Any suggestions for continuous lighting

[AndyB]

I have a client for whom I do a fair amount of photography for cars going for sale.

There is an area set aside in a very big warehouse so space isn't an issue. Two walls of the rectangle area are painted a mid grey. The other two walls are black curtain to reduce reflected light coming in from the warehouse.

At the moment they have provided a PhotonBeard 6 tube lamp mounted on a heavy duty tripod. Obviously having only one light means it's very difficult to get an evenly lit subject and I am constantly fighting with either highlights that are almost blown and are far to bright, or dark areas.

So the question - continuous lighting is prefered because of the subject. Two lights would be better than one but even with two the PhotonBeard has no diffuser and the light is too harsh and specular highlights almost uncontrolable. What other options are there without spending loads of money - I'm not sure the client will want to spent a lot but I am determined to get better lighting somehow.

Are there any sensibly priced lighting kits that would provide even and controlable lighting for this job? Shutter speed isnt a problem because I use a tripod and I can push ISO if I need to - it's really more a matter of control I guess - and cost.

Go for it!

 

[Garry Edwards]

I wouldn't consider using any form of continuous lighting, but then I'm happy to tell clients who aren't prepared to spend money where to go...

The problem, as you've rightly identified, is lack of control. You simply can't modify the light properly unless you have the type of gear they have in a film studio, which costs far more than any flash equipment.

You should be able to kill the specular highlights (or at least convert them into diffused specular highlights) simply by using a LARGE sheet of ripstop nylon, or even a plain white shower curtain, fixed to a frame and suspended in front of your light to act as a silk. Whether that one light will provide sufficently even illumination of the silk is doubtful but it could be worth a try. Then you'll need more of the same for detail lighting. You won't be able to modify the lights with light shaping tools as such but you should be able to manage, making snoots etc up as you go from blackwrap.

Setting a high ISO is no kind of answer, digital noise at long exposures is a major quality issue with all digital cameras, you'd probably get better results using a low ISO and even longer exposures, unless you're using MF digital.

 

[AndyB]

You see the problem I have. I have wondered about trying to difuse somehow so I might just need to experiment. The problem remains one of spread becuse when I photograph the car from the corner I am faced with a choice of lighting front or side or the corner itself - which is where the highlight then ends up concentrated.

I have tried bouncing the light of the high ceiling (suspended white tiles) and longer shutter but of course that ends up picking up way too much ambient reflection bleeding through the curtain. Thinking about it that way perhaps the cash should go on thicker, higher screens.

Or just tell them they ain't going to get professional images if they won't supply professional lighting.

THanks for your input anyway Gary - at least it confirms my frustrations