Roomset Photography Lighting

[KJPearce]

Hi, I am due to do my first ever room set shoot, which is a number of flats and 2 windows. What lighting would you use? I probably need flash as I need to make it look like daylight shining through the windows. The roomset will be used to shoot furniture. The roomset and furniture is quite large with the roomset been about 6m X 6m.

 

[Garry Edwards]

Hi Keiran, Welcome to TP

An interesting question, but we need more info before we can help.

A roomset for furniture photography is usually a corner built into a large studio. I'm guessing that the windows will be the usual studio arrangement, i.e. a window frame with (variable levels of) diffused flash firing into the roomset. The studio usually has plenty of height, to allow flashes to be placed above the subject.

Is this what you're planning?

 

[KJPearce]

Hi Garry,
thank you for your reply. Yes that’s exactly what we’ve got. The room set is 2.4m tall. I do have a drawing of the room set, please see this attached.
Thanks, Kieran

 

[Garry Edwards]

Right, now we know the starting point.

Basically it will be mains powered studio flash for this, although it's normal to include one or two flashguns, hidden away in discreet places too.
Mains powered flashes are pretty similar to each other, the real (and most important) variation is the lighting modifiers that are used, and they will vary enormously depending on the type of subject - you may be photographing shiny cabinet furniture, beds, ancillary items - the range is huge and the lighting always has to be specific to each included item. This means that if, for example, you're photographing 4 different items in the same shot and each item needs 3 lights, plus light apparently coming through a window, you'll be using a minimum of 15 lights . . .

Is this the sort of info you're looking for?

 

[KJPearce]

That’s perfect, Thank you.