Questions for indoor photography lighting

[PineRidge]

I am hoping to draw on the collective TBN knowledge for this problem. I seem to have a lot of problems taking pictures, especially those like the spur pictured with a reflective finish inside using artificial lighting. I usually use two halogen floodlights spaced 170 degrees apart and bounced off white umbrellas to eliminate glare. Both lights are connected to independent dimmers so that I can add or subtract brightness as needed. Most of my shots seem to come out much better inside if I do not use flash at all. but a blue background actually comes out as a brown so it seems like the camera is not actually picking up true colors.

I really have no complaints for shots taken outside the home. The attached picture was shot outside with natural lighting and the blue background color is correct and there is not a noticeable reflection of light within the chrome of the spur. Can anyone recommend to me some decent lighting strategies for indoor use that will still crank out some decent pictures? Winter is almost here and a trip outside to take shots is no longer practical (I hate long underwear). /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

I am presently using a Nikon CoolPix 8700 camera.

 

[frank_f15]

have you tried changing the white balance setting? not sure what u need for halogen light. i do have some old bulbs that were made by sylvania, that replicates natural light. have had them for years and only use them when necessary,

 

[Muhammad]

Simply using umbrellas won't diffuse the light enough to eliminate glare on reflective objects (like chrome). You're going to have to either use diffusers or a photo tent (basically a box with thin white cloth/material on all sides, with only a small opening for the camera to shoot through).

But beyond the diffusion of light, your main problem is other reflections appearing on your object, and also having outside light affect the photo. You have some blown highlights and major reflection of what looks like a house! /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

The purpose of the photo tent is to fix all of these problems, as it blocks out all outside objects that can reflect (like a house). Here's one from B&H for about $55.

You place your lights on the outside of the tent (top, sides, back) and shoot through an opening. For the opening you can either remove an entire panel (as shown) or use a panel that has a zipper hole for objects which would reflect the image of the camera onto them. If you need a variety of angles, removing an entire panel is best, but you can't apply light from the front unless it's diffused by some means.

For best results I shoot in a completely white room with all lights off except for constant photo floods. I've found that two 250W 4800k floods aimed at the sides of the tent give plenty of light, but I do need some exposure compensation at that.

I just got some 500W 3200k bulbs that I'll use when more light is needed. 3200k will be ok because my camera has excellent white balance control, but if your camera has a hard time adjusting to the slightly yellow tinge, you might have to do more post-processing and color correction than you would with 4800-5100k bulbs. So, 500W 4800ks would be great.

Hope this helps...

 

[DocHeb]

Although they appear like they put out white light, halogens actually have a terriible color spectrum. Go to a photo shop and get the photobulbs recommended by Muhammad - even better, take your camera in and try some of their lights with your camera

 

[PineRidge]

Muhammad thank you for your quick response. We figured there was a technique to eliminate the reflection but we haven't been able to nail it down ourselves. We have used the Krylon dulling spray in the past but the results there were only fair at best and since most of our best shots were taken outside on an overcast day we knew we had to control brightness yet we were still unable to cut the reflection problems.

We just used your supplied link and jumped over to the B&H site and ordered the photo tent. The smaller size seems perfect for our needs. We'll also keep in mind your suggestion on post-processing and color correction of the digital photos. The Paint Shop Pro 8 software that we are currently using gives us good control with these adjustments.

Thanks once again for all the help. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[PineRidge]

Chris am I missing something here. I see lots of various bulbs listed the the B&H site. All of them naturally are rated in watts but I don't see any reference made to 4800k floods, is this a tungsten, special bulb?

EDIT: Chris we found them at another site bulbs

Thanks again!

 

[DocHeb]

Also available at Replacement Light Bulbs. There is a description of the different nomenclatures for bulbs, and if you go back the B&H site you will find some tungsten light fixtures with bulbs. There are some bulb nomenclatures that I'm not familiar with - used for stage lighting.

Note the bulb life on the Replacement Light Bulbs page - pretty short! Don't be dawdling while you're shooting pics. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

I used 3200K bulbs with Ektachrome slide film in the distant past, and I think I had to adjust +3 f-stops to have my light meter read correctly.

 

[PineRidge]

Chris thanks for the tip, we did see the life of the bulbs were only 6 hours. Those lights must really cook to be so short lived. Guess it wouldn't be in our best interest to leave them on for room lighting while we make the setup.

 

[BubbaJr]

The 4800K (Kelvin) is a rating of color temperature. A blue sky with full sun is rated around 6000 degrees K. Ideally you would want a light source as close to 6000K to replicate sunshine. Typically 4800K is about as close as you can get. There is another option and that is Florescent lights rated for daylight photography. These are very specialized lights and can only be bought from a lighting distributor. They aren't cheap, but they are very nice for shooting small objects as they don't have the "hot spots" that tungsten or halogens have. Using the flourescents with a light tent will give very nice results.

A light tent can be very easily made with white sheets, or white window shades, or even white translucent Plexiglass. As with most things, there are many ways to achieve your goal, but the best way is plenty of practice shots. See what looks best to you.

Good Luck

 

[GaryM]

As mentioned, the light tent is the answer to your problems. I've had good luck using a piece of drafting mylar. It has a frosted surface and is quite thin.

Roll it into a cone with a hole at the apex large enough for your lens. Trim the large end as required to allow it to fit flat on the table top. Place your lights on the outside as you will for the tent you ordered.

This system works well for small objects such as jewelery where you want to get close.