Lighting Recommendation for 32" Tent Photography?

[spiritfly]

Here's the deal:

I just bought myself a 32" Light Tent and I need cheap lighting recommendation for product photography. I mostly shoot notebooks.

I have tried with 2 flood light reflectors of 500Watt Halogens, but it's not enough and I don't like the orange color they emit.

I heard that energy saving bulbs could do with just ordinary lamps holding them. I can find lamps instead of the professorial reflectors, because I'm a cheap a** but I don't know whether those energy saving bulbs would be enough for my 32" tent?
The best I have found are 105Watt on ebay:

105w CFL Photography Bulb Daylight Balanced 5500k E27 | eBay UK

Are these good enough??

And also what kind of light should I look for, I heard cool daylight is the best for product photography in a tent. Is that true?

Any recommendation is welcomed. Thanks!

 

[Big Mike]

Since you are shooting stationary subjects (they don't move), you can place the camera on a tripod and thus use any shutter speed you need. Thus, the power of the lights shouldn't matter.

As long as you use the same type of blub for each light, color shouldn't be an issue because you should be able to adjust the WB on the camera (provided you are shooting digitally).

 

[spiritfly]

Since you are shooting stationary subjects (they don't move), you can place the camera on a tripod and thus use any shutter speed you need. Thus, the power of the lights shouldn't matter.

As long as you use the same type of blub for each light, color shouldn't be an issue because you should be able to adjust the WB on the camera (provided you are shooting digitally).

Hey Mike! Yes I have tripod and I shoot with the Nikon D3100. I know light shouldn't be much of a problem, and the two 500Watt halogen makes the notebook visible enough, but the background isn't white at all and even the material of the tent is visible, how do I fix that, what do you suggest? I know I should use some software like photoshop, but I think the background should be white enough so I can make only minor modifications, and not texture-like and shady?

 

[KmH]

Use a 3rd light to light the back.

 

[Big Mike]

That has more to do with the position of your lights and your subject, than it does with the power of your lights. And of course, proper exposure.

Typically, if you want your background to appear nice and white, you need to put more light onto the background, than onto the subject. So, in order to do that, you pretty much have to be able to get the object away from the background, enough to aim some light in behind it. I've never really used a light tent, but I'd think that it would make something like this a little tough.

Do you have something like a seamless backdrop inside the tent? If not, I'd start there. Try a large piece of paper or cardboard etc. curved to make up the back and bottom of your shooting area.

 

[spiritfly]

Use a 3rd light to light the back.

You see I never really thought of that. I will try that as soon as I'm home

That has more to do with the position of your lights and your subject, than it does with the power of your lights. And of course, proper exposure.

Typically, if you want your background to appear nice and white, you need to put more light onto the background, than onto the subject. So, in order to do that, you pretty much have to be able to get the object away from the background, enough to aim some light in behind it. I've never really used a light tent, but I'd think that it would make something like this a little tough.

Do you have something like a seamless backdrop inside the tent? If not, I'd start there. Try a large piece of paper or cardboard etc. curved to make up the back and bottom of your shooting area.

Yes I have a backdrop it came with the tent, I bought myself one of these from the bay: 32'' 80cm Photo Cube Soft Box Tent +4 Color Backdrops | eBay

If I put the lights in such an angle to light the back of the tent, I don't know if the light will be enough because it already penetrates the side of the tent.

I will try with one more background light and get back here if that solves the problem.