Need help with sutdio lighting setup

zapman29

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Sorry may have been asked before but I am very new to studio lighting. I just bought a basic studio set.. Right now I am using a strobe light it has a 100 watt modeling lamp with a 150watt flash bulb, with an umbrella. with our with out the umbrealla, every shot I take is nothing but white flash over my subject. Its is drowned in it.. I have turned down my flash all the way and moved it further away fromt he subject, still the same...

Now I am thinking i must need to set the camera up but really dont know how.. Any help or links would be great thanks in advance...
 
did you try increasing the F-stop? I have no experience with studio lighting at all so i don't know about the light settings etc.. but using a smaller aperture should work (greater in number)
 
If you have a flash meter, use it. Otherwise, stop down.
 
"stop down" was what i was trying to say.. jargon busting.
 
Sorry may have been asked before but I am very new to studio lighting. I just bought a basic studio set.. Right now I am using a strobe light it has a 100 watt modeling lamp with a 150watt flash bulb, with an umbrella. with our with out the umbrealla, every shot I take is nothing but white flash over my subject. Its is drowned in it.. I have turned down my flash all the way and moved it further away fromt he subject, still the same...

Now I am thinking i must need to set the camera up but really dont know how.. Any help or links would be great thanks in advance...

150ws isn't all that powerful for studio lighting... and if you have a 100w modelling light and a 150ws strobe - then the strobe is only 50% brighter than the modelling light... So it must be your camera settings...
Post your camera settings (aperture, shutter speed, iso) and we can make an informed comment
Jedo
 
Shoot at about ISO 100, shutter speed 200, and the adjust the aperture to control the exposure on your subject.

Oh....and post examples, good or bad.
 
thanks for the comments I will do what I can and try to post pics.. thanks

Z
 
this is my setup and the next one is my shot.. see how its all whited out, I did the iso and shutter with the same results
 

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One or two suggestions:

Move your background way back - create some separation between your subject and background.

Dial down your camera right light a bit and soften it a bit.

low iso - larger aperture - faster shutter speed if you can.

If still too bright move your lights back.
 
Shutter speed doesn't matter with flash. You need to stop down your aperture. Smaller aperture (larger f-number).

Also, what is your shutter speed? Are you metering the ambient? The TTL meter in your camera isn't going to do you much good here. Just shoot at your sync speed (probably 1/250, judging by the box in the first image ;)), and adjust your aperture until you get the proper exposure.
 
frXnz is right. Given all other exposure critical settings are the same, shutter speed (ranging from slightly above correct at room light to your max sync speed) will not affect the brightness of the exposure. If it's at or below "correct for room light" it will though.
 
By chance do you have a softbox, brolly box or another umbrella? Your are shooting undiffused bare light at a reflective surface. I would first diffuse the right hand strobe. That will help to reduce the glare.

Do you have a flash meter by chance? If so, you need to take a reading of the right hand strobe. It is overpowering your subject with light causing blowout as well. To get a proper exposure you will need to average the readings from your two lights to get the proper exposure setting.

If you don't have a flash meter you are just going to have to chimp your way down until you get the look you want by lowering ISO, upping aperture and moving the light source back. Preferably the right hand source first. Once you get that light in the range you want then you can work the left hand light.

As an alternative if you don't have another diffuser you might consider using the umbrella on your main light and using a reflector as you fill from the other side. You get you the settings you want for your main light then add the reflector to the other side and move it around until you get the fill look you want.

As suggested, get your subject away from you background. I try to keep at least 6 feet when ever possible. That will also allow you to get your background light behind you subject instead of at the side. Also once you get your exposure the way you want it play with your background light. Lower to the ground maybe, at an angle etc, depending on the look you are going for.

If you are interested in doing studio photography I would strongly suggest looking into a flash meter. There are several good ones out there. I personally like the Sekonic 358. Not too expensive, accurate and good studio functionality such as calculating ratios etc. If you are planning on making a living out of it there are better meters available, but the 358 is a good place to start. Besides, if you ever outgrow it in the studio, it makes a great meter for the bag where ever you go.
 
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Don't know if it was said before, but use manual setting of the camera. it seams you use auto metering or you use the metering of the camera, and because of the black background, the camera tries to get the black background properly exposed as well.
 
Right after learning the basics like what is ISO, shutter and aperture on your camera, set it to manual. In the settings, set it to ISO 100, aperture to something like F/8 and shutter speed to whatever your camera's maximum sync speed is (you do know what that is, yes?).

Next, turn off ALL your strobes except ONE... leave the flash thats on the stand with the umbrella. You are trying to run but do not know how to walk. ;)

Start with your flash at it's lowest setting and take a few pics. If they look underexposed, up the power on the flash until it looks good (or use a meter and know within a shot or 2 what your needs are).

In that picture of your setup, I think I saw like 3 light sources. Until you learn to control ONE source properly, all you are going to do is confuse yourself a lot... lol.

Pick up a book called Understanding Exposure, and then pickup The Master's Guide to Portrait Photography. It will give you all the answers you need to use your setup effectively. You are also going to learn that its a lot more complex than you may have thought, but that passes after a short while.

Also a good place to read is is the strobist.com site.
 
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