Home studio setup

[Sion]

Probably have to set up other lights to test shoot one subject to see the backdrop colour relatively. Then you know whether you need stronger light or stronger gel for background.

I think white backdrop maybe no problem leh. I shot this one on white background still got strong colours:

http://forums.clubsnap.org/showthread.php?t=263073

 

[Splutter]

But from that pic, can see that the colour is the strongest at the edges where it is "underexposed" mah. Din know u have a calculator fetish ;p

 

[Sion]

But from that pic, can see that the colour is the strongest at the edges where it is "underexposed" mah. Din know u have a calculator fetish ;p

Where got calculators one? How come you see calculators one?

But if want stronger colours can put two layers of gel or not? I know I has done that to get around it before.

 

[gooseberry]

guys, need answers.

when i setup my backdrop light to point at a white backdrop with color gels, why is it that the color casted on the white backdrop is very very faint(as compared to the color on the color gel?)?i even tried underexposing it, and it does little to help.

What white balance are you setting when you do this ?

more ques,

i was using my 70-200 f2.8 almost the entire sunday.
i noticed when i need to take full body, i had to reall go far, about 6-7 meters away from subject and take the shot.
how do i know if the 'perspective' is right?(such that the subject dont look like a dwarf)?

also, most of the half body shots with subjects sitted, i had to bend my knees and back, i ended up having to soak in hot water for 2 hours to ease the backpain.anyway around this?:embrass: what do you guys do?bear with the pain the entire day?i dont really have a stool that's suitable for the height i want to shoot.

the weight of d200+mb200 +70-200 is really killing me:cry: .not to mention i got to put it down at times to adjust the lights, fit on different modifiers...
studio is so much 'tougher' thatn outdoors really.:dunno:

Use a tripod ?

 

[catchlights]

guys, need answers.

when i setup my backdrop light to point at a white backdrop with color gels, why is it that the color casted on the white backdrop is very very faint(as compared to the color on the color gel?)?i even tried underexposing it, and it does little to help.

use a mid gray or black background.

 

[catchlights]

more ques,

i was using my 70-200 f2.8 almost the entire sunday.
i noticed when i need to take full body, i had to reall go far, about 6-7 meters away from subject and take the shot.
how do i know if the 'perspective' is right?(such that the subject dont look like a dwarf)?

also, most of the half body shots with subjects sitted, i had to bend my knees and back, i ended up having to soak in hot water for 2 hours to ease the backpain.anyway around this?:embrass: what do you guys do?bear with the pain the entire day?i dont really have a stool that's suitable for the height i want to shoot.

the weight of d200+mb200 +70-200 is really killing me:cry: .not to mention i got to put it down at times to adjust the lights, fit on different modifiers...
studio is so much 'tougher' thatn outdoors really.:dunno:

a 50mm lens is good enough for full length,

85mm is good for half body and tight head shots,

why stress yourself to use 70~210?

 

[jeanie]

What white balance are you setting when you do this ?




Use a tripod ?

Auto WB.i shot both raw and jpeg.havent uploaded into com.
i just check using LCD.colors are faint on the white backdrop.

 

[jeanie]

use a mid gray or black background.

black?i havent really try on black but if i want to use color gel....err...say red,
will red look good (i know it's subjective) on a black background?

 

[jeanie]

a 50mm lens is good enough for full length,

85mm is good for half body and tight head shots,

why stress yourself to use 70~210?

50mm full length?have to move quite far back rite?

i dont have 85 f1.4

i use 70-210 is because sometimes i see a good crop, all i need is to zoom in.
and i've always preferred zoom lenses than prime.
i dont like my legs to do the walking.

so the backache,thighs, calf, hands strains are all COMMON problems of studio photography?
seem likes it will create problems in the long run.:cry:

i tried squatting, kneeling(knee hurts), but viewpoint is too low.

a tripod is of course a good choice but have to adjust height up and down, and have to buy the L bracket and another ball head, sigh...i just sort of dumped the idea.:embrass:

 

[catchlights]

black?i havent really try on black but if i want to use color gel....err...say red,
will red look good (i know it's subjective) on a black background?

you want to get a color spot on what color? if you want a red spot on a white color back, it is not possible, white is 3 stops brighter then red, you can't add any color on white, unless you paint on it with paint.

black is 3 stops darker then mid tone, so is possible to add color on it.

will red and black work on your subjects? that depend on your taste.

 

[gooseberry]

no other lights was fired.
i was just trying 1 light on white backdrop with all the diff gels.
some of the gels looked so dark that i thought the 'almost equivilant' color will be casted on the backdrop but seems like whatever power i set on the strobe will seem to lighten the color gel.

i dont have a grey backdrop.

Auto WB.i shot both raw and jpeg.havent uploaded into com.
i just check using LCD.colors are faint on the white backdrop.

From my understanding, you shot a white background with only one light and you had placed different gels in front of that one light ? Is that correct ?
If so, do not use Auto WB - it will try and correct the colour from the gel and that is why the colour is very faint. Manually set your WB to the Kelvin temperature of your strobe or do a custom WB with a grey card with the storbe without any gel initially.

 

[catchlights]

50mm full length?have to move quite far back rite?

i dont have 85 f1.4

i use 70-210 is because sometimes i see a good crop, all i need is to zoom in.
and i've always preferred zoom lenses than prime.
i dont like my legs to do the walking.

so the backache,thighs, calf, hands strains are all COMMON problems of studio photography?
seem likes it will create problems in the long run.:cry:

i tried squatting, kneeling(knee hurts), but viewpoint is too low.

a tripod is of course a good choice but have to adjust height up and down, and have to buy the L bracket and another ball head, sigh...i just sort of dumped the idea.:embrass:

don't understand why you rather make you hands work harder than your leg, do you know legs are strong than lambs?
get a stool with adjustable height, or many stools with different heights

 

[catchlights]

Auto WB.i shot both raw and jpeg.havent uploaded into com.
i just check using LCD.colors are faint on the white backdrop.

shouldn't use auto WB, different warerobes, color lights, backdrop may change your WB setting.

 

[Scaglietti]

50mm full length?have to move quite far back rite?

i dont have 85 f1.4

i use 70-210 is because sometimes i see a good crop, all i need is to zoom in.
and i've always preferred zoom lenses than prime.
i dont like my legs to do the walking.

50mm...quite far back? wouldn't you be further with the 70-200?

Try a 85mm lens. You just got your 60mm micro right? You can use that too.

For me, using primes definitely beats using the 70-200. I tend to shoot wider and do cropping in post processing.

BC

 

[jeanie]

From my understanding, you shot a white background with only one light and you had placed different gels in front of that one light ? Is that correct ?
If so, do not use Auto WB - it will try and correct the colour from the gel and that is why the colour is very faint. Manually set your WB to the Kelvin temperature of your strobe or do a custom WB with a grey card with the storbe without any gel initially.

yes you are right.i just wanted to try the different color gels effect on the white background before i do my portraiture.

but if i shot in raw, i can adjust the WB in LR right?

but good point.next time i will shoot the gretag WB card first and use the reading from there.
bowens strobe says 5.5k kelvins, but when i set that and took portraits with it, the WB looks funny.my friend told me the technical specs of 5.5k is just an estimation.:dunno:

 

[jeanie]

don't understand why you rather make you hands work harder than your leg, do you know legs are strong than lambs?
get a stool with adjustable height, or many stools with different heights

stool with adjustable height?go where buy?i went ikea to find, kind of tall.it's more of a bar stool.

catchy,females have heavier bottoms:embrass: , so we rather work on our hands than using legs.very very tiring on the legs ah.
i shot an entire day and i end up having to go for 2 hour foot massage the next day.:embrass:

 

[jeanie]

shouldn't use auto WB, different warerobes, color lights, backdrop may change your WB setting.

so for every lighting setup, it's best to shoot a WB card first and use it from there?

but if i shoot raw, i can easily correct eh WB in lightroom right?

 

[jeanie]

50mm...quite far back? wouldn't you be further with the 70-200?

Try a 85mm lens. You just got your 60mm micro right? You can use that too.

For me, using primes definitely beats using the 70-200. I tend to shoot wider and do cropping in post processing.

BC

u see, you use 50mm 1.4, then i got to move front move back using my legs.if i use a 70-200 then all i need is zoom in zoom out.no?:dunno:
yes, i tried with 60mm macro too.what i like is i can go near to the subject and do macro on her eyes.

 

[jeanie]

another ques,
if my shutter speed is 1/125, then does that mean if i use 70-200 and zoomed at 180 -200mm, the shutter speed aint suff to prevent camera shake?:dunno:
i shoot studio with VR off.

 

[catchlights]

another ques,
if my shutter speed is 1/125, then does that mean if i use 70-200 and zoomed at 180 -200mm, the shutter speed aint suff to prevent camera shake?:dunno:
i shoot studio with VR off.

the flash will freeze everything, no camera shake if the ambient is dark enough, I shoot at 1/200