Lighting For Digital Photography

1

Inexpensive lighting for digital/video?

Aside from buying pro light kits, what's a good alternative for good lighting for digital photography and video?

Thanks

Your local home improvement superstore can solve this issue, with a very low cost compared to "pro" kits.

To do both still and video with one kit, you will have to use continuous lighting. That's why the mega-hardware store is the place to go.

There are several names for a work lamp with a 10-12" round reflector, you need a couple or three of them. Should be less than $20 each. There are other options in the same aisle, look at some others too.

You may have to go to the lighting section to find clip on "desk lamps". A couple three of them as well.

Now you need bulbs. Although they cost more, I suggest daylight balanced fluorescent. The biggest they have for the larger lamps, and a medium wattage and low wattage set for the smaller lamps. Fluorescent lamps put out as much light as an incandescent bulb with a wattage 4-5 times higher. You can get seriously high wattage fluorescent bulbs online if you decide you need more power.

Whichever way you go with the bulbs, they must all be of the same type. If you mix fluorescent and incandescent, you will have nasty, nasty color issues in both your still shots and your video.

Now you should have at least 4 lamps with bulbs. All 4 should be clip on lamps. Use at least one large lamp as a main light, and one smaller lamp to fill shadows. Add more as necessary. Use a small lamp as a backlight for stills.

You can diffuse these, but you have to be careful. Instead of putting a white cloth right on the front of the lamp, it would be much better to hang it a short distance in front to avoid heat issues. By heat issues I mean fire.

Digital Photography 1 on 1: Episode 65: Lighting a Green Screen


lighting for digital photography5
lighting for digital photography5