixiate]

Very useful thanks. I'm trying to stray away from auto white balance as I've been able to produce better results messing around. I'm wondering if it really matters what setting I'm using if I'm shooting in Raw though.

 

[JerryPH]

As I said above, and in the link, I don't mess with WB in camera. I leave it in auto and make minor adjustments in RAW, since that is all that I shoot.

However, if you are going to shoot one location where WB is not going to change, and want to take the time to set WB in camera, what will appen is that you do not need to play with it later in PP. It may take a few test pictures to get it down, but it will save you time later. Either works if you shoot in RAW. If you shoot JPG, you *must* set WB in camera for best results.

 

[asfixiate]

Yeah I'll go back to auto. The whole blue being cold and red/orange being hot thing really makes sense. My camera's auto isn't terrible but I'm shooting in raw and now I have one less thing to worry about.

Got any articles on your blog about what apperture to use? I use M mode and basically try to shoot shots in the lowest ISO and try to get the little ticker in the middle of exposure meter. I'm opening or closing depending on where that marker is. If its really dark I'll raise the number and if its really light i"ll lower it. I'm basically just raising and lowering when needed.

 

[Ernan]

You can make a lightbox yourself for small photo objects.
http://www.photoaccessories.org/images/14.jpg
http://www.photoaccessories.org/images/13.jpg

 

[asfixiate]

Jerry
Per the strobist site you recommended there's a referral to marin prihoda. What he does on his video supposedly can be done with 3 strobes. A strobe is not the 580ex right?

Oh wait yes it is. so 3 strobes means 3 580 exs?

http://strobist.blogspot.com/2008/04/martin-prihoda-is-back.html

Thanks ernan