LED lighting for family photos

[goinggreynow]

Evening everyone. Here's hoping that someone can point me in the right direction or even tell me that I'm going about this completely the wrong way!
Basic situation - I have a Canon 50d and 17-55. My issue revolves around indoor family type shots -particularly of my new granddaughter. I really do not want to use flash, either straight on or bounced nor off-camera and so I am left with a typical shooting scenario of (say) 1/100, F2.8 and ISO 1600. From a distance of (say) 6-8 feet this gives me precious little DOF. I neither want to reduce my shutter speed (granddaughter can't be trusted to stay still) or bump the ISO on the 50d to 3200.
I happened to notice that test shots taken in my newly decorated bathroom, where I've installed 4 7w LED downlighters enables me to lower the ISO to 800 and narrow the aperture to f4 or even 5.6, whilst maintaing the shutter at 1/100. Wonderful!
So my question - and apologies if a more extensive search would have given me the answer - is there any way I can rig up some sort of LED "uplighter" type arrangement where the light stays on permanently ( and isn't pointed directly at my granddaughter)? Does this sort of kit exist or as mentioned at the beginning, am I going about this totally the wrong way? If it does exist, is it within the budget of an enthusiastic amateur?
I have been tearing my hair out trying to come up with a solution and have even thought about going full frame (say to a 6d) which I don't really want to do not only from a cost point of view but also because a fair amount of my photography is motor sport for which I find my 50d excellent.
Many thanks in advance to anyone who is able to help me out here.

 

[landwomble]

Use video lights? Probably a lot easier to learn flash though!

 

[simonbarker]

I don't understand why you need to over complicate things with LED lighting, your problem is simply you lack enough available light and your camera setup isn't up to the task of working with what you have.

I would have thought it doesn't matter where you get your light from just as long as you get it, stick some extra lamps in there or just get over the aversion to a flash and use something low powered/diffused (it'll ultimately work out to be the same amount of light no?). You could also get a faster lens, a used 85mm 1.8 is cheap and perhaps better suited to trying to work indoors but at the end of the day you'll get better results if you can properly light your subjects.

 

[brad131987]

dont waste to much money on a kit
amazon have a led video light for under £30 i think
you could try that and if thats not what you want send it back or cut your losses
then buy a flash

 

[Garry Edwards]

Lighting isn't about making use of whatever light happens to be there, nor is it about finding some lighting that will allow you to actually take a shot.

It's about CREATING light that flatters your subject, that brings out the qualities, that shows it at its best. My advice is to get a flash and learn how to use it off camera.

 

[cuthbert]

I agree with Gary, with just a single flash, off camera cord and some sort of diffuser you'll be able get some beautifully flattering light.

I've got a rogue flashbender and a fold up lastolite shoot through brolly - both give a different type of light but you can create some nice effects for just a few quid and what's more both fold up so small you can shove it in your camera bag and use them on the move.

Here's a couple of shots lit with the brolly, my favourite light modifier, I love the character of the light it gives... the light source is nothing fancy... just a standard canon 430ii hotshoe flash in ttl mode.

 

[jockwav]

^^^^

 

[goinggreynow]

Many thanks for all replies so far.
The consensus seems to be that I should go down the "diffused flash" route and I was interested to read Cuthbert's reply about a "shoot through umbrella". I haven't come across this sort of thing before.
Will also have a look at a camcorder LED light.

 

[Phil V]

Light quality is defined by size and proximity (for simplicity), so an led panel would have to be pretty close to a pretty small subject to give a soft light.

It's not that there's no place in photography for LED lights, it's just that they're a fairly specialist tool with a quite small amount of usefulness, not as a simple crutch for people afraid to learn flash.

Flash isn't just a small hard light to attach to the top of your camera, with the option of bouncing it off the ceiling and hoping it'll look OK. It's malleable, and highly predictable (once you get used to it).

A pair of triggers, a cheap manual flash, stand, bracket and brolly are a cheap place to start, half a day with a teddy bear and you'll have the beginnings of the skill set.

 

[pingu666]

That puppy awwwwww
A flash lambancy is very good too, and you could consider a cheap f1.8 lens to, that would help too

 

[coldpenguin]

If your desire is to not use a flash because you think it will damage the eyes, the consensus I got from reading around was that most flash companies are trying to cover themselves by saying they shouldn't be used with newborns.
Certainly I don't think that there could be any damage with a diffused flash towards a wall. Don't have it up to full power (I think I got away wth 1/16th max at 12ft), and keep it more than a metre away.
Personally I put my 580 EXII in a corner, slaved from my 7d, bounced off the corner/wall. It wasn't too intrusive, and the pre-flash didn't appear to disrupt the baby.
My walls are yellow with a white ceiling, I could get away without too much colour cast, your situation might make bouncing off walls more difficult of course.