studio lighting: experience and advice
Aug 24, 2017 04:50:52 #
Aug 24, 2017 06:46:52 #
Good morning. Thank you for your longish post about artificial lighting from experience. I understood most of it, having been trained as an electronics technician in the military. I also use flash lighting in my photography, but the modern type with Canon Speedlites.
Your post makes me appreciate how we today enjoy the automatic function of speedlights in doing photography: the computer calculates everything for the shooter, or almost everything.
For the practicalities of artificial lighting with speedlights in the field, I recommend the instruction of this master wedding photographer: https://neilvn.com/
BTW: Have you ever considered donating your collection of artificial lighting gear to a photography museum or suchlike institution? I have the sense your collection should be preserved for historical reasons.
Your post makes me appreciate how we today enjoy the automatic function of speedlights in doing photography: the computer calculates everything for the shooter, or almost everything.
For the practicalities of artificial lighting with speedlights in the field, I recommend the instruction of this master wedding photographer: https://neilvn.com/
BTW: Have you ever considered donating your collection of artificial lighting gear to a photography museum or suchlike institution? I have the sense your collection should be preserved for historical reasons.
E.L.. Shapiro wrote:
Sorry- rat out of space! br br OK br br Guide nu... (show quote)
Aug 24, 2017 10:32:04 #
4OX wrote:
how did you do the ballerina pic? very sweet!
The beauty is that Ed did this with film, not Photoshop. Without stepping on his toes, it was done with a slow shutter speed, and rapid firing strobe. (like a strobe light on the dance floor) A feature on some "on camera flashes" but it's something that a "true strobe" can do. Like Ed said, if used much, it can prematurely kill the bulb, but it's a really cool effect.
Ed was doing "photoshoppy" stuff, before photoshop was ever dreamed of.
He has an extra 20 years on me as far as experience, but I was doing double exposures and other stuff with film back in the day as well.
Aug 24, 2017 11:44:22 #
Yes! I am old! Some of my gear is old too but I am not an equipment collector nor am I a reactionary, I don't pine for the "good old days"- the weren't all that good! I use all on my old gear as well as my new stuff. When certain pieces of equipment outlive their usefulness, I dispose of them. I use my high powered flash units every day in my commercial work. It would cost many thousands of dollars to repurchase that kind of power so I keep them in good repair.
As part of my present offerings in portraiture, I do a kinda "Old Hollywood" style. I have a compliment of "hot" lights that were actually used for this kind of work; Bardwell & McAlister Fresnel spots, a rare F.E. beauty light and pan light and some vintage Rodenstock Imagon soft focus lenses for various formats. The style sells well because it is faltering to the clients. I still have a decent stock of old fashioned Photo-flood lamps, they only last about 4 hours. Soem of my later models of hot lights are Quartz types where the lamps are still readily available.
FILM? I seldom, nowadays, go back to film- most of my favorite kinds are no longer in manufacture anyway, nor are the accompanying chemistry. After many years of long hours in the darkroom, I certainly don't miss the fuss and muss and the caustic chemicals. I can replicate just about any film effect in digital techniques so there is no need for false nostalgia. I still prefer o do as much quality control in the camera rather then PhotoShopping every file to death- it's a better economy of time.
I find that figuring stuff out and doing all the calculations in flash technique is half the fun. Once you get it all down pat, you can do all the settings quickly and instinctively. I also find nothing wrong with automation and programmed shooting where the equipment does the calculations for me. Knowing the old ways makes me more appreciative of the new technology. Old style high powered flash gear, even the current models, however, do not have integrated automation with the camera so I have to get the meter out- do the readings and determine the settings. Even the most advanced automated systems can not figure out lighting ratios or any of the artistic aesthetics so we are still on our own when it comes to creativity and artistry.
I have always stuck with a more or less traditional or classic style in my wedding and portrait work and tended to minimize special effects like multiple exposures and the like. One or two subtle effect in a wedding album is enough- too many make the coverage look like a comic book. In commercial work, however, we are oftentimes called upon to do all kinds of shenanigans. Back in the day, some of the setups required days of preparation, lots of testing and trial and error. Nowadays, I can put a montage together in a few minutes in post production.
The only thing that may end of in a museum is ME- I will have to contact a taxidermist. Excuse my morbid sense of humor. There is allot of ageism out there. Unlike old violins, old photographer do not appreciate in perceived value as they age. Too bad- the whippersnappers could benefit from a bit of basic knowledge.
Kindest regards, Ed
As part of my present offerings in portraiture, I do a kinda "Old Hollywood" style. I have a compliment of "hot" lights that were actually used for this kind of work; Bardwell & McAlister Fresnel spots, a rare F.E. beauty light and pan light and some vintage Rodenstock Imagon soft focus lenses for various formats. The style sells well because it is faltering to the clients. I still have a decent stock of old fashioned Photo-flood lamps, they only last about 4 hours. Soem of my later models of hot lights are Quartz types where the lamps are still readily available.
FILM? I seldom, nowadays, go back to film- most of my favorite kinds are no longer in manufacture anyway, nor are the accompanying chemistry. After many years of long hours in the darkroom, I certainly don't miss the fuss and muss and the caustic chemicals. I can replicate just about any film effect in digital techniques so there is no need for false nostalgia. I still prefer o do as much quality control in the camera rather then PhotoShopping every file to death- it's a better economy of time.
I find that figuring stuff out and doing all the calculations in flash technique is half the fun. Once you get it all down pat, you can do all the settings quickly and instinctively. I also find nothing wrong with automation and programmed shooting where the equipment does the calculations for me. Knowing the old ways makes me more appreciative of the new technology. Old style high powered flash gear, even the current models, however, do not have integrated automation with the camera so I have to get the meter out- do the readings and determine the settings. Even the most advanced automated systems can not figure out lighting ratios or any of the artistic aesthetics so we are still on our own when it comes to creativity and artistry.
I have always stuck with a more or less traditional or classic style in my wedding and portrait work and tended to minimize special effects like multiple exposures and the like. One or two subtle effect in a wedding album is enough- too many make the coverage look like a comic book. In commercial work, however, we are oftentimes called upon to do all kinds of shenanigans. Back in the day, some of the setups required days of preparation, lots of testing and trial and error. Nowadays, I can put a montage together in a few minutes in post production.
The only thing that may end of in a museum is ME- I will have to contact a taxidermist. Excuse my morbid sense of humor. There is allot of ageism out there. Unlike old violins, old photographer do not appreciate in perceived value as they age. Too bad- the whippersnappers could benefit from a bit of basic knowledge.
Kindest regards, Ed
Aug 24, 2017 12:48:53 #
Your experiences seem to be somewhat similar to mine. I've used Ascor, Speed-o-tron, Norman, Comet, Dynalite, Balcar and a few I've also forgotten, in the studio and larger location assignments. The old gray and blue Graflex packs, the newer Singer versions, Quantum and Luma-dyne are names that I use or have used--my boss had a Norman 200 but the belt pack was so heavy it wanted to pull down my pants! For the larger studio units, Balcar seemed the worst as capacitors would blow and leak on the floor, you would have thought I dog had done it's business! Earlier Speed-o-trons would blow their plugs like a shotgun blast if you pulled the plugs wrong! Some of the Ascors were so large they had their own wheeled cart with capacitor banks. I went through tons of flash tubes when I owned Normans plus with continual hard usage, the packs with transformers would get hot and melt down! Each brand had it's plus' and a downside too. But any serious photographer repaired what he could and had a good repair man on speed dial! Right now I have on little Nikon unit, a couple of ancient Luma-dynes and have 5 Dynalite packs. I also had several Comet packs and heads; they were probably the most dependable overall for the twenty years I used them in the studio. I cussed each one and then embraced them when they helped me finish a major shoot with a check attached!
Aug 24, 2017 13:20:58 #
Bob Werre wrote:
Your experiences seem to be somewhat similar to mi... (show quote)
Loved those Comet packs.
So much easier to use and lighter than Speedotron.
Got 2 hernias back when I was assisting.
Aug 24, 2017 19:43:35 #
Hi Bob!
Yes! I found out long ago that pulling a high voltage power cable while the units are charged up will just about vaporize the connectors and cause an expensive repair. When there is high voltage and high capacitance there is enough "ARK OVER" to make a lot of noise and do significant damage. Some of the more expensive high powered units have specialized circuitry whereby you can pull the lamp-heads and plug them back in while the unit is in fully charged. i just remember not do do that on my old Speedos and other units.
Sometimes theses connectors (plugs and sockets) can become damaged form moisture or excessive wear or strain. To maintain theses connectors, I simply spray a Q-Tip with WD-40 and apply it gently to the male and female connectors. I do not spray in on directly because it is flammable and not meant for the internal parts. The "WD" in WD-40 stands for water displacement and keeps the moisture or condensation form building up on the connectors.
It is a bad habit to pull out any of the cables by the cables themselves- grip the body of the connectors. Also it is best to prevent any sideways or eccentric strain on the connectors. Make sure the strain relief wire clamps atop the male connectors are secure and and that the cables at that juncture are no frayed or where the insulation pulled back thereby exposing the conductors within. These are all signs of impending short circuits. It is more economical to have theses issues repaired than to procrastinate experience a blow out due to a short. The conductors, those are the smaller wires within the cables, are carrying high DC voltage, AC voltage to the modeling lamps and possibly also contain wires from the trigger circuit. If the insulation brakes down and theses conductors come in contact with each other all kids of serious damage can occur- including damage to the camera if the unit is connected directly to the shutter.
When I worked at the repair shop, I was oftentimes surprised as to what some photographers did to their equipment.i used to call it "assault and battery with intent to commit murder"! We couldn't send them to jail so we just did the repairs and wrote them a healthy bill.
The 2400 watt-second unit I showed the picture is of on my own making. I constructed the power pack and used MIL. SPEC. (military specifications) Cannon connectors. I put the capacitor banks together and had the circuit boards made by a friend who is a circuit designer. I incorporated voltage multiplier circuits rather that transformers so there is no buzz and heat. I use Speedotron heads and made another one for use with Norman heads. These units have been in service for the last 15 years without a hitch. At one time I though about going into a custom manufacturing business but my studio work was consuming all of my time. So...I do the odd custom conversion for other photographers and have done some custom installations in studios and sports arenas.
There is still some demand for big high powered units but not as much as years ago. I find mine useful for commercial work where lots of light modification and diffusion is used and I still need enough power for smaller apertures and more depth of field. I need the extra oomph for art reproduction where I am using polarizing screens on the lights and a polarizing filter on the camera- that setup eats light. I also find them indispensable for lighting large interiors. I usually prefer lower power for portrait work but my big lights make nice bounce fill systems.
For wedding and event assignments I purchased my first Lumadynes back in 1980- when the first came on the market. Turns out the original owner/engineer of the company was a wedding topographer I knew form my days in New York- his family name was Voight as I recall. I understand he passed away but the company is still owned by by his family. I have 7 of theses units including the very first ones I purchased. I am still looking around for another AUTOMATIC head- they were made by GVI for Lumadyne. One of mine died and there are no parts available. It's a great head! There are also a few Q-flash heads that were made for use with Lumadyne power packs.
I find, that if you have older flash gear and you want to keep it alive, when it is not in use, charge it up and fire it on a regular bases. That keeps the capacitors for deforming and becoming permanently damaged.
Best regards, Ed
Yes! I found out long ago that pulling a high voltage power cable while the units are charged up will just about vaporize the connectors and cause an expensive repair. When there is high voltage and high capacitance there is enough "ARK OVER" to make a lot of noise and do significant damage. Some of the more expensive high powered units have specialized circuitry whereby you can pull the lamp-heads and plug them back in while the unit is in fully charged. i just remember not do do that on my old Speedos and other units.
Sometimes theses connectors (plugs and sockets) can become damaged form moisture or excessive wear or strain. To maintain theses connectors, I simply spray a Q-Tip with WD-40 and apply it gently to the male and female connectors. I do not spray in on directly because it is flammable and not meant for the internal parts. The "WD" in WD-40 stands for water displacement and keeps the moisture or condensation form building up on the connectors.
It is a bad habit to pull out any of the cables by the cables themselves- grip the body of the connectors. Also it is best to prevent any sideways or eccentric strain on the connectors. Make sure the strain relief wire clamps atop the male connectors are secure and and that the cables at that juncture are no frayed or where the insulation pulled back thereby exposing the conductors within. These are all signs of impending short circuits. It is more economical to have theses issues repaired than to procrastinate experience a blow out due to a short. The conductors, those are the smaller wires within the cables, are carrying high DC voltage, AC voltage to the modeling lamps and possibly also contain wires from the trigger circuit. If the insulation brakes down and theses conductors come in contact with each other all kids of serious damage can occur- including damage to the camera if the unit is connected directly to the shutter.
When I worked at the repair shop, I was oftentimes surprised as to what some photographers did to their equipment.i used to call it "assault and battery with intent to commit murder"! We couldn't send them to jail so we just did the repairs and wrote them a healthy bill.
The 2400 watt-second unit I showed the picture is of on my own making. I constructed the power pack and used MIL. SPEC. (military specifications) Cannon connectors. I put the capacitor banks together and had the circuit boards made by a friend who is a circuit designer. I incorporated voltage multiplier circuits rather that transformers so there is no buzz and heat. I use Speedotron heads and made another one for use with Norman heads. These units have been in service for the last 15 years without a hitch. At one time I though about going into a custom manufacturing business but my studio work was consuming all of my time. So...I do the odd custom conversion for other photographers and have done some custom installations in studios and sports arenas.
There is still some demand for big high powered units but not as much as years ago. I find mine useful for commercial work where lots of light modification and diffusion is used and I still need enough power for smaller apertures and more depth of field. I need the extra oomph for art reproduction where I am using polarizing screens on the lights and a polarizing filter on the camera- that setup eats light. I also find them indispensable for lighting large interiors. I usually prefer lower power for portrait work but my big lights make nice bounce fill systems.
For wedding and event assignments I purchased my first Lumadynes back in 1980- when the first came on the market. Turns out the original owner/engineer of the company was a wedding topographer I knew form my days in New York- his family name was Voight as I recall. I understand he passed away but the company is still owned by by his family. I have 7 of theses units including the very first ones I purchased. I am still looking around for another AUTOMATIC head- they were made by GVI for Lumadyne. One of mine died and there are no parts available. It's a great head! There are also a few Q-flash heads that were made for use with Lumadyne power packs.
I find, that if you have older flash gear and you want to keep it alive, when it is not in use, charge it up and fire it on a regular bases. That keeps the capacitors for deforming and becoming permanently damaged.
Best regards, Ed
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