setups and shots with home studio setup Thread

EOS_JD said:
One strobe really isn't enough to light the 6x7. To get it white with one strobe you need to throw a lot of light into it which is likely to be too much. Better to light the background evenly with 2 strobes (I used two Elinchrom strobes (400BX) to light the 6x7 highlight in the above images.

It's easy making the background white.What makes it complicated is when you introduce your subject into the equation and you get spill and flare coming back.
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Yeah that'll more than likely be the case for most shots but I did a head shot quite high up in the highlight with the light relatively low in the highlight on full power, no flare at all.

Get the subject (ie head and shoulders) anywhere near the same level as the light and it'll require two strobes.

Still an impressive bit of kit.
 
EOS_JD said:
I like your work :)
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Cheers dude (y) Need to start doing more strobist stuff - light painting is all good and well but the set-up shots are boring as hell!!! ;)

It's embarrassing to think that was my old house on a tidy day. And what was I thinking teaming a leather couch with a fabric one. Llewellyn-Bowen would have a dying duck fit!!! :LOL:
 
Typical guy here - I didnt even notice that! :)

I was more interested in the image - great colour
 
Just setting up in the conservatory for some friends coming round, going to do some shots of their children, will post some results later

my humble setup, Hi-lite 6x7 with Train, Lencarta Smartflash 200 lights and a 120cm Octabox

setup.jpg
 
(y)

Hope all goes well for your shoot..


Regards Dave(y)
 
AdeM said:
Cheers Dave, i will be happy if I can produce anything like some of your shots

will post them up later
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Be good to see, if you could post a couple straight out of camera I'd like to see the performance of the lastilite, just got one myself!

Cheers
 
With the conservatory, you might be best with some blinds just in case you get some stray ambient light in. Should be ok at f8 & 1/125th but if the sun is out iut can affect the look.

Cheers
Jim
 
Hi all, I've just stumbled across this thread and it's great. I shoot with a 2 flash (oof camera) set-up and white sheet for the b'ground. The wrinkles sometimes show up which can be a pain. What are the b'grounds that are being used here and would you reccommend?

Cheers guys
 
McNyat said:
Hi all, I've just stumbled across this thread and it's great. I shoot with a 2 flash (oof camera) set-up and white sheet for the b'ground. The wrinkles sometimes show up which can be a pain. What are the b'grounds that are being used here and would you reccommend?

Cheers guys
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Look up Lastolite Hilite. You can get them at WEX. Size depends on use/space/budget.

You are likely to need more than 2x flashes if you start to look at the larger backgrounds.

To be honest you are better shooting low/mid key with just two lights as trying to light a background sheet with one light is not really easy
 
Will post couple of shots this morning, things ive noticed, I added two extra lights, small speedlights at floor level to blow the floor and join between lastolite and train, makes PP a little easier, one 200w light isnt really good enough to give good even lighting across the hilite (as was mentioned before) I think I will look for another 2nd hand smartflash head (anyone !) when I used the hilite the first time away from home what I did was use two speedlights actually set inside the hilite and pointed upwards, I could have use two speedlghts yesterday on stands either side of the hilite but then I would have lost my ability to light the train/join as I dont have enough receivers.

First shot from yesterday, only very slight exposure adjustment, upped blacks and contrast but very little, will prob have more of a play with this to get rid of graces mark on her face, she fell over an hour before she arrived here :shake:

also included another shot of the setup, this time showing the speedlights

fredgrace.jpg


setup1.jpg
 
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Regards blowing out the train line, it only takes about 10 seconds to fix in Lightroom.

The main light needs to be a little lower as there is no catchlight in the boys eyes (the look dark) but a nice shot :)
 
EOS_JD said:
Regards blowing out the train line, it only takes about 10 seconds to fix in Lightroom.

The main light needs to be a little lower as there is no catchlight in the boys eyes (the look dark) but a nice shot :)
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Hi Jim

the catchlights are in Graces eyes but Freddy was looking down a little, for these prone shots the octabox was probably another couple of feet lower than in the setup picture, one of the few shots where grace played ball, she really was not in the mood for this, freddy on the other hand was totally hyper, great fun though, probably didnt help that it was in my conservatory and my own 5 children were there, not the best of shooting conditions :D
 
EOS_JD said:
Regards blowing out the train line, it only takes about 10 seconds to fix in Lightroom.

The main light needs to be a little lower as there is no catchlight in the boys eyes (the look dark) but a nice shot :)
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Jim,

Do you use lights on the train then photoshop or just use photoshop without extra lighting?
 
This was the first shot I did after setting up the lights, the Octabox was a little high on this one, got my son Ethan to pose for me before our friends arrived, he only agreed to pose because he knew freddy was coming to have his picture taken :D

beefy2.jpg
 
AdeM said:
This was the first shot I did after setting up the lights, the Octabox was a little high on this one, got my son Ethan to pose for me before our friends arrived, he only agree to pose because he knew freddy was coming to have his picture taken :D
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Cheers for that Ade, is that straight out of camera?

I see the train lights on his trainers, I'm wondering whether I need to do the same myself to save on PP
 
dan_yorkshire said:
Cheers for that Ade, is that straight out of camera?

I see the train lights on his trainers, I'm wondering whether I need to do the same myself to save on PP
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Probably not Dan, as Jim says its easily fixable in Lightroom or Photoshop, I just wanted to see really what it was like using the speedlights to blow the joining line, for the sake of a few seconds work its probably not worth the extra expense, I think if you were doing event work where you had to have the shots pretty much ready to go then the extra lighting would be essential

Oh and pretty much out of camera, only pp work is upped the blacks and tiny bit of contrast, nothing else
 
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dan_yorkshire said:
Jim,

Do you use lights on the train then photoshop or just use photoshop without extra lighting?
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I use Lightroom to fix the train - easier and faster than Photoshop.

I don't have lights on the train at all.

Takes 10-20 seconds to fix - sometimes quicker.
 
AdeM said:
This was the first shot I did after setting up the lights, the Octabox was a little high on this one, got my son Ethan to pose for me before our friends arrived, he only agreed to pose because he knew freddy was coming to have his picture taken :D
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when shooting kids like this my octa is lowered to as low as the stand will allow.
 
EOS_JD said:
I use Lightroom to fix the train - easier and faster than Photoshop.

I don't have lights on the train at all.

Takes 10-20 seconds to fix - sometimes quicker.
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Cheers, I have Lightroom too so need to learn the best methods for doing this, all part of the learning curve.

Also I currently use three speed lights, but am gonna look at purchasing a studio light and octobox for the key light without spending too much as dont know whether my speed light with use too much power every shot with octobox. And assuming mixing speed lights and studio is fine if I fire all with RF-602's.
 
I've advised of the method earlier on this thread. Take the exposure brush, make it fairly soft and large. Switch ON (tick) Auto Mask.

The automask will allow only the single colour you select with the + in the middle of the brush to be altered so if you have the + on the white/grey area and you have exposure set to +2, it will turn white and the feathered edge will leave a realistic shadow.

For darker areas, switch exposure and brightness to the highest level and switch OFF auto mask. Paint over the areas carefully with a smaller brush taking more care not to adjust the subject.

For most it's a quick single stroke around the floor with a large brush. Time taken is very little.
 
EOS_JD said:
I've advised of the method earlier on this thread. Take the exposure brush, make it fairly soft and large. Switch ON (tick) Auto Mask.

The automask will allow only the single colour you select with the + in the middle of the brush to be altered so if you have the + on the white/grey area and you have exposure set to +2, it will turn white and the feathered edge will leave a realistic shadow.

For darker areas, switch exposure and brightness to the highest level and switch OFF auto mask. Paint over the areas carefully with a smaller brush taking more care not to adjust the subject.

For most it's a quick single stroke around the floor with a large brush. Time taken is very little.
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Many thanks. I often forget how powerful lightroom is for editing.
 
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no worries :)
 
Had another friend round this morning with her daughter, this is Abi, same setup as yesterday but octabox much lower, hence the catchlights, tnx for tip about the exposure brush Jim, i use lightroom for most of my pp work but always did that bit in PS, works a treat

abi.jpg
 
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Ade - The image is just a bit too tight in the crop but that aside this is a beautiful exposure - beautiful young girl captured very well and nice shadow grounding the subject.(y)
 
Ade - was that just one octobox and then the hilite behind? Were any reflectors used? I really like this shot and am encouraged to buy a hilite now! :)
 
dubcat said:
Ade - was that just one octobox and then the hilite behind? Were any reflectors used? I really like this shot and am encouraged to buy a hilite now! :)
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Thanks Jim, Ive got a couple of others which arent quite as tight, just going through them

Yes Amir, just the one Octabox and Hi-lite, nothing else, no reflectors :) just FYI this time I used two speedlights on stands to light the hi-lite, two old SB-24's both set on half power


Ade
 
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AdeM said:
Had another friend round this morning with her daughter, this is Abi, same setup as yesterday but octabox much lower, hence the catchlights, tnx for tip about the exposure brush Jim, i use lightroom for most of my pp work but always did that bit in PS, works a treat

abi.jpg
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Really nice Ade, was it far off the finished article before PP?

I have a couple of SB24's too which I use to light mine. Gonna get a studio flash and octobox so will have a very similar setup soon.

Which octobox do you own?
 
this is very cool!!! i have a couple of speedlights (sigma DG2000 and 580EX) which I can use. I could get started sooner than later!
 
dan_yorkshire said:
Really nice Ade, was it far off the finished article before PP?

I have a couple of SB24's too which I use to light mine. Gonna get a studio flash and octobox so will have a very similar setup soon.

Which octobox do you own?
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Hi Dan

Apart from about 5 seconds with the exposure brush in lightroom thats pretty much straight out of camera, I have the Lencarta 120cm Octabox, I bought the Lencarta Smartflash 200 kit with two Heads, two stands, remote triggers, Octabox and 100cm shoot through umbrella, its their starter/budget kit but it does everything I need and am really happy with it
 
Ade - would that 6x7 hilite be big enough for a family of four if one was willing to do post processing on the sides?
 
dubcat said:
Ade - would that 6x7 hilite be big enough for a family of four if one was willing to do post processing on the sides?
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Easily, ive done more than 4, albeit at a bit of a squeeze :) also if your doing family shots with them sitting on the floor it can be turned on its side so its 7ft wide, it has zips/openings on all 4 sides to fit your lights, also has velcro on two sides so the vinyl train can be used both ways
 
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Hmmm thanks to you I am going to have some explaining to do to with the mrs re. photography expenses!!! :) Thanks again mate - keep posting the pics - they are inspiring to a newbie like me.
 
Hi, firstly this is a great thread! I'm learning so much.

I'm hoping I get a home studio setup soon in my converted garage room but still unsure about the lighting.

As I am new to it I am looking at the 540W style eBay setups with three light heads and accessories for around £180.

One issue I have is replacement bulbs. I've typed in 75W modelling bulb and from the same supplier as the equipment they are £109!!! But others say around £8. Are these likely to be different?

Also, can any 75W modelling bulb be used for the strobe? Sorry if this sounds basic but I don't understand the strobe/ modelling bulb situation :)

Hope someone an help.

Thanks

Colin
 
Phall82 said:
Hi, firstly this is a great thread! I'm learning so much.

I'm hoping I get a home studio setup soon in my converted garage room but still unsure about the lighting.

As I am new to it I am looking at the 540W style eBay setups with three light heads and accessories for around £180.

One issue I have is replacement bulbs. I've typed in 75W modelling bulb and from the same supplier as the equipment they are £109!!! But others say around £8. Are these likely to be different?

Also, can any 75W modelling bulb be used for the strobe? Sorry if this sounds basic but I don't understand the strobe/ modelling bulb situation :)

Hope someone an help.

Thanks

Colin
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Without looking, I'd advise you rethink the lights.....

Look at the Lencarta Smartflash (200Ws lights will be plenty in a small garage) or perhaps the Elinchrom D-Lite range.

Consistency, reliability, support, build quality, rand of modifiers etc etc should be given due consideration before potentailly wasting £180!
 
EOS_JD said:
Without looking, I'd advise you rethink the lights.....

Look at the Lencarta Smartflash (200Ws lights will be plenty in a small garage) or perhaps the Elinchrom D-Lite range.

Consistency, reliability, support, build quality, rand of modifiers etc etc should be given due consideration before potentailly wasting £180!
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Ideally what I'm looking for is a lighting setup that will work with a Lastolite Hi-lite background as they sound great, but wanting to keep it as cheap as possible to start with (while still being able to use it).

With being new to studio work any advice helps. The only lighting equipment I've currently got is a speedlite 430exII.
 
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