Ceiling Lights for Photo Studio

[brianwmartin]

Greetings!

We are creating a photo studio at work and we are trying to figure out what type of lights would be appropriate for the ceiling. It is just a regular office space so the current lighting is ceiling mounted tiles (see attached photo). The electrition has asked if we wanted specific bulbs or something unique for these fixtures and I am wondering what others may have done in a case like this.

We are planning to purchase additional floor lights and separate lighting kits to supplement the ceiling lighting. But as a baseline for the light that will be in the ceiling what is the recommendation for your average studio as far as lumens and the warm to cool scale goes?

Thanks in advance!

 

[tirediron]

What are you photographing? People? Products? Typically the overhead lights don't even enter in to the equation.

 

[brianwmartin]

We are photographing power equipment. Things like tillers, log splitters, trenchers, etc.

When you say that the overhead lights might not enter into the equation what do you mean exactly? Are you saying that the other lights that we will be purchasing will overpower any overhead lights?

Thanks,

 

[Designer]

Greetings!

We are creating a photo studio at work and we are trying to figure out what type of lights would be appropriate for the ceiling.

Switched.

As in; switched OFF when you are shooting.

It almost doesn't matter what type of lighting you have, they are going to be in the wrong place, and not bright enough anyway.

(straight answer) Have your electrician install LED lighting, for the economy, and remember to switch them off when shooting. You can have several low-power night lights around the room to keep people from tripping over cables and light stands, but they also won't be a factor in the actual photographs.

Your main lighting should be studio flash with modifiers. They will be equipped with modeling lights, slave function, and will be adjustable for power output. Portable stands give you flexibility.

 

[brianwmartin]

Understood! I appreciate the suggestions very much. I am in a position where the powers that be want a photo studio but they want to start low-budget and maybe move up from there.

This might be a bit off the original topic but the cameras we use are Canon EOS Rebel T5's. Nothing too crazy. I would also like some suggestions on perhaps some "beginner kits" that would work with our cameras that would give us the capabilities that you're talking about (Your main lighting should be studio flash with modifiers. They will be equipped with modeling lights, slave function, and will be adjustable for power output. Portable stands give you flexibility.

There is so much out there and I am just looking for a good place to start. To put it in perspective all they have been doing previously is putting up some white sheets behind the products in a normal, office room with no additional lighting. It gets them by but they are looking to dedicate a room to this now. I've seen cheap light kits to individual lights costing thousands of dollars. It's hard to know where to begin. Especially when they don't want to spend any money Lol..

 

[tirediron]

This is an ongoing issue; people understand that they need photos, but refuse to accept that good imagery costs money. If you're going to do this in-house, then you need reliable equipment. Your best will be used professional gear. Speedotron makes (IMO) some of the best in the business. It's no-frills, but it works. A set like this, along with a few stands and some modifiers and trigger-set will do all you need. You'd be into a high-quality, super-reliable pro set for <$1000.

 

[Derrel]

Your company would do well to allow you to buy some used professional level electronic flash tequipment such as that shown at the link above, which shows two flash generators and five good quality flash heads for only $450

 

[Designer]

Any commercial space costs money, some or a lot. If the owners are dedicating a room to the project/process, then they might want to up-think their budget.

You can either hire a professional photographer to do it, or purchase some equipment and try to learn product photography including lighting and processing.

The pro is the quick, easy way. Put in a phone call, and in a couple of days you get your photos.

The "in-house" do-it-yourself style will eventually get you there, but it will take some time (months, years) to get up to speed, and you will STILL have to purchase some lighting gear.

Or you can just light the room with whatever lighting and produce less-than professional shots. That has worked so far, so keep doing that.

 

[ebyelyakov]

Are you going to use strobes and or off camera flash? Or your the deployed lights will be your main source of the lightning for the scene?
If strobes are used -- the answer would be "whatever"

Otherwise -- something giving you 5500K temperature. Then, depending on your equipment, you might consider the actual technology. Say Sony mirrorless don't really like LED lights that will cause banding with the default setup (easily disabled of course -- just required full mechanical shutter and first curtain).

 

[Derrel]

The old expression Penny-wise and pound-foolish sort of applies to your bosses. Really good photos could stimulate increased sales, but these idiots are probably looking at the cheapest possible way to get barely usable photos. I think most of us here have dealt with that attitude for decades now.

 

[smoke665]

Not being snarky, but if they're unwilling to spend money on a dedicated space to make it useable, then why have the space. Just continue as is, save the money and use it to put toward equipment. As an alternative have you considered shooting outside with ambient light and reflectors or possibly a light tent. Light tents can be DYI affairs constructed from PVC and sheets to commercial models like this one https://www.amazon.com/HAVOX-Dimens...ncoding=UTF8&refRID=SF63VZ57H9PW1DV8EF6H&th=1 complete with its own LED lighting.