Studio Lighting setup

brighteyesphotos · Mar 9, 2007

Ok, I got my lights. I've been testing them, playing with them, and trying different lighting setups.

I've run into a few issues. One being the flash and the camera. If I don't press the sync button, my images are underexposed, although maybe fixable in editing. Another is I need a light meter. And a model (at least a friend to sit for me [tony?]) I also realized I need to get my reflector out and use that too.

I saved one site that offered lighting set up hints and tips. Any others?

These are my feeble attempts. Pay no attention to the umbrella sticking out in one. These are uncropped and unedited so that I can better figure out how to perfect the set up.

I think this one is the best result out of my attempts.

Crap shots, aren't they? :greenpbl:

Efergoh · Mar 9, 2007

Don't crop. Shot these as verticals, and use your zoom. If you shoot wide angle and get close your nose will look enormous. Zoom in a bit...at least 80mm...I think? What is normal for digital? 50mm?

As for the light. The strobes seem a tad underpowered for these shots and are uneven.

Big Mike · Mar 9, 2007

It's all about experimentation at this stage...don't think of them as crap shots, think of them as experiments. If you put the light here, it will look like this...etc.

I'm not sure what you mean by...

I've run into a few issues. One being the flash and the camera. If I don't press the sync button, my images are underexposed

brighteyesphotos · Mar 9, 2007

Mike - if I use the slow sync on my camera, the shutter and flash work together and the image looks properly exposed (although the lighting is uneven and off). If I don't use the sync, shutter and flash don't work together.

Example: with sync, the exposure was 1/15 @ f/5.6. Without sync, camera set itself to 1/60 @ f/5.6. Without a light meter, I tend to set the aperature and let the camera decide the shutter speed. I'm not liking it. Next on my list is to turn off the flash and rely on continous lighting only. But I need to get a light meter first.

Tony - I'll try vertical next time. Still working on the balance.

Big Mike · Mar 9, 2007

I'm still not sure what you mean :scratch:

Do you mean that you are using 2nd/rear curtain sync? That shouldn't matter.

When using flash, the shutter speed has little effect on exposure. It only affects the ambient exposure. The flash fires so quickly that it doesn't matter what the shutter speed it, as long as it's below the camera's max sync speed.

What mode do you have your camera set in? The camera's meter can't read the light from the studio strobes...so you should put the camera into manual mode and use the aperture to set the exposure.

I assume you are using studio strobe (flash) lights and not constant lights? Are you also using the built-in flash (or a hot-shoe flash)?

brighteyesphotos · Mar 9, 2007

I have it on aperature mode.

I have strobe and continous lighting. All three lights are strobe, two can have the strobe turned off and be constant only.

If I wish to have the flash to fire, I have my hot-shoe flash on.

I know I'm doing something wrong here... next on my list to get is a wireless transmitter for the flash.

Big Mike · Mar 9, 2007

OK...there is a lot going on here.

I have strobe and continuous lighting. All three lights are strobe, two can have the strobe turned off and be constant only.

By continuous lighting, do you meant the 'modeling light' that is part of the strobe? That doesn't matter (it should actually turn off when the light is fired). Or you you have actual hot lights? (studio lights that are always on)

If I wish to have the flash to fire, I have my hot-shoe flash on.

So you are using a combination of hot-shoe flash and studio strobes? Is your hot-shoe flash a dedicated unit and/or is the same brand as your camera? (what brand do you use?)

How are you triggering the studio strobes? Is it just with the light from the hot-shoe flash or are they actually plugged into the camera?

Here is what I think may be happening...
Firstly, if you are using a Canon flash (for example)...then the hot-shoe flash is using a pre-flash to calculate it's own exposure. This preflash triggers the other lights. Then the hot-shoe fires again when the shutter is open but the other lights haven't recharged yet...so they don't fire again. If you are going to optically trigger the studio strobes, you can't use your hot-shoe flash unless you disable the pre-flash (which I think you can do by setting it to manual power).

Next, by shooting in aperture mode, the camera is setting the exposure based on what it sees before the flashes are triggered. Except that the hot-shoe flash is setting itself based on the pre-flash.

I suggest starting with one light, make sure it's working and firing properly then move on. Forget about the hot-shoe light for now.

brighteyesphotos · Mar 9, 2007

If I don't use flash at all, they are hot lights. If I turn the strobe feature on, they are modeling lights that fire as a flash, if my hot shoe flash is turned on. It has a wireless trigger in it that will fire any strobe light. That probably doesn't make any more sense.

The strobes are being triggered by the flash which is Sony btw same as my camera. IF I have them turned on. I have cords that are supposed to plug into my camera but I can't find the connection on my camera for them.

Gah...

I'm trying to perfect the hot lights part first. I'll move onto flash later.

EOS_JD · Mar 9, 2007

You need to set the camera to Manual to use flash (strobe). Using Av will meter for the ambient light - not the flash!

What power are the lights? Can you proivide any details about them?

brighteyesphotos · Mar 9, 2007

Not right this minute. I'm at work. Lights are at home.

Johnboy2978 · Mar 9, 2007

The cords for the lights are probably for a PC connection (not to be confused w/ personal computer) and if your camera doesn't have a pc connection, you will need a hot shoe adapter to wire them to the camera.

what camera and what type of lights are you using?

brighteyesphotos · Mar 9, 2007

Sony A100 and Britek lights, the exact model name escapes me at this time. And yes, they are PC connectors.

Efergoh · Mar 9, 2007

I wouldn't advise connecting a PC cord to your digital camera. A power surge could be deadly to the camera.

You need a radio slave. I do to, and since your hot shoe is the same as mine, most radio slave won't fit the shoe. I've been looking for adapters, but have come up empty handed so far.

Digital Matt · Mar 9, 2007

If the voltage of the lights is more than 6v, buy a safe sync, and use the pc cord. If the voltage is 6v or less, you won't have a problem.

Christie Photo · Mar 9, 2007

Wow. There IS a lot going on here.

First... using the modeling lights (the continuous lights) is not a good plan. They are meant simply to show where the lighting will fall when the flash fires, and not for exposure.

I suspect all of the lights are outfitted with a slave trigger. It is necessary to "tie" ONE of the lights to the camera. When that one fires, it will trigger the others. It is not a good plan to use the on-camera flash as a trigger... for a number of reasons. You will have to use a sync cord or radio trigger of some sort.

The in-camera metering system for ambient light (AV, EV) is not useful to determine your flash exposure. Once you choose a setting, your strobes will deliver the same amount of light over and over again. The duration of the light is much shorter than any shutter speed on your camera, so changing the shutter speed will not have an effect on the FLASH exposure. It is, however, important to synchronize the instant the strobes fire with the moment the shutter is open.

At this time (an probably always when working in the studio), I recommend that you use the fastest shutter speed that will sync with the strobes to minimize the amount of ambient light that is recorded. This will reduce mixing light sources with different color temperatures.