Help with studio space please.. (natural lighting vs studio lighting)

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Smithster

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I rent out a small studio space for my online fashion business. It's a great place, with an OK amount of natural lighting, but when the skies are overcast it lacks what I need.

I only really like to shoot with natural lighting, not really had much luck with flash lighting because the flash lights I have are not that great tbh.

In the summer there is ample lighting flooding in the studio, but in the winter there just isn't any. I have managed to get some good shots still but it's just not consistent enough when you have a model in.

I have posted a pic of the studio as it is when I find it ona bad day, and a picture of a shot I have had on an OK day. I sometimes use reflectors (white) to bounce light to the front of the model.

Can anyone suggest ways in which I can boost light more without me having to go up to 1000 iso or use a slow shutter speed? I really want to keep that natual lighting look, as I find flashes can actully create horrible tinges even with different white balance modes.

Or any tricks with a low priced flash kit that I can employ?

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My camera is Nikon D7100 and I mainly use a prime 50mm 1.8.
 
I'm assuming you never used a reflector on this model, nothing there that can't be lifted in Lightroom or similar.
I'd still look into flash though. If you set the White balance with a grey card it should prevent any strange colours appearing and you can control everything then
Even using natural light, fill flash can be a useful tool
If you do a lot of this type of shot, a lite box could provide a big soft light and give great results
 
Hi I did use a reflector (it was actually a plain canvas on an easel) to the right of the image to brighten up the shadow created by the sun on the left of the image.
I have a speedlight (Jessops 360AFDN) but this normally creates shadows on one side of the model?

I have not used grey cards yet also. My flash boxes have a 'model light' on them, is this what you are referring to?

I was shooting there today and one second the sun was beaming in next 10 minutes it was as dark and dull as the above image.

I really need to step my game up!
 
For instance, I am having to push my iso up to 1200 and that means grain, and it's pretty 'flat' and 'dull' at times and I am not sure if my 50mm is haveing an easy time focussing?? Here is a shot from today witht the weaher on and off.

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Just no standard what so ever.
 
What would I use the lastolite for?

I want to shoot a more natural looking space like the old mill?
 
it doesnt need to be unatural, it can help enhance your shot with ambient light
Studio lighting can look very natural with a bit of practice and lets you have total control once you understand it. I,m very much still working on it but some photographers are masters of it
If totally against it, id go for some reflectors and large white boards to bounce the light
 
The reason why studio light is so great is that you can adjust it and modify it. With natural light you are quite limited in what you can do (and when) as you have already noticed. With studio lights (studio strobes in particular) you are only limited by your imagination and skills. Doesn't matter if you want to have a photoshoot at midnight, you can't do that with natural light.

The space you have there is great. All you need to do now is to fill it with lights, light stands, modifiers, backgrounds, etc. ;) Besides, you can make studio light to look like natural light no problem - just use a large diffuser to create the "large window" look.
 
=ReBeL= said:
The reason why studio light is so great is that you can adjust it and modify it. With natural light you are quite limited in what you can do (and when) as you have already noticed. With studio lights (studio strobes in particular) you are only limited by your imagination and skills. Doesn't matter if you want to have a photoshoot at midnight, you can't do that with natural light.

The space you have there is great. All you need to do now is to fill it with lights, light stands, modifiers, backgrounds, etc. ;) Besides, you can make studio light to look like natural light no problem - just use a large diffuser to create the "large window" look.
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I'd love to have that space to play with lights and toys, looks great
 
Frankly, your whole approach is totally wrong....

Lighting is NOT about having enough light to take the shot, it is actually about producing exactly the right type of light, from the right direction (s) - which means having totally controlable lighting, with a choice of light shaping tools.
It other words, it IS about quality, it is NOT about quantity.

If you can't get good results with flash, then that is either about the quality of your flash or about the quality of your own knowledge, both of which can be easily fixed.
 
That looks like a great space!! I'd live to have that kind of space available!

I used to say that I only liked natural light portraits. Until I learnt a bit about flash and understood it better.
 
'''Just use a large diffuser to create the "large window" look.'''

Yeah I have seen this, is this a large sheet of paper for instance hung in front to the diffuser box? Seems effective.

And yes as someone has pointed out it's about experimentation.

Thanks for the input. I'll be sure to read through all the other threads on this great forum .
 
I am going to play in the studio today with my flash lights and sheets of paper and manequinne... And just about anythign else I can manipulate these photons and light particles with. haha. Does anyone know where I can buy a Photon Manipulator or a LP Capture from (light particle)???

Any good videos out there or threads/stickies?

I have searchd loads these last days but you guys might have some faves.

Thanks.
 
Smithster said:
Any good videos out there or threads/stickies?
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Not a video (although there are some there) and not a thread or sticky here - also not particularly useful to you before your time on Sunday in your space - but if you are even slightly interested in using off-camera flash for your photography (and it would be of enormous benefit to you, given what you have said in this thread) I would definitely recommend the Strobist blog here: http://strobist.blogspot.co.uk/
It will take you weeks to read through it all but it will be worthwhile. Masses of info, tutorials, exercises and other stuff. He's not updating it nearly as often as he used to, but what's there is no less valuable for that.

Disclosure: I am one of David Hobby's Flickr Strobist group moderators. That said, I have never met him and have no vested interest in his blog beyond being certain that it's worth reading. :)
 
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Thought I'd post a pic with some lighting this time... Really enjoyable, first time I've ever used flash in this way with models..

I watched a good hour long talk on youtube about lighting and used 1 umbrella light, angled at 45 degrees etc and the rest but genrally just played about. Also used natural lighting from the window as you can see. I think next time I will shoot on RAW though and not jpg fine.... Silly school boy error.

But yes lots more fun than trying to juggle natural light alone.

(The hue is perhaps a little 'warm' but suppose that's down to the low sun light flooding the room. I edited mildly in Light Room but I'm not one to overly process anything.

Still not 100% happy with sharpness on the face (where the main focus should be), I have 52 focus points on my camera and not sure why he is not pin point sharp? Any ideas? (tbh though uploading sucks a lot of quality out as I have found on face book and this upload site 'TINY PIC'.

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Lighting looks OK to me, interesting and not too warm at all.
Framing's rather centred - I'd crop almost to his knee on the right - but I do realise that this is about lighting not composition.

I have 52 focus points on my camera and not sure why he is not pin point sharp? Any ideas?
No matter how many focus points your camera might have, you're only using one of them at the time and it needs to be focused in an appropriate place.
I generally use the centre one, focus and recompose. For portraits I'll focus on the closer eye.
What was your focusing set to, and on which part of the frame did you set the focus point?
 
mrk123 said:
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Still not 100% happy with sharpness on the face (where the main focus should be), I have 52 focus points on my camera and not sure why he is not pin point sharp? Any ideas?
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Well, if you're allowing the camera to choose which of those 52 points to use, how will it know you wanted to focus on his face?

As above - you choose the focus point, the camera will do it's bit just fine 99% of the time.
 
Smithster said:
What would I use the lastolite for?

I want to shoot a more natural looking space like the old mill?
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The lesson it took me longest to learn in photography:

Learn to make the most of what you have.

That's an interesting space you'll not make the most of until you accept it and learn to find it's beauty, crumbling paint, distressed floorboards, dodgy old wallpaper. They're all designs people are buying backdrops to create.

Back to your lighting: blacking out the windows will give you control, that'd be my first investment, then reflectors, then a diffuser for bright days. Make some V flats (cheap and useful).

After frustration kicks in with that, you'll have had time to save up for a single studio head (honestly it's false economy to buy speedlights first for a studio setup)

See if you can find some Sue Bryce videos, she's a great user of the Natural light studio and an exponent of V flats.
 
Hi Nionyn..

''What was your focusing set to, and on which part of the frame did you set the focus point?''

Focussing was set at 52 focus points, auto (is this what you meant), and I actually remember noe the one focus point being top of forehead...

Thanks for info Phil.. The lights I bought if I'm honest were some cheaps off ebay, I was advised with lighting, either get really cheap ones to first learn then when more epxerienced invest in better brands.

I have 3 in total, 2 flash boxes and one with an umbrella on... I only used the umbrella with flash on this last shot of male model, as I watchd a great tutorial on youtube about single lighting (which obvisouly emulates natural light to some degree with shadow etc.

When you say black out do you mean 'diffuse' the light coming in or totally black out? I could not really do this as the space is shared with other artists (though I am the only one who really uses this space right now).
 
mrk123 said:
Hi Nionyn..

''What was your focusing set to, and on which part of the frame did you set the focus point?''

Focussing was set at 52 focus points, auto (is this what you meant), and I actually remember noe the one focus point being top of forehead...

Thanks for info Phil.. The lights I bought if I'm honest were some cheaps off ebay, I was advised with lighting, either get really cheap ones to first learn then when more epxerienced invest in better brands.

I have 3 in total, 2 flash boxes and one with an umbrella on... I only used the umbrella with flash on this last shot of male model, as I watchd a great tutorial on youtube about single lighting (which obvisouly emulates natural light to some degree with shadow etc.

When you say black out do you mean 'diffuse' the light coming in or totally black out? I could not really do this as the space is shared with other artists (though I am the only one who really uses this space right now).
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I mean 'black out'. What's there is a huge wall panel of light. Sometimes a massive soft light is what you need, but more often, you'll want control over the direction of the light. That would be achieved by blacking out all but one of the windows, then placing the subject to have the right direction of light on the subject.

Or black out the bottom half of the window to raise the height of the light etc...
 
It's a very technical process isn't it all this light malarky. :)

Fun none the less...

And to further your point about making the most of what you have, I am going to use what I have to my avail, learn and use the techniques garnered by the masters over the years but also throw some silly and new ways of doing things in the mix and looking for a result.

I think it was Jacob Bronowski who said 'He who works from knowledge goes nowhere'
 
You could always install something like blinds or thick courtains. When needed you can black out when not... well you get the point.

I don't think anybody suggests nailing wooden board to your windows.

Studio is all about light control. You have to be able to control ALL lighting in your studio.
 
mrk123 said:
Hi Nionyn..

''What was your focusing set to, and on which part of the frame did you set the focus point?''

Focussing was set at 52 focus points, auto (is this what you meant), and I actually remember noe the one focus point being top of forehead...
Click to expand...

Change your focusing settings. Do it now.
I'm not familiar with your camera but the details will be in the manual.

You need to decide which of the focusing points to use, and you need to decide on what it focuses. This is particularly important for portraits, and becomes vital as soon as you start to use reduced depth of field (larger apertures) in order to throw the background (or whatever) out of focus.

I shot a bunch of headshots last week where my aperture was at F5.6, my focal length 75mm (Nikon D300s). At my working distance the acceptable depth of field was about six inches. I had to focus on an eye. If I'd left the decision up to the camera goodness knows what it might have chosen to focus on - but I'm pretty certain it wouldn't have been the closer eye! o_O
 
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