smally wrote:
I photograph society meetings. I *try* to use existing light as many flash units have a "deer in headlights" for subjects closest to the camera and cast shadows on those subjects further back. The camera I use is a Sony A77 Model 2. Are there suitable portable battery powered lights which can be used under 3300° Kevin lights?
I assume you mean 3200K lights... Yes, you can get LED panels that are powered by battery or AC. They are made for professional video and still photographers. The TV networks and local TV stations use them. Movie producers use them. They tend to be expensive.
Some of these LED panels have two sets of LEDs... a blue set and an amber set. You can dial in a specific Kelvin temperature reasonably well with some of them. The typical range is 2700K to 5600K.
Alternatively, you can use flicker-free, high CRI, compact fluorescent lamps SPECIFICALLY MADE for photography. They come in several color temperatures, usually 3200K, 5000K, 5500K, or 5600K.
Here is a GREAT resource list:
http://indiecinemaacademy.com/complete-led-color-database-cri-tlci-cqs-tm30-15/If you just want better flash, check out portable monolights from Paul C. Buff, Inc. or Photogenic, Dynalite, Norman, etc. Also look at Westcott's light modifiers, and Alzo.com.
BOUNCE flash can help reduce the "fall off" effect of flash from front row to back, but you need a white ceiling. GELS are available from Rosco and Lee Filters that can match the output of your strobes to the ambient lighting color temperature (within reason). To take a daylight balanced strobe down to 3200K, normally you would need an 85B amber gel on the flash, but get the whole 85 series if you can.
An 85B will reduce your strobe's light output by half. Bouncing off an 8' to 10' white ceiling will cost you two to three f/stops. So if you're going to filter and bounce flash, to match strobe and ambient color temperatures and raise overall light level, you may need one hell of a powerful flash!