Folding studio flats - any ideas?

juggler

juggler

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Simon
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Hello learned folk.

I realise that my new studio space is missing is a set of flats, V or otherwise. Especially a black one. It's a shared space so I need to put everything away in a large understairs cupboard. Is there such a thing as an umbrella fold style black flat? Or a design for one?
 
Phil V said:
A black / white pop up background?
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Or a 5-in-1 reflector, much the same really, and available in various sizes. This one, for example https://www.lencarta.com/110x170cm-redline-pro-handheld-collapsible-reflector

Not as good, in a way, as studio flats in the sense that they need some form of support, but usually can be bodged to lean up against a spare light stand, and if not then there's always something like this https://www.lencarta.com/reflector-diffuser-panel-clip-holder-boom-arm
 
Garry Edwards said:
Or a 5-in-1 reflector, much the same really, and available in various sizes. This one, for example https://www.lencarta.com/110x170cm-redline-pro-handheld-collapsible-reflector

Not as good, in a way, as studio flats in the sense that they need some form of support, but usually can be bodged to lean up against a spare light stand, and if not then there's always something like this https://www.lencarta.com/reflector-diffuser-panel-clip-holder-boom-arm
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Cunning, I was definitely thinking along more rigid lines but that would work well.
 
Just bought a 1.5 x 2 mtr pop up which was shipped from Lencarta, mine is a cloudy blue/white and aside from having to get fluent in packing it down it's a great back-drop which to my surprise is amazingly crease free when opened out.
Now pondering the other colour options, and no doubt a black/white will be on the menu.
 
I've been using Photoflex LitePanels for over 35 years (only game in town back then) with a collapsible PVC frame & stretch panels, Calumet did a more cost effective version with an alloy frame, but now they've be merged with WEX, it seems the very difficult to find them on the site - I can find the 42" x 72" black/silver fabric, some clips & a light stand clamp, but nothing else from that range!

Paul
 
most studios in the uk just have polyboards - 8x4' 2" thick polystyrene boards painted black on one side and surrounded with 2" gaffer tape to help keep the edges neat, then stood up either in specially made holders, or £4 bike stands from maplin...

studio flats seem to be quite a common thing in the US though, so lots of people on the internet talk about them - personally when I've used them, I've found them to be a bit more of a faff than poly, though I guess they do take up less space. Poly is a super bright white that bounced light really well too
 
A boom arm stand and fabric/clips... IMO, a lot more versatile. When you don't need the flag/reflector you can use it to hang silks to light through... and a good boom stand also comes in very handy for positioning lights ;).
 
itsdavedotnet said:
most studios in the uk just have polyboards - 8x4' 2" thick polystyrene boards painted black on one side and surrounded with 2" gaffer tape to help keep the edges neat, then stood up either in specially made holders, or £4 bike stands from maplin...

studio flats seem to be quite a common thing in the US though, so lots of people on the internet talk about them - personally when I've used them, I've found them to be a bit more of a faff than poly, though I guess they do take up less space. Poly is a super bright white that bounced light really well too
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I've regularly used both; neither fold small enough to be put away.

I'm going to start with the reflectors and some arms & see how I get on.

sk66 said:
A boom arm stand and fabric/clips... IMO, a lot more versatile. When you don't need the flag/reflector you can use it to hang silks to light through... and a good boom stand also comes in very handy for positioning lights ;).
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That'd be a great idea if I didn't nearly always have my two boom arms in use with lights on them!
 
itsdavedotnet said:
or £4 bike stands from maplin...
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I was racking my brain wondering how something like this ...
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... would hold a flat up ... but not I realise you mean a MIKE stand!
 
juggler said:
That'd be a great idea if I didn't nearly always have my two boom arms in use with lights on them!
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Ok, I'm guessing the idea is for very regular use primarily in order to give more light control when the space is used as a studio? Can you hang curtain rods (conduit) from the ceiling or walls? You could then use roller curtain hooks to install/change fabric panels easily/quickly.
 
sk66 said:
Ok, I'm guessing the idea is for very regular use primarily in order to give more light control when the space is used as a studio? Can you hang curtain rods (conduit) from the ceiling or walls? You could then use roller curtain hooks to install/change fabric panels easily/quickly.
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Exactly! It's a large bright space. I envisage needing to reduce the amount of light reflected from the various walls.

I'll wait until I've got my feet under the table before I start asking the owner to modify the space :)
 
ooooh ok. The calumet frames are perfect 2m x 1m collapsible frames with various fabrics that really easily hook on - they've just moved their site to WEX though and I can't see them on there.
 
itsdavedotnet said:
ooooh ok. The calumet frames are perfect 2m x 1m collapsible frames with various fabrics that really easily hook on - they've just moved their site to WEX though and I can't see them on there.
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Could just get a Lastolite Skylite instead, not exactly cheap for the task but it can do a bunch of other stuff too.
 
juggler said:
Exactly! It's a large bright space. I envisage needing to reduce the amount of light reflected from the various walls.

I'll wait until I've got my feet under the table before I start asking the owner to modify the space :)
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IMO, it sounds like panels/flats are going to be a poor solution... they're good for controlling the lighting your using/adding, not so much for "a large bright space" as any gaps tend to be problematic (and I assume this isn't just for portraits/headshots).
I would first look to control the light entering the environment w/ curtains/blackout screens and maybe dimmers/switches for the lights. If you can't modify the building by adding curtains to the windows, then tape BG paper over them when needed. Then you can use the smaller flats/panels to manage what you are adding.

To a certain extent you can manage the room lighting with camera settings, but this may limit your options significantly. Both in camera settings and lighting power/ratios...
 
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sk66 said:
IMO, it sounds like panels/flats are going to be a poor solution... they're good for controlling the lighting your using/adding, not so much for "a large bright space" as any gaps tend to be problematic (and I assume this isn't just for portraits/headshots).
I would first look to control the light entering the environment w/ curtains/blackout screens and maybe dimmers/switches for the lights. If you can't modify the building by adding curtains to the windows, then tape BG paper over them when needed. Then you can use the smaller flats/panels to manage what you are adding.

To a certain extent you can manage the room lighting with camera settings, but this may limit your options significantly. Both in camera settings and lighting power/ratios...
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I can control the room's ambient lighting sufficiently well. What I can't yet easily control is the amount of light from flashes bouncing off the walls and floor. Black popup absorbers are a compromise which I think will work reasonably well.

If I need to make the room much less reflective then I have a vast swathe of black cloth but it's a bit of a git to rig.
 
juggler said:
I can control the room's ambient lighting sufficiently well. What I can't yet easily control is the amount of light from flashes bouncing off the walls and floor. Black popup absorbers are a compromise which I think will work reasonably well.

If I need to make the room much less reflective then I have a vast swathe of black cloth but it's a bit of a git to rig.
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Then you are really talking about using them more as flags as opposed to absorptive flats (negative lighting)? I.e. if the space is large enough then what bounces off the walls/ceiling shouldn't be much of an issue as long as the lighting is reasonably controlled in the first place. The floor will always be more problematic as there is no such thing as separation from it.
I know you tend to use smaller/harder lighting a lot of the time... have you considered barn doors (and similar DIY for softboxes)?
 
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Thanks for all the input, folks; I suspect this thread has pretty much run its course so apologies in advance if I don't reply any more.

I know what I'm after and the various ways I'm likely to use them. In an ideal world I'd have 4ft x 8ft celotex boards on something more substantial than bike stands, painted black on one side and white on the other. However - I need something I can quickly erect and put away in a small cupboard. I think that the long reflectors will be a good compromise - and if they're don't work out for me then I won't have spent too much and will try something else.
 
juggler said:
Thanks for all the input, folks; I suspect this thread has pretty much run its course so apologies in advance if I don't reply any more.

I know what I'm after and the various ways I'm likely to use them. In an ideal world I'd have 4ft x 8ft celotex boards on something more substantial than bike stands, painted black on one side and white on the other. However - I need something I can quickly erect and put away in a small cupboard. I think that the long reflectors will be a good compromise - and if they're don't work out for me then I won't have spent too much and will try something else.
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the calumet system really is pretty much exactly what you're after, wex have got the fabric for one of them on their site - give them a call as they're still adding all the calumet products to their site http://www.wexphotographic.com/calumet-42-x-78inch-silver-black-panel-fabric-1632860/

I can't find a bts picture but I use them with a crossbeam and a superclamp on a light stand.
 
simonbarker said:
Off topic but bloody hell who's handling that, it's stupid to turn off the old website before you've got all your products up on the new one.
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aye.... the old calumet backend systems are proper archaic though (remember the dot matrix printers they use when you go into their stores?), so I'd guess they have no choice....
 
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