lastolite hilite 6ft x 7ft light meter reading

Lee0204

Lee0204

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Hi Guys/Girls

This question has probably been asked hundreds of times before ive searched for hours on all sorts of forums and still not found a definate answer,

How do you meter the background to get the correct light reading:thinking:

I know the subjest should be 1.5/2 f stops different but how to you get the reading from the background:thinking: do i face a meter towards the background:shrug: do i hold a meter on the back of the subjects head:shrug:

Cheers in advance i know someone here will know the answer :)
 
Hold the meter on the background facing towards the camera. If its fairly large meter a couple of areas of the background.
 
Lee0204 said:
Hi Guys/Girls

This question has probably been asked hundreds of times before ive searched for hours on all sorts of forums and still not found a definate answer,

How do you meter the background to get the correct light reading:thinking:

I know the subjest should be 1.5/2 f stops different but how to you get the reading from the background:thinking: do i face a meter towards the background:shrug: do i hold a meter on the back of the subjects head:shrug:

Cheers in advance i know someone here will know the answer :)
Click to expand...

Hold meter with diffuser dome close to the HiLight, facing it. Should not be more than 1/2 a stop brighter than the front light, one stop max.

Blown is blown. Any more more and you get too much bleaching of the subject outline, and flare.
 
DavidMartin said:
Hold the meter on the background facing towards the camera. If its fairly large meter a couple of areas of the background.
Click to expand...

HoppyUK said:
Hold meter with diffuser dome close to the HiLight, facing it. Should not be more than 1/2 a stop brighter than the front light, one stop max.

Blown is blown. Any more more and you get too much bleaching of the subject outline, and flare.
Click to expand...

Confussed already:shrug: light meter facing the camera or the background?:thinking:
 
A meter is useful for setting up, but the easiest way to set the final exposure (and most accurate) is to enable blinkies (highlight warning).

Set the background so it is just beginning to blow, then increase exposure a smidge so it blows all over. That way you know you have the minimum over exposure necessary to do the job.

Ideally the Hilight should be perfectly even all over, but chances are it won't quite be 100% perfect. So, assuming your subject is central, that's the area to go by. You can lighten the periphery in post processing.
 
For a normal white background where you have lights firing towards it (like paper or Vinyl) then meter should point towards the camera in that instance. The Hilight however is different and you need to measure the light coming out towards your camera so that's why you meter towards the backgrournd as Hoppy noted.

Don't blast with light and Hoppy is right that using the blinkies is a good way of setting the power level of the background lights.

But I do meter everything else like fill and main and hair lights.
 
Oops didn't read properly forgot hilite is lit from behind
 
DavidMartin said:
Oops didn't read properly forgot hilite is lit from behind
Click to expand...

Easy mistake :) The post wasn't really aimed at you though - just explaining to the OP why (which I thought you had got when you realised the error). :)
 
Hi Lee,

The hilite is a completely different beast and you have some great advice.

I agree that you should start off with 1/2 stop higher on/from the hilite from your key light. I assume you are lighting from both sides of the hilite. Some use only one light, I have tried but it means you will need to do post processing which seems pointless if you can get it right in camera.

Best regards

Chris
 
Even with 2 light in the hilite you probably need to tweak in Ps. Trying to get perfectly even is pretty hard.
 
EOS_JD said:
Even with 2 light in the hilite you probably need to tweak in Ps. Trying to get perfectly even is pretty hard.
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Hi Eos,

I have had no problem, but and it is a big but, you need to get the subject away from the hilite! My biggest mistake so far is them being too close!

Best regards

Chris
 
G2EWS said:
Hi Eos,

I have had no problem, but and it is a big but, you need to get the subject away from the hilite! My biggest mistake so far is them being too close!

Best regards

Chris
Click to expand...

Distance doesn't make the light any more even, but it might mean that if you're shooting from a greater distance the field of view will be narrowed so you maybe won't get the corners of the Hilite in shot.

You can get a Hilite to within 1/2 a stop all over with two lights if you aim them right. I use two hot-shoe guns, aimed towards the back, just to the far side of centre. And, this is the critical bit, a small piece of card BluTacked to the side of the head to stop any light falling directly on the front surface.

There are other ways, but you do need two lights and spend a little time getting the most even arrangement with your set up. Blinkies are good for this too.
 
HoppyUK said:
Distance doesn't make the light any more even, but it might mean that if you're shooting from a greater distance the field of view will be narrowed so you maybe won't get the corners of the Hilite in shot.

You can get a Hilite to within 1/2 a stop all over with two lights if you aim them right. I use two hot-shoe guns, aimed towards the back, just to the far side of centre. And, this is the critical bit, a small piece of card BluTacked to the side of the head to stop any light falling directly on the front surface.

There are other ways, but you do need two lights and spend a little time getting the most even arrangement with your set up. Blinkies are good for this too.
Click to expand...


Hi Richard,

Never had a problem with getting even light. Sorry if my statement was a bit misleading.

As mentioned the only problems I have had is when the subject is too near the hilite and then you get too much light onto the back of the subject.

I agree again that 1/2 stop is about right.

Best regards

Chris
 
Thanks to you all for the advice ive ordered the hilite and will more than likley be back to this thread once its arrived and ive had a play with it:thumbs:
 
G2EWS said:
Hi Richard,

Never had a problem with getting even light. Sorry if my statement was a bit misleading.

As mentioned the only problems I have had is when the subject is too near the hilite and then you get too much light onto the back of the subject.

I agree again that 1/2 stop is about right.

Best regards

Chris
Click to expand...

Chris, I think you may be confusion 'wrap' with even coverage of the Hilite.

Wrap is light from the edges of the Hilite that reflects off the side of the face, and can go almost right round to the front if your subject is very close.

That is greatly reduced with a little distance, or you can also reduce it by screening off areas of the Hilite that are not in shot.

At least a bit of wrap tends to be part and parcel of the blown background look, but there aren't any rules :)
 
HoppyUK said:
A meter is useful for setting up, but the easiest way to set the final exposure (and most accurate) is to enable blinkies (highlight warning).

Set the background so it is just beginning to blow, then increase exposure a smidge so it blows all over. That way you know you have the minimum over exposure necessary to do the job.

Ideally the Hilight should be perfectly even all over, but chances are it won't quite be 100% perfect. So, assuming your subject is central, that's the area to go by. You can lighten the periphery in post processing.
Click to expand...

Going back to this ive never heard of blinkies, anyone know of a good website i can read up on it? a quick explination? or how i would turn this on in my camera?

thanks

Lee
 
Lee0204 said:
Going back to this ive never heard of blinkies, anyone know of a good website i can read up on it? a quick explination? or how i would turn this on in my camera?

thanks

Lee
Click to expand...

Blinkies is slang for the highlight over exposure warning that flashes black/white on the LCD. Enabled in the menus. Switch them on, and leave them on! Incredibly useful.

See this thread on how to use them http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=396958 Lots of other thread on shooting white backgrounds if you search :)
 
Lee

In Canon it's called Highlight Alert. It's at the top of one of the menu items. As Richard says it will flash in areas that the camera sees as clipping the white end of the histogram. THere may be shots where it's acceptable but normally very useful as a double check that you are not blowing out say a white dress in a wedding or the likes.
 
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