CaptainC wrote:
Festina Lente wrote:
CaptainC wrote:
That PLM belongs to a studio I rent occasionally and I am embarrassed to admit I have no idea. I just LOVE it!
I purchased the 86" white PLM from Paul Buff with a black front spill kill fabric cover for about $70.
The basic 86" white PLM umbrella alone costs about $40 and yields such a softer-than-a-diffused-window controllable light.
They work beautifully with the Alien Bees and Einsteins.
Captain, unless you do not have the room, you deserve to have one of these!!
In appreciation for all the invaluable help you have so generously offered here on UHH, I'll even have one shipped to you.
quote=CaptainC br That PLM belongs to a studio ... (
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Oh that is funny! The studio I use has one and I certainly cannot put it up in my basement.
Those things really are an amazing bargain.
Hey - tell you what - just send me the cash! :-)
quote=Festina Lente quote=CaptainC br That PLM... (
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I've got a better suggestion, I'll buy you dinner next time I'm in the Denver area.
Festina Lente wrote:
CaptainC wrote:
Festina Lente wrote:
CaptainC wrote:
That PLM belongs to a studio I rent occasionally and I am embarrassed to admit I have no idea. I just LOVE it!
I purchased the 86" white PLM from Paul Buff with a black front spill kill fabric cover for about $70.
The basic 86" white PLM umbrella alone costs about $40 and yields such a softer-than-a-diffused-window controllable light.
They work beautifully with the Alien Bees and Einsteins.
Captain, unless you do not have the room, you deserve to have one of these!!
In appreciation for all the invaluable help you have so generously offered here on UHH, I'll even have one shipped to you.
quote=CaptainC br That PLM belongs to a studio ... (
show quote)
Oh that is funny! The studio I use has one and I certainly cannot put it up in my basement.
Those things really are an amazing bargain.
Hey - tell you what - just send me the cash! :-)
quote=Festina Lente quote=CaptainC br That PLM... (
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I've got a better suggestion, I'll buy you dinner next time I'm in the Denver area.
quote=CaptainC quote=Festina Lente quote=Captai... (
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OK - That's more realistic! I'll stay hungry.
toptrainer wrote:
Hey guys, I'm the poor, want to improve my photography..... I'll take it :-)
In all seriousness, an 86" umbrella takes up a bare minimum of 9ft of head space (especially when you want the center of it higher than your model's head).
Plus you really need a good powerfull light to diffuse enough light that broadly.
So we need to add a decent monoblock strobe. (Alien Bees are great, but Einstein's are better and easier to use.)
But one is never enough, you will need at least two strobes and a smaller light diffuser. Maybe even a beauty dish. But you only want one catchlight in your subject's eyes, so enter a...
Then we need a wireless trigger, cable,
and let's not dare forget that pesty little lightmeter CaptanC keeps bringing up... It just never ends.
Renting a well equiped studio for an hour or so is so much cheaper, fatser, and easier (there is no set-up or packing involved).
So how about lunch at the Banana Boat on East Ocean Avenue? (I assume it is still there and doing well....? Used to be a good place to eat with a good view.)
I live in wellington Florida, and yes it is still there. The whole area is really built up now.
Festina Lente wrote:
toptrainer wrote:
Hey guys, I'm the poor, want to improve my photography..... I'll take it :-)
In all seriousness, an 86" umbrella takes up a bare minimum of 9ft of head space (especially when you want the center of it higher than your model's head).
Plus you really need a good powerfull light to diffuse enough light that broadly.
So we need to add a decent monoblock strobe. (Alien Bees are great, but Einstein's are better and easier to use.)
But one is never enough, you will need at least two strobes and a smaller light diffuser. Maybe even a beauty dish. But you only want one catchlight in your subject's eyes, so enter a...
Then we need a wireless trigger, cable,
and let's not dare forget that pesty little lightmeter CaptanC keeps bringing up... It just never ends.
Renting a well equiped studio for an hour or so is so much cheaper, fatser, and easier (there is no set-up or packing involved).
So how about lunch at the Banana Boat on East Ocean Avenue? (I assume it is still there and doing well....? Used to be a good place to eat with a good view.)
quote=toptrainer Hey guys, I'm the poor, want to ... (
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toptrainer wrote:
I am very new at photography, I am able to take good pictures outside, at parties, landscape etc. I am trying to get into taking portraits at my house and I am having trouble with the lighting. I have a Canon T3i, a Canon 430ex 2 Speed Light, a Canon 28-135 mm ultrasonic lens, a Canon 50MM lens, 2 lights with umbrellas with 45w 5500k 110v, and a back light (same bulb), a 10x12 backdrop with Black, Green and White material. I also have an off camera flash release and an extra umbrella with a silver inside and a black back. I should have everything I need but I cant get the lighting correct, maybe its the position of the lights ( are those lights bright enough?). The position of my flash, or the settings on my camera. If anyone can help with some good ideas I would really appreciate it. This picture info: 1/40 sec; f/5.6; ISO 100
I am very new at photography, I am able to take go... (
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Light Modifiers. Difference between an umbrella and a softbox
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Ln_oMxm8xQIn YouTube do a search on "Setting up simple lighting studio Mark Wallace".
You are going to get several episodes on lighting.
I hope this will help you figure out and resolve your dilema.
I do studio work umbrellas are for rainy day's. Get soft boxes, I have just invested in two medium ones they are brilliant
toptrainer wrote:
I am very new at photography, I am able to take good pictures outside, at parties, landscape etc. I am trying to get into taking portraits at my house and I am having trouble with the lighting. I have a Canon T3i, a Canon 430ex 2 Speed Light, a Canon 28-135 mm ultrasonic lens, a Canon 50MM lens, 2 lights with umbrellas with 45w 5500k 110v, and a back light (same bulb), a 10x12 backdrop with Black, Green and White material. I also have an off camera flash release and an extra umbrella with a silver inside and a black back. I should have everything I need but I cant get the lighting correct, maybe its the position of the lights ( are those lights bright enough?). The position of my flash, or the settings on my camera. If anyone can help with some good ideas I would really appreciate it. This picture info: 1/40 sec; f/5.6; ISO 100
I am very new at photography, I am able to take go... (
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OK, since I've talked to you all last I bought a light meter and made my own beauty dish. Here is the combination of both.
CaptainC wrote:
toptrainer wrote:
OK, here is a picture of my wife. with a lokey
Festina Lente wrote:
toptrainer wrote:
OK thank you for the history lesson :-) but, I still need to know what light to buy. Does anybody know what I should get?
Sure!! That part is easy!
Get at least two Einsteins with
all accessories, plus 2 light stands and large umbrella diffusers. I'll even let you borrow mine. The Einsteins are the best out there IMO.
See:
http://www.paulcbuff.com/e640.phpBut unless you first learn the basics using what you equipment have, you will just be wasting some really great equipment (and a couple grand).
Master one light, then slowly add lights one by one. Practice with ad hoc diffusers, they can dramatically affect the quality of light. Try various reflectors also (cheap and effective for several different looks).
Then post the images(s) you like best along with a diagram of your light setup in order to get the most useful suggestions from the most experienced UHHers.
We all benefit from that!!
If you do this, you will have learned far more than you can by reading this banter (CaptainC's suggestions exempted).
Heck, do it right and you may even get CaptainC to sing like Barry White. That's something we would all appreciate! :roll:
quote=toptrainer OK thank you for the history les... (
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OK, here is a picture of my wife. with a lokey ... (
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Let's ignore for the moment that we could add a separation light for her hair against the dark background. This does come across as underexposed, but if shot raw would be very correctable.
This is really nice for a one-light portrait and I can easily accept the merging of her hair into the background as an artistic choice.
I think the light is well-positioned off to camera right, but maybe a bit too low. In a classic lighting style, that nose shadow would fall down very close (or even touching) the right corner of her mouth. It is called loop lighting or closed loop lighting respectively.
I want to know your light source. Umbrella? Shoot through umbrella? softbox? It is hard to make suggestions without knowing the DETAILS.
I would like to see exactly the same image shot with your light source really close to the subject. Close as in JUST outside the frame. That would make the light a bit softer.
quote=toptrainer OK, here is a picture of my wife... (
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BTW, my son is not mad, I told him to look like that.
Shakey
Loc: Traveling again to Norway and other places.
Excellent! So many great things about this shot: pose, composition, lighting, model response to direction. Way to go!
Thank you for the kind words.
Shakey wrote:
Excellent! So many great things about this shot: pose, composition, lighting, model response to direction. Way to go!
Photography is an art. It all depends in what do you want to capture and express with your composition. Obviously you like shadows, I do too. A 5 degree grid hair light (rear left) would have added more contrast and separation.
[quote=marty wild]I do studio work umbrellas are for rainy day's. Get soft boxes, I have just invested in two medium ones they are brilliant[quote=toptrainer]
Could you post more details on the softboxes and where did you purchase them from? It is appreciated.
thank you, but not the look I was after.
PhotoGator wrote:
Photography is an art. It all depends in what do you want to capture and express with your composition. Obviously you like shadows, I do too. A 5 degree grid hair light (rear left) would have added more contrast and separation.
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