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halshaater

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Haroun
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Hi people

Could do with a little advice please.

I work at a branding/design agency and I've been arguing the case for taking photos of our work for portfolio etc. so we've decided to invest (not a lot) in some lighting/studio equipment. What would you suggest?

We'll be shooting mainly A4-A3 and want a white infinity background. We are not shooting art for reproduction (ie directly from above), just want to show the texture and details of some of our work. Are light tents good for this type of thing? Is there such thing as table top backdrop? What are good cheap lights?

Excuse any ignorance, I'm something of a novice. And thanks for reading!

Haroun
 
I'd like to point you examples of the type of products you need but I'm not allowed to so I won't:'(

Table top backdrop? Yes, it's called a product shooting table. Think of a big chair with no back or seat, get a bit of bendy acrilic, fit it so that it sits where the seat would be and goes up where the back would be, curving in the middle.

Lighting? Studio flash from a good make. Minimum of two heads, one of them needs to be on a boom arm so that it can be positioned overhead, another one would produce directional lighting from the front/side wherever it needs to be to produce the right type of lighting for your needs and for specific subejcts.

Texture? That's where a 3rd head would come in. Fitted with a honeycomb (which is what it sounds like) at an oblique angle, the light will reveal and/or emphasise texture where needed. The same light can also be used behind and to one side to create a brighter edge/top to make it jump off the page.

Light tents? Not unless you want bland results.
 
Cheers Garry, exactly the advice I was after!

Think I'll get just that stuff. But you're not allowed to give any indication of good flash makes? Also, at the risk of being an idiot, would continuous lights produce any good results?

Thanks,

H
 
halshaater said:
Cheers Garry, exactly the advice I was after!

Think I'll get just that stuff. But you're not allowed to give any indication of good flash makes? Also, at the risk of being an idiot, would continuous lights produce any good results?

Thanks,

H
Click to expand...
It seems that I can't point you to the products I'm involved with unless you specifically ask about those products - but you can click on the link in my signature (first post) if you want to...

Continuous lights? Forget them.
 
Lencarta flash gear is well regarded and reasonably priced. There is also Bowens but they're a bit more pricey. Jessops sell a budget brand called Interfit. Two head kits for about £150 but I don't know how good they'd be.

I'd have a wander around Lencarta and Bowen's sites. Lencarta have a tutorial section on lighting and that is well worth reading.
 
ace thanks people, I'll have a snoop round and let you know how I get on!
 
Garry Edwards said:
It seems that I can't point you to the products I'm involved with unless you specifically ask about those products - but you can click on the link in my signature (first post) if you want to...
Click to expand...

Sorry I have to put in a complaint here.

I think it's got to a ridiculous point where because of a few whinge bags that an Advertiser can't help out with a few links to their own products, its not like the OP wouldn't have the nous to actually look at alternatives to pointed out products should they wish...

And if an Advertiser provides useless info they are going to get called on it by the rest of the forum anyway.

Seems silly really.
 
rogermbyrne said:
Sorry I have to put in a complaint here.

I think it's got to a ridiculous point where because of a few whinge bags that an Advertiser can't help out with a few links to their own products, its not like the OP wouldn't have the nous to actually look at alternatives to pointed out products should they wish...

And if an Advertiser provides useless info they are going to get called on it by the rest of the forum anyway.

Seems silly really.
Click to expand...

:plusone:

Since when can't you mention/link to your own products, Garry? What's that all about? You obviously pay good money for advertising on here, and are a very frequent contributor to the forums as well. :thinking:
 
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I work at a branding/design agency and I've been arguing the case for taking photos of our work for portfolio etc. so we've decided to invest (not a lot) in some lighting/studio equipment. What would you suggest?
Click to expand...

In all honesty... I would have thought that a branding and marketing agency would appreciate the value of having professional marketing materials for their business, and would certainly invest more than "not a lot" in them... paying a professional for a day once a year (or even trading with them for design work if that's something that they need...) would almost certainly deliver a better ROI than buying your own kit. What you are asking for takes someone skilled in lighting to best show your products in an enticing and creative way, to make your products stand out.

Back on topic, the supplier that garry works for is www.lencarta.com, they are a uk studio lighting brand. There are many others, bowens are a popular choice. I'd avoid interfit lights in all honesty, you'll be lucky to get any colour consistency whatsoever.
 
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DekHog said:
:plusone:

Since when can't you mention/link to your own products, Garry? What's that all about? You obviously pay good money for advertising on here, and are a very frequent contributor to the forums as well. :thinking:
Click to expand...

Well, I linked to various Lencarta products in another thread and the links were deleted.

I queried this with an admin, and was told that replies in context with a link are fine, so if someone says Im looking to buy this light from Lencarta, I can then link to it and say Yes thats good or perhaps try this *another example* or if someone has a technical question about lencarta I can point to a particular page etc, thats fine.
That's fine, if that is what the rules say then I will have to either abide by them when answering questions or not answer questions - my choice.

What I won't do in the future, as in the past, is to deliberately break the rules.
 
itsdavedotnet said:
In all honesty... I would have thought that a branding and marketing agency would appreciate the value of having professional marketing materials for their business, and would certainly invest more than "not a lot" in them... paying a professional for a day once a year (or even trading with them for design work if that's something that they need...) would almost certainly deliver a better ROI than buying your own kit. What you are asking for takes someone skilled in lighting to best show your products in an enticing and creative way, to make your products stand out.

Back on topic, the supplier that garry works for is www.lencarta.com, they are a uk studio lighting brand. There are many others, bowens are a popular choice. I'd avoid interfit lights in all honesty, you'll be lucky to get any colour consistency whatsoever.
Click to expand...

Understand what your saying, and it must be frustrating to professionals when they see amateurs getting hold of a good bit of kit and believing they are just as good. However, I am passionate about photography (though never used a studio) and I'm seeing an opportunity to further my skills and experience.
 
Depends on your budget and what you deem "good" really.

How much are you allowed to spend?

You can't go wrong with Elinchrom and Bowens IMO, even the Budget Elinchrom D lite has intelligent slave and built in skyport radio triggers, the 2 head kit also comes with carry bags for all the kit
 
in the interests of clarity, Garry advertises for his Photolearn courses, while Lencarta advertise for Lencarta, Garry is allowed to link to anything he likes as Garry, but by pointing to a product and saying 'Product X available for £$$$ for limited time' or similar is not allowed. if he had said I think this product *product link* is good then that would have been fine.
 
Garry, out of interest, what Lencarta products would suit this kind of setup?

;)
 
This is stupid, i think gary contributes alot to this forum, i have learnt loads from his advice and his poiting towards products help me decide what lighting gear i was going to buy and invest in further. If theres a deal at lencarta then let him post it, would only be the same as me coming on here and saying. Work for jessops snd they putting this product on offe anyone for example.

Back to the thread, ive had a go at some product photography and its hard, but gd fun and a great way to learn how putting a light n a certain position produces a certain effect, and you dnt av a model you paying for either.
 
Mahoneyd187 said:
Depends on your budget and what you deem "good" really.

How much are you allowed to spend?

You can't go wrong with Elinchrom and Bowens IMO, even the Budget Elinchrom D lite has intelligent slave and built in skyport radio triggers, the 2 head kit also comes with carry bags for all the kit
Click to expand...

Think budget is going to be £400 mark for now. Looking at the Lencarta 2 head kit, seems everyone's talking Lencarta here!
 
I have a bowens 3 x 500w kit, with brollys and soft boxes. Added to that is a large room with a 5 roll system that takes large paper rolls. I have black, blue, green and two White. Then a trestle table so I can raise products up if needed and a sheet of White Perspex to sit things on.

Other brands of lighting kit are available. It probably worth looking at a large suppliers website who cover all brands, such as warehouse express, for evaluating your needs and budget, then shop around.
 
lawrie29 said:
Garry, out of interest, what Lencarta products would suit this kind of setup?

;)
Click to expand...
These.
Table top backdrop? Yes, it's called a product shooting table. Think of a big chair with no back or seat, get a bit of bendy acrilic, fit it so that it sits where the seat would be and goes up where the back would be, curving in the middle.

Lighting? Studio flash from a good make. Minimum of two heads, one of them needs to be on a boom arm so that it can be positioned overhead, another one would produce directional lighting from the front/side wherever it needs to be to produce the right type of lighting for your needs and for specific subejcts.

Texture? That's where a 3rd head would come in. Fitted with a honeycomb (which is what it sounds like) at an oblique angle, the light will reveal and/or emphasise texture where needed. The same light can also be used behind and to one side to create a brighter edge/top to make it jump off the page.

Of course, similar products are available from other manufacturers too.
 
Funnily enough, I managed to get to all those products before you posted that last post Garry, not that I don't appreciate it! very thorough. Cheers!
 
m18nye said:
This is stupid, i think gary contributes alot to this forum, i have learnt loads from his advice and his poiting towards products help me decide what lighting gear i was going to buy and invest in further. If theres a deal at lencarta then let him post it, would only be the same as me coming on here and saying. Work for jessops snd they putting this product on offe anyone for example.
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No its not stupid at all, we have clear rules that advertisers read and agree to, on this occasion hes stepped over the line. Inadvertant or not, he did.
He can use the lencarta account to do that sort of advertising, thats what lencarta pay for. He can point to product, just not the way he did on the occasion that I pulled him up on.

see its very hard for us, garry gets accused of being a blatant posting whore for lencarta and we get slammed because of it, I find 1 thread that I think hes gone too far on and edit, and we get slammed for that too. :shrug:
 
Well, I haven't fallen out with TP over it and it seems that no harm has been done. More of a misunderstanding than anything else I think.

Both Lencarta and me (Photolearn) pay to advertise on this forum and we both didn't feel that it was worthwhile we wouldn't do it, but there's more to it than that because this forum also provides an opportunity to help people to think about how they light things in ways that perhaps they hadn't thought of. That's more than just marketing, it helps people to use their equipment more and to use it better, which is what photography is surely all about - which is why it's important to me to tell people what I think, rather than just point them towards a specific manufacturer, because sometimes the best answers don't lie with that particular manufacturer, and often are just about technique and equipment doesn't even come into it.
 
Garry, are boom arms generally universal? Or if I buy Lencarta lights would I have to buy the Lencarta boom arm?

Cheers
 
halshaater said:
Garry, are boom arms generally universal? Or if I buy Lencarta lights would I have to buy the Lencarta boom arm?

Cheers
Click to expand...
They're as close to being universal as they can be, in other words they have the 16mm/5/8" spigot that almost all stands now have. And pretty much all lights have the same fitting.
 
Thank you, I'm sold. Proposing a couple of Lencarta options to my boss today!
 
So the Garry Edwards account is for photolearn? And theres a separate Lencarta account? If so, why does it say Advertiser, Lencarta Customer Services under the Garry Edwards account and not photolearn? Confused
 
A[L]C;3555165 said:
So the Garry Edwards account is for photolearn? And theres a separate Lencarta account? If so, why does it say Advertiser, Lencarta Customer Services under the Garry Edwards account and not photolearn? Confused
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Yes, the Garry Edwards account is mine and I pay for it.
Also, all of my posts are made under my own name, except for the very few that are made on behalf of Lencarta - they are posted under the Lencarta name, as in the sticky on this forum at the moment. The difference is that the Lencarta identity (which Lencarta pays for) is primarily for advertiser statements by Lencarta.

Someone claimed that people may not know of my connection with Lencarta (my signature clearly states that connection but my signature doesn't appear under every post) so one of the admins felt that changing Advertiser to Advertiser, Lencarta customer services, would resolve that problem.

Apparently not, as far as you are concerned:'(
 
Well your signature only appears on the first post on each thread so your definitely missing out on advertising of photolearn (I didnt notice it!).

Probably best to keep them separate
 
A[L]C said:
So the Garry Edwards account is for photolearn? And theres a separate Lencarta account? If so, why does it say Advertiser, Lencarta Customer Services under the Garry Edwards account and not photolearn? Confused
Click to expand...

Because people were moaning that they didn't know that Garry also was involved with lencarta. Now you can't miss it.
 
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