Lighting

Armageddon Machine

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Minnesota
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www.nickdavis.org
Alright, I was looking at a few photography tutorial sites, and a lot use these photoflex discs and other manual lighting techniques. And I was wondering if anyone here uses these? Also, this photoflex stuff just looks expensive (being as they hide their prices on their website) and was wondering if there where less expensive alternatives. And I'd even be up to hand-fashioning my own if I had the right things to do so. So I really just want to expand my knowlege with the whole lighting thing. Hope I made sense in all that! Thanks.
 
You've got to plug the money hose before it starts flowing. Yeah, I know I've shown my lust for a medium format camera, but really it's the artist not the equipment. Besides, you can be more creative when you HAVE TO.
The lighting I used for this series

http://www.geocities.com/skislack/skpportraits.html

was two of these lamps from target. They were already lying around the house.

B00005OU10.16._SCMZZZZZZZ_.jpg
 
Sweet. Yeah, because I don't really want to spend the money on all the expensive things, especially since I'm the do-it-yourself tightwad. So ideally I'll just make my own light sources and stuff. And like those photo's you showed, that's quite awesome that you did those with a couple lamps! good deal.
 
Here's another trick I stumbled on to. If you have an outlet that is controled by a light switch (you know the one that takes you 6 months to figure out what it controls), put a dimmer on it. That way you can plug a high wattage lamp into it and adjust the amount of light coming out. How about that? One bulb and an infinate amount of varying light strengths.

So I set my aperature and shutter speed, then adjust the dimmer the right amount of light.
 
tiny "softboxes", there 60 bucks a piece around here and there great for portraits and other stuff.


md
 
 
...i am unsure of your experience and don't wish to insult you, so please be aware these comments are for those starting out:

If you wish to get serious about "lighting" i would suggest your first investment be a hand-held light meter and learn about lighting-ratios

With regards equipment, you are only limited by your bank balance ($$$)

An easy (no cost) place to start is window light and a reflector using white cardboard, then grow from there

If creating your own lighting set up, you will need to learn and understand "colour temperatures" (kelvin scale) because different light sources emit differing temperatures or colour, from blue through to red, and these need to be compensated/converted or adjusted for [generally, if shooting in B&W, this won't apply]

At the risk of overstating the obvious, "lighting" is the basics of photography and will take years to master -- but it's well worth the effort

:)

e_
 
Alrighty, thanks for your input! Yeah, I read just a tad about the kelvin scale thinger, I should probably read up on it more, since now I have at leat a little grasp on what it is. And since I'm inexperienced in it yet, that is why I'm not going to pour a crap-load of money in it yet (I've done that with enough hobbies, thanks :)). I'll stick with cheaper (and free) light sources.
 

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