Comic Con Lighting - something different maybe.

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dancook

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Last year I took my Leica Q and a couple of flashes - on one camera for fill and a hand held softbox.

I cut the environment to near black with aperture/shutter/iso settings and then used a Godox 360 to overpower it and create my own light, the results were pretty cool

Collage of Comic Con photos by dancook1982, on Flickr

But now I've done it once - I know how it'll turn out, and it'll just be more of the same if I do it again..

So to keep things interesting for me, I bought some Rotolight Neos.

Neo + Leica Q by dancook1982, on Flickr

You can change the temperature of them via a dial on the back, as well as the power level, you can fit filters - so I might consider using a colour. I could just balance them to be the same colour, but that feels boring..

I did a selfie test shot with the above warm/cold light mix - i'm thinking fire and ice :)

Neo + Leica Q by dancook1982, on Flickr

I won't be able to vastly overpower the ambient with them, but having visible control over the light positioning will be a boon

Also one draw back is there is only so bright you can go without blinding your subject..
 
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EightBitTony said:
Frankly, I'm still in awe of the first set, but I understand the desire to achieve something different. Good luck however it goes, my attempts at Con photography have just encouraged me to give it up!
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The first time I went to comic con, my photos were like this.. ok some better, some worse..

Star Wars by dancook1982, on Flickr

But I also bring this up because it gives me an idea of the ambient light - which at f2.0, 1/200th, ISO 800 - means I can afford to underexpose the background some more whilst having adequate non-blinding LED light
 
I saw your set last year Dan. Having been to Comic Con as an observer (daughter wanted to go) I was amazed at the way you managed to isolate the subjects with lighting, brilliant.
So the rotolights should present an interesting new challenge
 
Byker28i said:
I saw your set last year Dan. Having been to Comic Con as an observer (daughter wanted to go) I was amazed at the way you managed to isolate the subjects with lighting, brilliant.
So the rotolights should present an interesting new challenge
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Cheers, maybe if I kept going down that route - I could improve by adding a rear light... but that would mean I need an assistant :D
 
like these a lot. I think you need this sort of rig though which itself is a decent comicon costume!
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DizMatt said:
like these a lot. I think you need this sort of rig though which itself is a decent comicon costume!
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You've just helped remind me what my original - perhaps more interesting plan was.....

I was going to try more dramatic light positioning - like one either side of the face.. but to do this i'd need some flexible arms. I bought some at about £10 each, but they wouldn't not lock sufficiently tight enough, and I almost knock my pint over in the pub whilst testing them :)
 
I think the warm/cool combination is very fitting, it is used extensively in movies. But it is used reversed from how you did it (warm highlights/cool shadows, which makes more sense really).

I've used a Manfrotto 396 attached with a super clamp to a monopod. It allows me to position a light forwards/side, and farther than I can reach... mine is a 396AB-3 and will support an AD 360 w/ small softbox, more than adequate for a rotolight (rated for 9lbs at full extension, but that's questionable IMO). I also wrapped some foam tubing around the first arm section... it rests over my shoulder when moving around. Using a cheap L-bracket in a cheap ballhead makes the setup really quite versatile... the L-bracket isn't really required, I just prefer the positioning.
 
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sk66 said:
I think the warm/cool combination is very fitting, it is used extensively in movies. But it is used reversed from how you did it (warm highlights/cool shadows, which makes more sense really).

I've used a Manfrotto 396 attached with a super clamp to a monopod. It allows me to position a light forwards/side, and farther than I can reach... mine is a 396AB-3 and will support an AD 360 w/ small softbox, more than adequate for a rotolight (rated for 9lbs at full extension, but that's questionable IMO). I also wrapped some foam tubing around the first arm section... it rests over my shoulder when moving around. Using a cheap L-bracket in a cheap ballhead makes the setup really quite versatile... the L-bracket isn't really required, I just prefer the positioning.
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thanks for the colour suggestion, i'll try it out

Not sure I'm ready for that kind of investment - i'll have a think about it

The one's I bought and were no good were these, maybe I did something wrong - but they just swung around.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B008MTYJJY/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
 
dancook said:
thanks for the colour suggestion, i'll try it out

Not sure I'm ready for that kind of investment - i'll have a think about it

The one's I bought and were no good were these, maybe I did something wrong - but they just swung around.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B008MTYJJY/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
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They're pretty good for the money, and really handy for light duty, but for anything more serious the Manfrotto version is properly designed and quality built. Costs a fair bit more, but worth it I think https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product..._sfl_title_3?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ASDL50GT0I8UE
 
Do you have permission from the organisers to set up your stuff or do you work with them? just curious as those events are always so mad busy, you must need a set space to work in?
 
dan_yell said:
Do you have permission from the organisers to set up your stuff or do you work with them? just curious as those events are always so mad busy, you must need a set space to work in?
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No I'm just a regular Joe with a camera, I take photos in the halls with millions of people streaming past.. like everyone else :D

The black background of those photos, is not a backdrop - it's lack of light hitting the sensor. There would be lots of people in the background. The subject is just very brightly lit by comparison.

this was me for the black background set..

13310486_10157238756240227_5970300321432652234_n.jpg
 
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sk66 said:
I like this a lot better... partly because it is a stronger setup (bolder).
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I actually processed this one similar to as I might process a portrait from comic con, the other was pretty raw

but also i did use a proper blue filter, not just the cool side of white.
 
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dancook said:
Last year I took my Leica Q and a couple of flashes - on one camera for fill and a hand held softbox.

I cut the environment to near black with aperture/shutter/iso settings and then used a Godox 360 to overpower it and create my own light, the results were pretty cool

Collage of Comic Con photos by dancook1982, on Flickr

But now I've done it once - I know how it'll turn out, and it'll just be more of the same if I do it again..
Click to expand...

Were these on High Speed Sync @1/500 or does the Leica not have that?
 
jamesev said:
Were these on High Speed Sync @1/500 or does the Leica not have that?
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It's a leaf shutter on the Leica Q, I don't know the technical in's and out's - but it's why you can shooting higher speed
 
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