Mixing continuous and Speedlites

[rogertb]

Hi chaps, I've done little or no 'studio' type stuff but am thinking of trying some simple 'table-top' setups (food and stuff) I have a couple of these new continuous lamps on stands (these new 105w spiral bulbs) colour temperature 5500K so can I put a couple of these on their stands maybe using reflecting umbrellas and maybe add my speedlite 580EX bounced of the ceiling - or am I talking total rubbish ... advice please - Roger

 

[Garry Edwards]

Yes, that will work, although you may find that the colour temperature of your hotshoe flashguns doesn't match all that well...

Just use the aperture to control the contribution of the flash, and the shutter speed to control the contribution of the continuous lighting, which will be pretty insignificant in terms of power if you use too high a shutter speed.

 

[Steve T]

I have just learned exactly what Garry said and would add something else I noticed that may be useful. If you take a shot of a white background with just the flash, and then the same shot but now with the CFL light aimed fairly close to the middle of the background you can see both light colours. I did this at 1/50 shutterspeed at F5.6, the flash looked a more grey blue white halo to the CFL light which added a softer vellum light in the middle. A nice, very subtle effect to play with just using the bare lights.

 

[specialman]

I suppose, in principle, it's like using flash with ambient but in this case the ambient is the continuous. Try gelling the flash to match the WB of the continuous, unless you want some difference bewteen the two light sources.

 

[Garry Edwards]

I suppose, in principle, it's like using flash with ambient but in this case the ambient is the continuous. Try gelling the flash to match the WB of the continuous, unless you want some difference bewteen the two light sources.

Well, in theory the colour temperature should be similar, and probably will be if the flash is at full power. But when the power setting of the flash is turned down the flash tail, which is warm in colour and which normally balances the blue light of the full power flash to produce a neutral colour, is clipped, leaving an increasingly blue colour as the power is reduced

 

[specialman]

Well, in theory the colour temperature should be similar, and probably will be if the flash is at full power. But when the power setting of the flash is turned down the flash tail, which is warm in colour and which normally balances the blue light of the full power flash to produce a neutral colour, is clipped, leaving an increasingly blue colour as the power is reduced

Sod it - shoot in mono

 

[rogertb]

Well thanks for not putting me off totally chaps, I'll give it a go, thanks for the colour temp. tip Steve, but I think Pat has really cracked it, now why didn't I think of that !

Roger