How much light?
 

Hello all,
I am trying to decide how much light I need for setting up a fairly portable
studio flash setup. I need compact, but I also need enough light. I have
never done studio flash work and keep getting told I need more light. So
here is the big question. How much light? I will be shooting up to maybe
three people. In an enclosed space. I basically have a one car garage I am
converting into a studio. I am considering setting up my first studio
lighting setup and am thinking of a 300 W/s Panel and a 500 W/s Panel and
using a more traditional lower power unit for a hair light, probably in the
200 W/s range. Good idea? Bad idea? Thoughts, comments, rants? Is this
enough light?

Thanks all!

Robert Meyers wrote:

Hello all,
I am trying to decide how much light I need for setting up a fairly portable
studio flash setup. I need compact, but I also need enough light. I have
never done studio flash work and keep getting told I need more light. So
here is the big question. How much light? I will be shooting up to maybe
three people. In an enclosed space. I basically have a one car garage I am
converting into a studio. I am considering setting up my first studio
lighting setup and am thinking of a 300 W/s Panel and a 500 W/s Panel and
using a more traditional lower power unit for a hair light, probably in the
200 W/s range. Good idea? Bad idea? Thoughts, comments, rants? Is this
enough light?

I have 2 200 W-s and a little 40 W-s AC-strobe for background spots/hair lights.
My biggest problem is not power, but controlling the level. These lights only
have full and 1/2 power level settings. So to get specific power levels I have
to move my lights around... this is not only a pain, but when I have to move
softboxes further away I'm losing the softness of the light. The modeling
lights are not adjustable (in mine).

For your setup a couple 400 W-s will be more than enough power. A third smaller
light would be a good addtition. But whatever you end up getting, be sure that
you have several stops of power control, preferably not in steps, but sliding
scale. Having variable power modeling lights is helpful as well.

A brand that I personally would like to get and that has many positive
endorsements is the Alien Bee line. Lot's of control, well thought out system.
It is sort of an intro level system (400, 800 and 1600 W-s monos) that has pro
level control. Definitely fine for a small, low volume studio. Not sure if
they would take a lot of location work.

For overkill (always nice) I would think an 800 and a pair of 400's would cover
a lot of situations and they (Alien Bees) are all fully variable... futher they
can all be controlled from a single controller (extra $ for the controller).

G'luck.

Cheers,
Alan




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-- rec.photo.equipment.35mm user resource:
-- http://www.aliasimages.com/rpe35mmur.htm
-- e-meil: there's no such thing as a FreeLunch.--

"Robert Meyers" writes:

I am trying to decide how much light I need for setting up a fairly portable
studio flash setup. I need compact, but I also need enough light. I have
never done studio flash work and keep getting told I need more light. So
here is the big question. How much light? I will be shooting up to maybe
three people. In an enclosed space. I basically have a one car garage I am
converting into a studio. I am considering setting up my first studio
lighting setup and am thinking of a 300 W/s Panel and a 500 W/s Panel and
using a more traditional lower power unit for a hair light, probably in the
200 W/s range. Good idea? Bad idea? Thoughts, comments, rants? Is this
enough light?

This is pretty reasonable I think. I've got 3 White Lightning 1600
units (which I believe are are 660 "true" watt-seconds), and I have
more trouble with too *much* light than too little, and don't recall
ever having more than one head on full power at once. So your
assortment is pretty reasonable. I mostly do slightly smaller setups
than three people, though.

Also, film keeps improving. You can use ASA 400 film for things you
just couldn't a decade or two ago. Digital even more so, for that
matter. So in fact the light needed has been *decreasing* over the
years.
--
David Dyer-Bennet, , http://www.dd-b.net/dd-b/
RKBA: http://noguns-nomoney.com/ http://www.dd-b.net/carry/
Pics: http://dd-b.lighthunters.net/ http://www.dd-b.net/dd-b/SnapshotAlbum/
Dragaera/Steven Brust: http://dragaera.info/

Alan Browne writes:

Robert Meyers wrote:

Hello all,
I am trying to decide how much light I need for setting up a fairly portable
studio flash setup. I need compact, but I also need enough light. I have
never done studio flash work and keep getting told I need more light. So
here is the big question. How much light? I will be shooting up to maybe
three people. In an enclosed space. I basically have a one car garage I am
converting into a studio. I am considering setting up my first studio
lighting setup and am thinking of a 300 W/s Panel and a 500 W/s Panel and
using a more traditional lower power unit for a hair light, probably in the
200 W/s range. Good idea? Bad idea? Thoughts, comments, rants? Is this
enough light?

I have 2 200 W-s and a little 40 W-s AC-strobe for background
spots/hair lights. My biggest problem is not power, but controlling
the level. These lights only have full and 1/2 power level settings.
So to get specific power levels I have to move my lights
around... this is not only a pain, but when I have to move softboxes
further away I'm losing the softness of the light. The modeling
lights are not adjustable (in mine).

For your setup a couple 400 W-s will be more than enough power. A
third smaller light would be a good addtition. But whatever you end
up getting, be sure that you have several stops of power control,
preferably not in steps, but sliding scale. Having variable power
modeling lights is helpful as well.

I'll endorse the value of variable power, and agree with Alan's point
that it's particularly important with softeners (softbox or umbrella)
since moving them back reduces the softening.

I like modeling lights too -- *BUT* unless you can fully darken the
room, or have *very* bright modeling lights, they don't give you a
good idea of the lighting. On my White Lightning units they're
continuously adjustable independent of the flash level -- so I can
have the lights bright enough to see and still model the flash right,
if necessary.
--
David Dyer-Bennet, , http://www.dd-b.net/dd-b/
RKBA: http://noguns-nomoney.com/ http://www.dd-b.net/carry/
Pics: http://dd-b.lighthunters.net/ http://www.dd-b.net/dd-b/SnapshotAlbum/
Dragaera/Steven Brust: http://dragaera.info/

On Monday 04 October 2004 15:30, Robert Meyers wrote:

Hello all,
I am trying to decide how much light I need for setting up a fairly
portable studio flash setup. I need compact, but I also need enough
light. I have never done studio flash work and keep getting told I
need more light. So here is the big question. How much light? I will
be shooting up to maybe three people. In an enclosed space. I
basically have a one car garage I am converting into a studio. I am
considering setting up my first studio lighting setup and am
thinking of a 300 W/s Panel and a 500 W/s Panel and using a more
traditional lower power unit for a hair light, probably in the 200
W/s range. Good idea? Bad idea? Thoughts, comments, rants? Is this
enough light?

Better more power than not enough. Get the most powerful lighting set
up you can afford, but buy units where you can "dial down" the
individual lights (at least a 2 stop range, 3 would be better) to fit
the situation.

As an example, I have 4-800WS power packs (3200WS) and 8 heads. I can
light most anything I need to with that set up. For head shots or
small groups in a small, all white space like yours, I'll use one
pack with asymmetrical distribution and 3 heads: one head gets 600WS
into a large light box or 60" white umbrella, 1 hairlight at 100WS,
and 1 background at 100WS, plus a silver or white reflector, if
needed. With 100 speed film, my f-stop will be around 8 to 11.


--
Stefan Patric

On Mon, 04 Oct 2004 19:18:09 -0400, Alan Browne
wrote:

I have 2 200 W-s and a little 40 W-s AC-strobe for background spots/hair lights.
My biggest problem is not power, but controlling the level. These lights only
have full and 1/2 power level settings. So to get specific power levels I have
to move my lights around... this is not only a pain, but when I have to move
softboxes further away I'm losing the softness of the light. The modeling
lights are not adjustable (in mine).

You should pick up a roll of scrim material. I have some Rosco scrim
material that looks like window screen that will drop your light
output a full stop...folded twice 2 stops. I also have diffusion
material, translar, I think it's called that both diffuses and cuts
the output.

David Dyer-Bennet wrote:

I like modeling lights too -- *BUT* unless you can fully darken the
room, or have *very* bright modeling lights, they don't give you a
good idea of the lighting. On my White Lightning units they're

My 'studio' is pretty dim by just closing the blinds. But as the flashes have
fixed modeling lights, unless they're both at the same power level, It's not a
good indication of the eventual look... at least they help with focus. My
little A/C strobe has no moedleing light, but I just use it to punch up the BG
or throw a rim/hair light ... I guess that with the meter...

Cheers,
Alan


--
-- rec.photo.equipment.35mm user resource:
-- http://www.aliasimages.com/rpe35mmur.htm
-- e-meil: there's no such thing as a FreeLunch.--

David Dyer-Bennet wrote:

I like modeling lights too -- *BUT* unless you can fully darken the
room, or have *very* bright modeling lights, they don't give you a
good idea of the lighting. On my White Lightning units they're

My 'studio' is pretty dim by just closing the blinds. But as the flashes have
fixed modeling lights, unless they're both at the same power level, It's not a
good indication of the eventual look... at least they help with focus. My
little A/C strobe has no moedleing light, but I just use it to punch up the BG
or throw a rim/hair light ... I guess that with the meter...

Cheers,
Alan


--
-- rec.photo.equipment.35mm user resource:
-- http://www.aliasimages.com/rpe35mmur.htm
-- e-meil: there's no such thing as a FreeLunch.--

McLeod wrote:

On Mon, 04 Oct 2004 19:18:09 -0400, Alan Browne
wrote:


I have 2 200 W-s and a little 40 W-s AC-strobe for background spots/hair lights.
My biggest problem is not power, but controlling the level. These lights only
have full and 1/2 power level settings. So to get specific power levels I have
to move my lights around... this is not only a pain, but when I have to move
softboxes further away I'm losing the softness of the light. The modeling
lights are not adjustable (in mine).


You should pick up a roll of scrim material. I have some Rosco scrim
material that looks like window screen that will drop your light
output a full stop...folded twice 2 stops. I also have diffusion
material, translar, I think it's called that both diffuses and cuts
the output.

I currently use a white plastic backing that I peeled off of some disposable
painters tarps. The backing is very thin and light weight and gives me 2/3 per
layer. It is however a PITA to hang and position. I'll look at the scrims on
Friday, Thanks. I'll be downtown (ugh ... Friday afternoon in Old Montreal is
not exactly a great place to drive ... at least PhotoService validate parking...)

Cheers,
Alan


--
-- rec.photo.equipment.35mm user resource:
-- http://www.aliasimages.com/rpe35mmur.htm
-- e-meil: there's no such thing as a FreeLunch.--