URGENT: Crash course on studio lighting

bandgeekndb

Hi everyone!

Long story short, I got a good deal on a small studio rental for a few hours and realized that although it was too good to pass up, I need some background in lighting so I'm not futzing around with it for all the hours I rented!

So, I'm looking for either an online site to look at (already poring over Strobist, seeing if there's anything good there for what I've got to work with), or someone willing to take a half hour to an hour and crash course me in lighting setups and uses.

Here's what I've got:

• My kit: See my signature, will be using the D90. Also have an SB-400 but with the lights provided, I want to try to use them.
• Included with studio:
  • Two light RPS 500 watt/sec kit
  • Wireless Flash Trigger
  • Various posing stools and benches
• White and black background paper always in studio.

Attached is a pic of the setup from the website.

And the doozy...the rental is tomorrow morning! :huh If anyone has suggestions, or is willing to provide the crash course, please contact me, I'll be checking this all night.

Thanks in advance, I really appreciate it!

~Nick

ziggy53

If you go to Google Images and type in the search terms:

+lighting +diagrams

... you will get a large number of hits relating to lighting setups that you will probably find useful.

I do recommend getting a mannequin, and the studio you're renting from may have one, as they have almost endless patience compared to a real model. It's easier to test lighting against a very cooperative subject.

ziggy53

Check the following links:

http://www.vividlight.com/articles/1615.htm
http://home.earthlink.net/~terryleedawson/id11.html
http://www.professionalphotography101.com/portrait_lighting/lighting_names.html
http://www.portraitlighting.net/patternsb.htm

bandgeekndb

Thanks, I'll certainly make sure I look at those now. Never would have thought to look at google images for lighting diagrams, that's for sure!

~Nick

divamum

Do you have a lightmeter, or access to one? That will SERIOUSLY speed things up and result in less trial and error. If you haven't used one before, then don't worry about the fancy stuff and just make sure that you

- set the meter's ISO
- set the meter's aperture to corresponde with the ap you want to shoot
- connect it to the flashes and see what it says your shutter speed should be
(reverse steps 2 and 3 if you want to shoot based on a shutter speed)

There's tons more to it if you want there to be - and I'm sure the more experienced folk will consider my down-and-dirty approach somewhat scandalous! - but having had limited studio times available to me this past spring, this was what I found helped me in the first instance.

Also: setting up and breaking down takes longer than you think. If those activities are included in your rented time, just be aware that you will lose time doing that.

One other thing: it may seem slower, but ultimately saves time so you do'nt have to do it twice: if you're setting the lights up yourself, take the time to rig AND TEST each light as you add it to the set up. Plug it into the wall, test flash and adjust as necessary; then plug it into the remote (if the lights are hardwired that way) and check that. Cables are the most likely culprit if there's a problem, followed by a loose bulb (at least in the White Lightning gear I was using)

Good luck - it's FUN!!!

bandgeekndb

Well, that was certainly an interesting experience.

It seems someone had already left the lights in a very usable condition, so I got very good shots for very little light adjustments. Now, since I know I have access to this kind of equipment, I'll do a lot more research on studio lighting setups and be prepared for next time.

Ended up having 5 RPS light units, ranging from 300 w/s to 1000 w/s, and 2 had umbrellas, one had a softbox, and the others were unmodified. While I didn't get very creative with lighting as I was afraid to screw up what I knew was working, it was a fun shoot, and now I know a heck of a lot more than I did before.

Still gonna stick to outdoor portraits for a while though...much less stressful IMHO, until I get better at lighting.

Thanks for all the tips, it definitely made my time there better.

~Nick