got some halogen work lights, how to keep them from blinding the subject..

dannylightning · Mar 23, 2014

i got a 500 watt that sets on the floor and i got two 250 watt lights that are on a stand that raise up to about chest level or the are made to come off the stand and set on the floor. the problem is they are so bright they will hurt your eyes if you look at them. so i have to have these on the floor and not pointing at the subject. i am not a professional and i don't need the best. but i just want to get some better lighting in my house. these things really do the job but the problem is you really need to be careful where you place them not to blind the person your filming of photographing. i would probably try to cover them with some kind of cloth but i would imagine it would catch on fire or melt since the lights get so hot.

i did allot of searching on google today but did not really find much good info on this subject. all i can find is stuff about why halogen lights are good to use.

thanks..

tirediron · Mar 23, 2014

Return those, and buy a couple of these. Stands and modifiers (combination umbrellas are a good starting place) and a trigger system will add another $150 - so for under $300 you will have a proper (albeit entry level) photographic strobe system. This will make your life and your model's a LOT easier!

Trever1t · Mar 23, 2014

put diffusers in front of them, white sheets or something. Just make sure to keep them far enough away that they're not afire hazard.

Trever1t · Mar 23, 2014

tirediron said:
Return those, and buy a couple of these. Stands and modifiers (combination umbrellas are a good starting place) and a trigger system will add another $150 - so for under $300 you will have a proper (albeit entry level) photographic strobe system. This will make your life and your model's a LOT easier!

better idea!

Derrel · Mar 23, 2014

I agree 100%...get strobe lights...sooooooo much easier to work with, and just "better for people" than blinding, hot lights. Of course, using diffusion panels, aka "scrims", is an old-school way to work. But the problem with work lights really is that they are difficult to position high enough for a whole range of lighting effects...they're really designed to provide just "area lighting", and are not well suited to elevating to 8,9,10 feet high, or to suspending on a boom arms, and so on. THAT is one of the BEST features of real photographic lighting: it has a built-in,secure way to attach to light stands, and boom arms.

table1349 · Mar 23, 2014

While you are at it get a copy of this as well. Light Science and Magic: An Introduction to Photographic Lighting: Fil Hunter, Steven Biver, Paul Fuqua: 9780240812250: Amazon.com: Books

Designer · Mar 23, 2014

Agree with strobes. Placing a diffuser in front of the halogens is going to cut the light even more, meaning you will have to compensate for the lower amount of light.

dannylightning · Mar 23, 2014

thanks for the ideas, the work lights were inexpensive, i think i paid 40 bucks for 1000 watts worth of lightning, ill probably hang on to them but ill look into some other options. most of my photography is done outdoors, the main reason i want more lightning in the house if for videos so the video does not look grainy in low light and so i could just play around with the lightning for photography, i don't know much about indoor lighting. everything you guys have said so far is helpful and i appreciated it. is that moonlight flash a actual flash or does it stay on as long as you need it to. for video i need lights that will say on. i want to make a fitness youtube channel and the lightning where my workout equipment is is not very good. so if i want to take any photos or video in the basement i need more area lightning

Derrel · Mar 23, 2014

Obviously, for video, one cannot use flash. If you wish to see how professional photos and videographers use continuous lighting, do some internet searches for "scrim lighting", or just "scrims". Scrim lighting is very adaptable to different situations, and you can either build scrims or buy them, as well as the diffusing material--build it or buy it ready-made.

As far as lighting, Lowel has a nifty web site that shows how light placement works, with a really neat interactive light-positioning simulator.

CHECK OUT THIS PAGE for some awesome instructional material geared to hot-light lighting! Lowel EDU - a Lighting Resource Center

Designer · Mar 23, 2014

dannylightning said:
is that moonlight flash a actual flash or does it stay on as long as you need it to.

It is "mono light" meaning that it contains the power module as well as the strobe. Additionally, most modern strobes contain a "modeling" light which is a regular incandescent bulb used in setting up the strobes. The modeling light is momentarily switched off when the strobe fires, and comes back on again after the flash. You won't see any of that happening as it happens very quickly.

The other kind of strobe is called "pack and head", meaning the strobe "head" is just the strobe, and the power is carried on a wire from a power pack, usually sitting on the floor nearby. The power pack can power several strobes, but each will have to be connected to the pack.

dannylightning · Mar 23, 2014

cool, ill check out it. as far as photos go with manual settings i can usually get some really nice photos, i never really felt the need to play with lightning but i do like to tinker with things. the main thing i want the lighting for is video but i have watches a few videos on photography lightning and what people were able to do with different lighting placement so i figure its time to start learning about this kind of thing and have some fun with it. i have never been a fan of using a flash on my camera when taking photos, i feel i can usually get a much better picture with out the flash if i adjust the camera correctly. that is another reason i am more interested in trying to use these lights for photography so i can get some different effects and not need a flash. i have only use a flash that was built into a camera, i am sure a aftermarket flash would do allot better than the one on the camera.

dannylightning · Mar 23, 2014

Designer said:
dannylightning said:

is that moonlight flash a actual flash or does it stay on as long as you need it to.

Click to expand...

It is "mono light" meaning that it contains the power module as well as the strobe. Additionally, most modern strobes contain a "modeling" light which is a regular incandescent bulb used in setting up the strobes. The modeling light is momentarily switched off when the strobe fires, and comes back on again after the flash. You won't see any of that happening as it happens very quickly.

The other kind of strobe is called "pack and head", meaning the strobe "head" is just the strobe, and the power is carried on a wire from a power pack, usually sitting on the floor nearby. The power pack can power several strobes, but each will have to be connected to the pack.

that sounds pretty interesting. maybe ill check one of those out, thanks for the info..

Designer · Mar 23, 2014

Shopping for studio lighting is like opening Pandora's Box. They have lights for from less than $100 up to thousands. Then there are the modifiers.

dannylightning · Mar 23, 2014

i moved in with my parents so i could save up some money so i can put a big down payment on a house. after i buy a house i might get some nice lightning. most of what i see looks pretty larger and i dont have a place to put that kind of thing. that is part of why i went with the work lights, i can just throw them up on top of my bookshelf when i am not using them.