Rigging up a very basic indoor set up?

kitschenalia

kitschenalia

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Hi folks

I have finally started reading a couple of books about photography, both are by John Hedgecoe and written before the age of digital... I've finished reading the small basic one and am now reading "The complete guide to photography. I think it's all slowly sinking in and I went out with the kids to the woods and took some pictures only using the fully manual setting (M) on my camera - very hard especially on such a dark grey day but good for learning.

The book I'm reading is based around 71 projects and the first one is to create a silhouette as well as a group of shots focussing on shape. I'm planning to do this inside as today it looks like dusk outside, seriously.

So my husband has this big floodlight for DIY (the light from which is white I'm sure). If I need extra light then all I can really think of is a small anglepoise I have but that is orange light (tungsten is this called?).

In terms of backdrop, this is trickier, I guess I could iron a white sheet and hang it? Our house is quite sizeable but it's hard to think of a decent large stretch of wall/space to do this in. Of course, I can also do small objects on "location" such as objects in my French dresser (but not for the silhouette).

Any help MUCH appreciated :-)
 
I've used those big halogen DIY lamps before - i'd recommend using a manual white balance with them as they aren't necessarily as white as you'd think! The colour temperature also changes as they run - I used to use 2 of them with a home-made light-box and they pumped out so much heat that I had to keep switching them off or the whole box would have gone up in smoke. They're also quite a harsh and directional light - fine for a silhouette, but would benefit from a bit of diffusing for more general stuff - whatever you use to diffuse the light, don't let it get too close to the lamp though. I've used various stuff in the past - a couple of pieces of baking parchment fastened to a cardboard box frame, a white umbrella (not the genuine photographic flash brollies - a white folding poundshop umbrella!), even a white bedsheet hung over a clothes airer!
 
we have old sheets i use for painting and decorating...they are all crumpled and spotted and streaked with emulsions...good for background

TheBigYin...must be a sooth-sider...idea for lights sound exellent...halogen spots are cheap and come in bayonet and screw.. a standard lamp holder will give you a high source

daylight with a tripod is my favourite...moody but clear and distinct in its source and clarity...then you can get to grips with the manual settings
 
thanks so much guys, I DEF need to ask for a tripod for Christmas (was thinking of hand holding or on top of chair/stool etc. today). TheBigYin I like your ideas, but not sure what you mean by manual white balance - I guess this is something on my camera then? I'll def. diffuse then for the non-silhouette stuff.... and experiment with stuff for that.

Mrcrow I think you just got me out of the ironing - thank you :-) Wonder if I have any screw halogen - will have a look.... what we have here today would barely pass as daylight. And it's chucking it down :-(
 
Custom white balance setting - page 96 of the manual...

basically - take a shot of the white backdrop under the lighting you're going to use, then on the menu select custom whie balance, select the shot you've just taken as the white balance template, and change white balance to custom (if you haven't already!) Takes 30 seconds tops, and can save half a hours faffing in Photoshop to get wb correct later on!

mrcrow - the lights I'd been using were those big yellow 500w jobs that DIY shops sell as site lighting. Very powerful, allow you to shoot handheld on ligh-tent stuff, but very quickly convert a studio into a sauna - 2x500w lights make a VERY efficient room heater :lol: For my own personal use, I use a couple of Argos desk-lights and daylight balanced fluorescent bulbs (something like 7w jobs are fine) and stick the camera on a tripod...



something like this -was shooting tethered to the laptop as well - just to try it out!

I think for a basic rig, the end result's aren't half bad...

 
Wow, look at that! Can we see the actual end result of the bike please?

I couldn't get on here to check your reply before my little shoot :-( my wee'un was playing Ponyville and it was my only chance for a bit of peace - before I needed to use her as a model that is! I've just had a LOT of fun, learnt something about lighting, nearly burnt a hole in a reusable cloth bag (oops, you did warn me too, lucky I have a good sense of smell!) and am just about to peruse my results :-)
 
TheBigYin said:
mrcrow - the lights I'd been using were those big yellow 500w jobs that DIY shops sell as site lighting. Very powerful, allow you to shoot handheld on ligh-tent stuff, but very quickly convert a studio into a sauna - 2x500w lights make a VERY efficient room heater :lol: For my own personal use, I use a couple of Argos desk-lights and daylight balanced fluorescent bulbs (something like 7w jobs are fine) and stick the camera on a tripod...



something like this -was shooting tethered to the laptop as well - just to try it out!

I think for a basic rig, the end result's aren't half bad...

Click to expand...

:thumbs: that is the goods...well thought out...i will try that on my next set of worktop shots of antiques and stuff for ebay...thanks
cheers
 
Someone mention the Bike shot ?


All the shots I posted should be clickable to see a larger version on my Flickr Account.

The Light-box was made from 5 sheets of foamboard from staples with the 2 side panels having a just under a4 hole in them. Over the hole, I'd magic-taped a a4 sheet of tracing paper. Shine lights through this and you get a diffuse light from both sides, and nice soft shadows. If you want to be really tarty, put a sheet of thin glass (I used the front of one of those cheapie clip-frame's) on the floor of the box, and you get nice reflections...

 
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