advice on lighting for a film setup

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ujjwaldey8165

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OK so I got 2 studio flash lights- 600 W each ( and brolly+softbox) . Plus 2 powerful on camera flash. And I am looking to play around for some head-and-shoulder shots on a white background. Never used artificial lights before

I am posting it here because I'll use films - and I dont want any advice on the digital cam-and-photoshop faff. I want to get it right in the camera, or nothing.


I am going to begin with a head and shoulder shot on a white background. I need help on a few questions please:

What needs to be the flash power lighting the background relative to the main to get a white background. I'll use a white sheet lying around at home (some sort of bed sheet).

Is there any type/speed of film better suited for indoor flash photography compared to another?

Will it matter if I use both Studio flash and the hammerhead flash?

Is there anything in particular I should be aware of?

I will be using a 24 feet by 14 feet room

Thanks
 
ujjwaldey8165 said:
I am posting it here because I'll use films - and I dont want any advice on the digital cam-and-photoshop faff. I want to get it right in the camera, or nothing.
Click to expand...

Which is a good attitude.

ujjwaldey8165 said:
What needs to be the flash power lighting the background relative to the main to get a white background. I'll use a white sheet lying around at home (some sort of bed sheet).
Click to expand...

I'm no expert but I would say that so long as the background flash isn't illuminating anything else, it can be as powerful as you can make it. Once you have enough power to make it go white with no detail, more power will not make it go any more white.

ujjwaldey8165 said:
Will it matter if I use both Studio flash and the hammerhead flash?
Click to expand...

You can mix them with no problems.

Which camera are you using? Can it take a Polaroid back for checking? Or (dare I suggest it?!!) you could do the exposure checks with digital until you are happy the lighting is set up properly.


Steve.
 
Steve, Chaz, thanks. I will be using, I think, one of the 35mm SLR to begin with. Most likely the CY, I love its 85mm. So polariod is out.

I had thought of testing a few shots with the the D50; but the trouble is; I dont think the in-camera shots of a digital is the same as that of a film; and my calibration will surely be wrong.

This is how I am thinking of setting it up:

Face at c.30degree left of camera - so I get the 3-quarter face. SB at 45 deg on the left, no more than 4 fet from the face. The background light on the floor pointing up. Background 6 feet behind, light 2 feet in front of the background.

Now it would be interesting to add a reflector on the right; and a hammerflash 3 feet above the head pointing to the back of the head; so that the light bounces of the hair. Maybe I'll make a cone out of a black cardboard to point the overhead flash on the hair.

Camera set to 1/100th ; and suitable aperture read off the meter. As Chaz suggests, background light 1.5 stop higher.

The tricky thing is offcourse to get HER to sit it out while I set this up. May be a new dress will induce her.....lol.
 
ujjwaldey8165 said:
I had thought of testing a few shots with the the D50; but the trouble is; I dont think the in-camera shots of a digital is the same as that of a film; and my calibration will surely be wrong.
Click to expand...

It's not the same but the the ratios of the lighting will be. As a 100% film user I will admit that digital can be useful for setup as much as Polaroid is.


Steve.
 
offcourse Steve; I can see how digital can be a more effective substitute for polariod. Especially to help learn a new trick. Got to charge up the damn thing.....
Thanks for the advice
 
Pips....thanks. You can offcourse come over and have a look in real time; also if you wish to play around with some lights, you are most welcome to my place anytime.

Ujjwal
 
set it up with the d50 think of it as free polaroid this is how I work with strobist stuff whether I want digi or film final images and a histogram is usually very accurate regardless of calibration provided the actual iso's are the same
 
david1701 said:
set it up with the d50 think of it as free polaroid this is how I work with strobist stuff whether I want digi or film final images and a histogram is usually very accurate regardless of calibration provided the actual iso's are the same
Click to expand...

Thanks David. Thats exactly how i am doing it.

For the last 2 days; I have been playing with the digicam and seeing the results. Have learnt a lot; so if I can do this for a month; I think I'll be reasonably upto speed.

The fun for me is in the journey - so these cold dark winters should be fun

Now....where's my model gone...:lol::lol:
 
There really isn't a lot of difference between film and digital lighting I sugest you gance at the portrait lesson I have on my website most of this is film work.
 
Thanks so much Phillip. I will surely go through it; and possible get back to you with more questions
 
no problem the site is so new that it doesn't have a contact page yet, I;) will probably add that next weekend, anything you think is missing from the site please let me know, for the moment via pm
 
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