video: episode 9 , studio lighting equipment guide, part 1 of 2
12 May 2008
17 Comments
This practical intro to photography studio lighting equipment was really fun to make, I hope you enjoy it. There were so many things worth mentioning, I ended up dividing the video up into two separate, easy-to-digest portions. Part two will follow tomorrow (bumping the tech article back a day).
In future video lessons we’ll be studying different qualities of light and often referring to the equipment in these videos. We’ll also discuss how to translate these lessons to your natural light photography. Understanding light is the key to better photography, whether you’re shooting available light or creating your own…
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Nice video. Thanks for sharing with us. I will hardly ever become pro, nor will shoot in studio, but who knows. It was still useful and interesting.
Thanks for the post! I’m happy to see you use the relatively inexpensive Paul C Buff strobes. We’re just opening up our studio space and want to move from using speelights to something a little more robust for certain applications. The White Lightnings seem to fit the bill since they won’t break our budget but will let us do things similar to the “strobist” stuff that got us into off-camera lighting in the first place.
Again a good video and I’m looking forward to Part 2. By the way, Scott Kelby mentioned this blog on his front page with a link. Expect some more traffic.
Jim. Thanks for these incredible videos. I appreciate you sharing your vast knowledge. This specific video was exactly what I’ve been needing lately. However, after watching, I was craving to see the differences in light output with the different reflectors and accessories.
Can’t wait for Part 2. Again, thank you for sharing. I’m sure you’ll be showered with much more blessings in your business.
Every Monday when I look through my RSS feed, I get a little giddy knowing that there will be another video from you. Your blog and videos have made a huge impact on my photo education. Between you and Strobist, I feel like I am beginning to see the light. Thank you for sharing the wealth.
Cheers.
You predicted it, Craig. Many thanks to Scott Kelby for the mention in Photoshop Insider, he’s made it a busy day here at prophotolife! I’m a big fan of his and the entire Kelby Training team.
I’m glad you all have enjoyed the video, it was really fun to make. Part two has some simple but important points about light stands and softboxes that photographers sometimes don’t consider.
These videos were also hard to make…because I keep thinking of things to add! The good news is there will plenty to discuss in coming installments, including differences in quality and light output (as you requested, MB).
Monday is my favorite day, too, Alex. I’ll do my best to keep your interest with the video installments.
Rich, I was always used to “more expensive” studio strobes until I worked on a catalog photography crew and saw their White Lightnings. The lights had been used (abused?) for years and simply refused to die. And when there ever is a problem, Paul C. Buff makes it right in a flash (pun intended).
Thanks for for sharing this informative video!
You do a wonderful job, these videos are amazing, and they are helping me a lot, thanks!This site is the one of the best resources around the internent about photography.This is what I call professionalism in the true sense of the word, thanks for sharing your knowladge.Keep up the good work, I will always read all your articles.
Wow Jim, what an amazing job you’ve done with this video. I’m a totally dummy when it comes to lighting equipment, but I think I understood 95% of what you said in there!
All of your positive comments are a great motivator and it means a lot to hear that I’m helping. Brian, I’m glad it’s made a sometimes difficult subject seem that much more accessible. And Tom, it means a lot to have my efforts recognized as professional.
When I was shooting a lot of motorcycle racing I had success because my outdoor action shots looked like they were lit in the studio, I was told, even though it was natural light. Understanding different types of lighting really helped me out.
Hh my goodness! Thank you so much for your video’s, i was looking around for something just like these to show my Year 11 and 12 students as they are going to be doing still-life’s and modeling.
Thanks again for such an in-depth DIY video. Nima Valamanesh, Adelaide, Australia.
Nice video. Thanks for sharing with us. we a new recommend the new stuten to watch this move bofer stan so tank you for sharn et wet os
Great video, as always. I look forward to getting through the rest of them.
I have a question about the umbrella adapter that I can’t seem to find an answer to. In your video you show a flash attached to it. Looking at the Calumet Swivel Umbrella Adapter and my 580EX II I don’t see a place that it could be attached. I feel like I’m missing something. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
Jim, I’m a beginner at studio lighting, and am starting to work with a monolight set, and have a few questions. Can you simply connect monolights to a wall outlet as long as you have a surge protector? Also, how do you trigger the light to fire? Do you have to purchase a radio triggers system? is there a built in trigger? can you help?
Thanks!
Hey Ryan, there should be a “shoe” on top of the umbrella adapter for your Canon flash to slide right into. The shoe is usually removable, though, so the swivel adapter may be used for other purposes. Make sure it comes with the little “shoe” part…some do, some might not.
B., there are a couple ways to trigger the monolights:
1. PC cord. The monolight should come with a PC cord to connect directly to the camera for firing. Your camera might not have a PC connection on it, though, usually only the higher end camera bodies have one. You may need to use an adapter on your hot shoe that has a PC connection called a Hot Shoe to PC Adapter (Calumet has one for $13).
2. Wireless radio triggers. This is a more sophisticated solution and costs more. With these you’re not limited to the length of the PC cord as far as working distance from the light, you can work up to 150′ away. You put a sending unit on your hot shoe and a receiving unit on your light. Prices range all over the board from $99.99 for a Calumet Four-Channel Radio Flash Trigger Set to several hundred dollars.
3. Built-in light slave. If you use more than one monolight, you’ll use one of the above methods to trigger the first of the lights. Additional units may be triggered with an optical slave unit that sees the flash from the first unit. This is usually built in to most modern monolight units.
Working with any kind of new equipment like this seems like a mystery until you actually have it in hand. Once you have it in front of you it all starts to make much more sense!
I have been watching your videos for about one week now and quess what?? You have convinced me to buy the Calumet Genesis 200 2-Light Kit!!
So in the no so distant future I will be visiting Calumet Photographic here in Manchester to get this entry level studio kit!! Again this is all because of your work with your videos. To finish with I put you right up there with my Top Role Models Of Togs and I have not even seen any of your portfolio images yet :p
Regard
Gareth
Ulstertower Photographic
http://www.ulstower.co.uk
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