Need Help: Something to Block overhead light

Vycor

Sooo im being hired to take product photos at a Granite/Marbile company. Im basically photographing each of their marble/granite slabs (which are about9 feet in length by 5 feet high.

Problem is, its inside and they have fluourescent lighting throughout the building, which means on the marble/granite slabs, you can see the lights reflected.

I need to buy something that I can setup to block the light... basically some kinda "LONG UMBRELLA" or something that I can basically setup "shade"... anybody have any ideas on what i can do?

ChatKat

What about a 10x10 Easy Up? They're portable, they will cover the full slab and they come in white so you can bounce your own light where you want it.

Vycor wrote:

Sooo im being hired to take product photos at a Granite/Marbile company. Im basically photographing each of their marble/granite slabs (which are about9 feet in length by 5 feet high.

Problem is, its inside and they have fluourescent lighting throughout the building, which means on the marble/granite slabs, you can see the lights reflected.

I need to buy something that I can setup to block the light... basically some kinda "LONG UMBRELLA" or something that I can basically setup "shade"... anybody have any ideas on what i can do?

ian408

I think what you are looking for might be something along the lines of a fabric panel. Alternatively, you could ask the lights be turned out and light the piece with a softbox.

The panels are translucent and allow you to better control the light coming from above. With the lights, the panel acts much the same as a softbox.

Art Scott

ian408 wrote:

I think what you are looking for might be something along the lines of a fabric panel. Alternatively, you could ask the lights be turned out and light the piece with a softbox.

The panels are translucent and allow you to better control the light coming from above. With the lights, the panel acts much the same as a softbox.

this is your best choice and if you could do it after hours or before opening to the public then you client would have reason to give any grief about turning the lights off......depending on the strobes you will be using even if shooting thru an umbrella that should wash the reflection from 40watt fluorescent lights several feet above your subject......I would do a preshoot-shoot to get an idea if your set up can do the job without buying a lot of extra stuff....even if in the end you could use it over and over again......most commercial photogs will bill for extra items they have to purchase to get job done...but this is known to the cleint ahead of time and all extras billed for are offered to the client if they do not want it is yours free and clear to use as you please.......
Some of Californias top photogs use to carry a couple of king sized whote flat sheets to block and diffuse sunlight ................

Good luck

Scott_Quier

Question: If you are blocking the fluourescent lights, are you using their light for the image? If not, what are you using? If you are using strobes to get the ligihting you want, is there an option of setting your shutter speed/ISO such that the fluourescent don't contribute to the exposure (basically low ISO, high SS)? Of course, this assumes that you are shooting just the slabs and not the slabs in their environment or that you have sufficient lighting to also light the environment to your needs.

Just a thought.

Photoskipper

Not sure whether the big outdoor pinic tent can help. it comes as big as 12' X 12' with just the fibric roof.
Get a white cloth mount just below the roof and use it as the reflector to the monolight.
a colored cloth can be hung on one side as backdrop.

I tried similar set up for bike under the bright tropical middle day sun. The light is softer and more even. The color backdrop blocked the 2 legs of the tent and came out like a studio shot.

ziggy53

Scott_Quier wrote:

Question: If you are blocking the fluourescent lights, are you using their light for the image? If not, what are you using? If you are using strobes to get the ligihting you want, is there an option of setting your shutter speed/ISO such that the fluourescent don't contribute to the exposure (basically low ISO, high SS)? Of course, this assumes that you are shooting just the slabs and not the slabs in their environment or that you have sufficient lighting to also light the environment to your needs.

Just a thought.

I agree with Scott. You could add ND filters if needed as long as you had sufficient flash available. In effect you would "overpower" the ambient light.

FP mode could also be at least a partial solution.

This is one application where a digicam could come in handy since many use an electronic shutter and allow extremely high shutter speeds with flash sync, effectively quenching any ambient light. At my previous employer I would sometimes have to shoot under high pressure sodium lights, almost a pure yellow. The Sony F828 and compact flashes worked well.

If you want to "tent" the area, any bleached white fabric should work pretty well. Just create a small fabric room around the objects.

ChatKat's idea might work best in that it would be easily set up.

ChatKat

Inexpensive too
One of the things about those easy ups is that they are frequently on sale at Home Depot or Walmart or Pep Boys ....And sheets around them are great. I am thinking about getting one to use as a portable studio (for people) to do at events...

ziggy53 wrote:

I agree with Scott. You could add ND filters if needed as long as you had sufficient flash available. In effect you would "overpower" the ambient light.

FP mode could also be at least a partial solution.

This is one application where a digicam could come in handy since many use an electronic shutter and allow extremely high shutter speeds with flash sync, effectively quenching any ambient light. At my previous employer I would sometimes have to shoot under high pressure sodium lights, almost a pure yellow. The Sony F828 and compact flashes worked well.

If you want to "tent" the area, any bleached white fabric should work pretty well. Just create a small fabric room around the objects.

ChatKat's idea might work best in that it would be easily set up.

pathfinder

ChatKat wrote:

What about a 10x10 Easy Up? They're portable, they will cover the full slab and they come in white so you can bounce your own light where you want it.

Like this? $259 for 10x10 white

ziggy53

Here is an E-Z Up 10x10 steel frame for $150USD and $10 shipping. (I have not dealt with them and could not find them at "Reseller Ratings")

http://www.canopycenter.com/canopies/pop-up-canopies/10x10pyramidiisteelframecanopy.cfm

... and here is a 10x20 canopy for $100 and $45 shipping. (They also have more sizes and some with sides.)

http://www.golfoutletsusa.com/ProductDetails.asp?PCLinkID=2399&zmam=7997710&zmas=1&zmac=7&zmap=2399

Again, I cannot recommend these sellers as I haven't dealt with them.

(P.S. GolfOutletsUSA.com also has an EBay store with a 98.9% positive feedback. I may be trying them. http://myworld.ebay.com/golfoutletsusa.com/)