Home studio with limited space - help!

Cris_L

Cris_L

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Cris
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I got some Lencarta lights the other day, one umbrella and one softbox.

What I had seriously underestimated was the space required (my own fault for not researching ahead) - particularly the softbox.

Has anyone set up their lighting in a small space or have any ideas to get around the issue?

In my stupidity I had cleared the box room (about 2.5 x 2.3 metres) thinking I'd be able to set them up in there, not so.

I am able to use the living room but even then I'm finding furnature etc gets in the way.

Garry has said i can give him a call for advise but I just wondered if anyoen else had any bright ideas or I can see these lights gathering dust!
 
I work in a space 2mtr wide 2mtr high and 4mtr long so it can be done IMHO you just need to know what you can and cannot do ...

MD
 
MD, I don't suppose you have a picture of a set up in a space like yours do you?

Or how do I find out what can and cannot be done?
 
I use my dining room which is around 3m square but it has to be cleared every time I set up. Start of with lowkey to learn the basics. Worry about high key when you've cracked the rest.

Some impressive results from yours ..MD..

I still can't work out how you got the mountains and a lake in there though :thinking::thinking: :lol:

Andy
 
Cris,

You often have to be more creative in how to do things with less space. My studio is 9'x16'x7.5' <LINK>. The dual Lencarta light setup should be quite good in a small space.

What are you WANTING to create. Can you give us examples of what you have managed to create? What are the particular problems?

You might be interested in our NW model meet (see my sig)
 
Some cracking pics there MD, I assume the reflections are caused by a perspex sheet?

I guess I need to look at making use of the space I have - was starting to think the lights might have been a bad idea but i wont give up yet.
 
daddy day care said:
I use my dining room which is around 3m square but it has to be cleared every time I set up. Start of with lowkey to learn the basics. Worry about high key when you've cracked the rest.

Some impressive results from yours ..MD..

I still can't work out how you got the mountains and a lake in there though :thinking::thinking: :lol:

Andy
Click to expand...

:lol:

I like that....

You should have noticed that I dont do adults standing up. **** shot is head and shoulders or sitting / lying down..

I work with the space I have....

MD:wave:
 
Cris_L said:
Some cracking pics there MD, I assume the reflections are caused by a perspex sheet?

I guess I need to look at making use of the space I have - was starting to think the lights might have been a bad idea but i wont give up yet.
Click to expand...


Yes buddy sheet of perspex...;)


Nearly all shots taken using 3 or less lights..


MD:thumbs:
 
cowasaki said:
Cris,

You often have to be more creative in how to do things with less space. My studio is 9'x16'x7.5' <LINK>. The dual Lencarta light setup should be quite good in a small space.

What are you WANTING to create. Can you give us examples of what you have managed to create? What are the particular problems?

You might be interested in our NW model meet (see my sig)
Click to expand...

I've not got any pics from this set up yet as I've had two goes and ended up frustrated from the lack of space.


I think I may of been trying to go too wide with the lights though, basically I've had them touching the walls of the room with the model in the middle, when i brought them closer in i thought they might be in view of the camera.

Does anyone think it'd be possible to set it up in the 2.3 x 2.5 m box room or is that pushing it a bit too far???

The sort of shots I want are head shots / half body max portraits or single and couples and I also have a fair few kids in my family, a toddler and a group of three boys that I'd really like to get some decent ones of (and the parents are badgering me too all the time!).



thank you all for the help.
 
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Cris_L said:
I've not got any pics from this set up yet as I've had two goes and ended up frustrated from the lack of space.


I think I may of been trying to go too wide with the lights though, basically I've had them touching the walls of the room with the model in the middle, when i brought them closer in i thought they might be in view of the camera.

Does anyone think it'd be possible to set it up in the 2.3 x 2.5 m box room or is that pushing it a bit too far???

The sort of shots I want are head shots / half body max portraits or single and couples and I also have a fair few kids in my family, a toddler and a group of three boys that I'd really like to get some decent ones of (and the parents are badgering me too all the time!).



thank you all for the help.
Click to expand...


All those shots are possible if you know how to use your space buddy..

You dont need alot of room . " to be honest you will be supprised how much room yopu do need....


MD:thumbs:
 
Cris_L said:
Looks like i need to get a teddybear on a chair and start getting creative!
Click to expand...
Yes, that will be useful if it's teddy bears you want to photograph.
But if you want to photograph people then you need to use them as models, because human skin reflects light very differently from teddy bears:)

You can use a teddy bear though, to see what effect you light will have, how it will slim or fatten the face, how it will create interesting shadows, how it will make the teddy bear look soft and gentle or tough and dominant.

To do that, first use a single light fitted with the standard reflector supplied, try it at different positions, different heights and different distances. You can get around 75 very different effects by doing this.

Then put that one away and try again, this time with the light fitted with the softbox. You'll be surprised by the different effects you can achieve.

Then, next year when you've exhaused all those possibilities, fit the umbrella and use that as a fill light. That can only go in one place so the learning curve is much shorter.

As we haven't spoken yet I have no idea what you've tried so far but my bet is you've put a light each side, which does need a lot of space and which produces awful results - don't worry, everyone does that at first:)
 
Yes Garry, thats what I have tried - one eiter side! I saw a youtube video about using one as a main light and one as a fill light.

Hopefully I'll get chance to call you tomorrow, if not it may be later in the week. Thanks again.
 
Cris_L said:
Yes Garry, thats what I have tried - one eiter side! I saw a youtube video about using one as a main light and one as a fill light.

Hopefully I'll get chance to call you tomorrow, if not it may be later in the week. Thanks again.
Click to expand...

Any idiot can post a youtube video on how to do something - and a lot of them do:'(
 
£400 kit + £30 tuition > £800 kit :D

If you've just bought a load of Lencarta kit book one of the lighting days. I bet that I could get better results with the £250 kit I started with over all the kit I have now if I hadn't had just one days training.
 
I have a small studio/room that i work with.

4520624181_a0e5221d00.jpg


thats an old pic i've now got a Vinyl background and have moved stuff around but you get the idea :).

PM if you have any questions and i'll try and help :).
 
kiteninja said:
I have a small studio/room that i work with.

4520624181_a0e5221d00.jpg


thats an old pic i've now got a Vinyl background and have moved stuff around but you get the idea :).

PM if you have any questions and i'll try and help :).
Click to expand...

Thats well set out just what im after, just to pick your brains how big is the room space in this picture

Andy
 
We do out "studio" stuff in the the dining room which is 3x3m. It's a pain in the ass moving everything out for a shoot and one of the reasons I'm transitioning to lifestyle stuff for the paying customers (might even get a HiLite later). But to be honest if we work within out limits we produce excellent images, and there's no reason you can't.
 
Andy77 said:
Thats well set out just what im after, just to pick your brains how big is the room space in this picture

Andy
Click to expand...

In old pennies i think its 11.5 x 9.5'

Will double check when im home, modifying my background supports at the moment to hold 2 poles not 1 :).
 
cowasaki said:
£400 kit + £30 tuition > £800 kit :D

If you've just bought a load of Lencarta kit book one of the lighting days. I bet that I could get better results with the £250 kit I started with over all the kit I have now if I hadn't had just one days training.
Click to expand...

I've just booked the portrait course on 10th Oct - for £30 I'd be a baffoon to miss it - couple of hours drive from home so it'l be an early start!

KiteNinja, I guess that space is similar to what i can clear. guess I just need to have a good look at how to use the available space. I'm sure I'll be able to get some good tips on the course.
 
Cris_L said:
I've just booked the portrait course on 10th Oct - for £30 I'd be a baffoon to miss it - couple of hours drive from home so it'l be an early start!

KiteNinja, I guess that space is similar to what i can clear. guess I just need to have a good look at how to use the available space. I'm sure I'll be able to get some good tips on the course.
Click to expand...

I'll see you there then :)

I am also there that day and my daughter Melissa is an extra model for the day.
 
Ah brilliant, be nice to meet a fellow TPer... I was going to do the nude/glam course but I dont think my full attention would of been on Garry...and I need all the help I can get!
 
Hi cris,

i have the lencarta 2 head setup and also have limited space its a pain at times but you have to make the best of what you got, am still learning but am getting there, another thing i bought a light meter that helped me alot i dont know what others think of them but it worked for me.
 
mission1968 said:
Hi cris,

i have the lencarta 2 head setup and also have limited space its a pain at times but you have to make the best of what you got, am still learning but am getting there, another thing i bought a light meter that helped me alot i dont know what others think of them but it worked for me.
Click to expand...



Seems there are a few people with limited space, what size room do you use?
 
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