Continuous and strobe question

[jed_rollins]

Hi guys,


I'd like to get some opinions on lighting here:
I'm a commercial videographer working with Westcott lighting (spiderlites, which are constant). Lately my business has gotten more photography assignments, and I'm wondering if it would be wise to basically double down and build up a strobe kit in addition to the considerable constant setup I already have. My hesitation is that the strobes would be use-less on a video shoot where the constants can be used for either purpose.

Really appreciate any feedback.


J

 

[o hey tyler]

Hi guys,

I'd like to get some opinions on lighting here:
I'm a commercial videographer working with Westcott lighting (spiderlites, which are constant). Lately my business has gotten more photography assignments, and I'm wondering if it would be wise to basically double down and build up a strobe kit in addition to the considerable constant setup I already have. My hesitation is that the strobes would be use-less on a video shoot where the constants can be used for either purpose.

Really appreciate any feedback.

J

If you're shooting people, strobes are the best way to go. Generally constant lights don't have enough output to maintain a fast enough shutter speed for portraiture. Using flashes helps negate the movement of your subject even if you need to drag the shutter at a slow shutter speed. I'd look at the Adorama flash point series.

 

[Mike_E]

Asking someone who doesn't know you or your business for business advice is simply asking for trouble.

Would you save enough time to justify the expense of buying and storing them? They are better for stills as Tyler mentioned but whether or not they are worth the investment is something you are going to have to ask your books.

 

[tirediron]

Wescott's Spiderlights are NOT the normal category of constant lighting that people use, and I would think that if you have enough light for commercial video work, you could light a person/small group decently. Where I would think the strobes would make life a LOT easier is the modifiers. That said, as Mike mentioned, it comes down to dollars and sense. Will the investment pay for itself in time saved and additional income?

 

[cgipson1]

I have some Spiderlites (five CFL bulb softboxes) that I bought for videos conferences at work, and they are great for video. They have adequate power for that, but are a little light for photography. If you are willing to raise the ISO a bit, and keep the aperture open, then you could use them close.. but they do not have anywhere near the power of strobes.

 

[Mike_E]

I have some Spiderlites (five CFL bulb softboxes) that I bought for videos conferences at work, and they are great for video. They have adequate power for that, but are a little light for photography. If you are willing to raise the ISO a bit, and keep the aperture open, then you could use them close.. but they do not have anywhere near the power of strobes.

Where do you do stills when you do them? How much more power and/or control do you need beyond your speedlights? Is a standard two light setup enough or do you want a more classic five light look?

Sorry, there are too many options for a simple answer.

 

[studiobetties]

Investing in strobes that will give you commercial-level quality of light is a big investment and I would recommend (if this is available to you) to rent a set of strobes and experiment with them. The benefit to using strobes is the ability to stop motion, which is key when photographing people. Do you have any examples of the style of photograph you are trying to create? That would give us a better idea to suggest strobes and how many to use.