A little light help :)

[Keltic Ice Man]

I'm trying to collect some studio stuff on the cheap at the moment, and bought a light from ebay

THIS PHOTAX INTERFIT LAMP COMES MOUNTED ON TRIPOD STAND WHICH CAN BE RAISED AND LOWERED. THE ANGLE OF THE LAMP HEAD CAN BE MOVED TO ALMOST ANY ANGLE. IT COMES WITH 275W AND 150W BULBS. IT RAISES FROM 4 FT TO ABOUT 6 FT HIGH AND ALL FOLDS DOWN NICELY FOR EASY TRANSPORTATION. IT HAS A 13 INCH REFLECTOR.
IDEAL FOR FILM MAKING, PHOTOGRAPHY AND STUDIOS.

It works really well, but my question is how should i diffuse the light? I have tried reflecting it and that seems ok but I still get a harsh shadow on the model. Do I need a soft box (or could I even fit one on with the reflector.

Any advice on using it gratefully accepted.

Allan

 

[Jimmy_Lemon]

I don't do a lot of studio photography with lamps etc, but I do do some video with them and I would tend to use scrim (doubled etc depending on what I was filming) I can't remember where I got mine from, but I got a whole pack of filters and scrim etc from somewhere really cheap. Will try and find a link.

Scrim by the way (I think it has other names) is like a thin material that lets light pass through but softens it and produces more of a glow than a beam....

(Will add to this when I find a link - and my brain starts working)

 

[Keltic Ice Man]

Thanks Jimmy I've not heard of Scrim but will have a look


i've been sat thinking and thinking and thinking

and so what I've done is enlarge one of the small holes at the back of the light near the ES fitting and put in a bolt. I have a silver reflector umbrella that I picked up from a hong kong seller a while back and this fits on the bolt, so the light can be reflected back from this umbrella and seems to give a nice light.

I'm thinking about getting a white umbrella to try and see if I can put the light through it. Off to ebay we go...