Torch instead of flash

John Young

John Young

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This is probably a daft idea but would it work to use a normal (although powerful) torch for lighting instead of flash. I was planning on using my radio trigger with my flash as I plan to take some photos outside in near dark. I then thought of video light the onto torch.

Would it work?
 
I would have thought it would depends on what you are shooting. Painting an object with torch light is not a new idea. A longer time value will be required. If the subject is still, fine, if not you will get blur.
 
Yeah I have heard of the painting with light but I was thinking of just lighting the bride & groom a bit creatively with a large torch
 
TheCrewDesigns said:
Yeah I have heard of the painting with light but I was thinking of just lighting the bride & groom a bit creatively with a large torch
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You photogrpah what you see... if you point a big old torch at the bride and she is lit up with the lighting your happy wiht then the picture you take is that..


I really dont understand the question.. you always photograph what you can see...


if your in a dark room and you open the curtains throwing light on the bride then thats the pic your taking.. same if you shine a torch on her



I havent done it.. tried it... my answer is based on common sense.... apologises as i know that sounds condescending... maybe i really dont understand the question ? :)



PS surely its the easiest thing in the world to test at home?
 
KIPAX said:
You photogrpah what you see... if you point a big old torch at the bride and she is lit up with the lighting your happy wiht then the picture you take is that..


I really dont understand the question.. you always photograph what you can see...


if your in a dark room and you open the curtains throwing light on the bride then thats the pic your taking.. same if you shine a torch on her



I havent done it.. tried it... my answer is based on common sense.... apologises as i know that sounds condescending... maybe i really dont understand the question ? :)



PS surely its the easiest thing in the world to test at home?
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You know what you are right.... :D

Suppose I was just seeing if anyone had tried it and what problems they had and what torch/light they used etc. I will just get myself a torch and give it a go... thanks for the frank (but true) comment :thumbs:
 
one thing tho how professional does it make you look lighting with a torch
 
Yes it's been done - quite a lot actually.

You have to watch out for contrast ratios. For example, if B&G are standing in front of a building then shining a torch on them will effectively make the building darker. That may or may not be desirable. Obviously, the brighter the torch, the more pronounced the effect. LED Lensers are very bright (painfully so....)

Also, the new bread of LED torches are extremely bright but have an very sharp cutoff - i.e. they make a very hard edge pool of light. Again this can be nice but you'd have to be careful where the edge lies. A traditional torch (or something like a Lowell) will give a nicer feather but be much less bright.

>> one thing tho how professional does it make you look lighting with a torch

I gave up worrying about that a long time ago. My work horse speedlights are held together with electrical tape and hairbands and are covered in velcro to hold on bits of crazy foam. Nobody seems to mind.
 
Thanks a lot now that was the kind of info I was looking for.

I still need to find a torch. Saw one of those million power jobs at local shop but it was big and more importantly the light seemed to be a spot were I thought a wider beam might be better
 
Not sure if any help, but the other day was shooting in a really dark Torture Chamber. My partner was holding a torch Lenser P7 on some of the pieces of the
"torture" when a girl behind me spoke to her partner who had been using flash and asked what I was using to light the display "properly". Couldn't help but laugh to myself, obviously the quick light from his flash didn't register with her eyes.

C
 
I use a lenser torch a lot - they make excellent fill lights, you can focus them, they are also dead handy when setting up a tripod in the dark, or just for seeing in your camera bag in the dark etc.

I don't care how professional I look. I am judged by the results in the photographs. If on the fly, I use a torch to make a ring or head dress sparkle, well then I made more effort to get a great shot than the "professional looking photographer"

Use whatever you want to confidently, and you wont look a twerp
 
Oh I don't care what I look like I just want the BEST photos possible for my clients.

I have used some odd DIY flash accessories in the past
 
TheCrewDesigns said:
This is probably a daft idea but would it work to use a normal (although powerful) torch for lighting instead of flash. I was planning on using my radio trigger with my flash as I plan to take some photos outside in near dark. I then thought of video light the onto torch.

Would it work?
Click to expand...

Yes so long as the torch is powerful enough - I do a fair bit of studio work using a torch rather than flash
 
Saw one of those million power jobs at local
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I bought something like this from B&Q. (£35. IIRC). Useless. Only kept charge for about 15 mins then would dim down very quickly. Also gave a twin ring/beam effect, one from the bulb and the other from the reflector. Will light a whole room up though during a power cut, but not for long.
 
Well thanks a lot everyone you have been really helpful. I will post any resulting photos on on the forum

...now which torch to buy?
 
TheCrewDesigns said:
Well thanks a lot everyone you have been really helpful. I will post any resulting photos on on the forum

...now which torch to buy?
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Not the B&Q type one. ;):thumbs:
.
 
astraman1 said:
one thing tho how professional does it make you look lighting with a torch
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This is why award winning wedding photographers will use a £500 Lowell iD video light because it looks the biz even though it is just a 50W car headlamp bulb & a 12V motorcycle battery in a bag slung over the shoulder.

You can buy good bright LED video lights from eBay or Amazon for around £40-£50 which are very good. The advantage of the Lowell light (or similar cheaper offerings) is that it is a tungsten bulb so it is a warmer light (literally & figuratively) whereas LEDs can be a bit cold.
 
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nigelbb said:
This is why award winning wedding photographers will use a £500 Lowell iD video light because it looks the biz even though it is just a 50W car headlamp bulb & a 12V motorcycle battery in a bag slung over the shoulder.
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Nope. The reason for that is reliability, the dimmer and the accessory mount.

Plus laziness. £500 isn't a massive amount of money if you need a light that works and are charging people for it.
 
JonathanRyan said:
Nope. The reason for that is reliability, the dimmer and the accessory mount.

Plus laziness. £500 isn't a massive amount of money if you need a light that works and are charging people for it.
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Indeed. It's only the same price as a decent flashgun. The Lowell video light is undoubtedly nicely made but there are plenty of other video lights available for quite a lot less like PAG Paglight, Sachtler etc The reason that the Lowell is so popular with photographers is that it has the endorsement of award winning wedding photographers like Damian Lovegrove who is the official UK distributor for the Lowell iD light.
 
I carry a LED lenser p7 in my wedding bag to aid the AF when using my off camera flash set up, however, it may be difficult to use it creatively to paint people like you're suggesting...?

The beam can be focused, which is useful for both painting inanimate objects when it is zoomed out and AF assist when the beam is focused to a spot.
 
jST said:
I carry a LED lenser p7 in my wedding bag to aid the AF when using my off camera flash set up, however, it may be difficult to use it creatively to paint people like you're suggesting...?

The beam can be focused, which is useful for both painting inanimate objects when it is zoomed out and AF assist when the beam is focused to a spot.
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This too
 
I have a pair of fluorescent tubes I've used to photograph a car in an old fort, which delivered me this:

6009708133_af66056f72_z.jpg


To power them I used a £30 inverter in my car and an extension reel. Sometimes the most Heath Robinson things can work very well.
 
Diamond hell said:
I have a pair of fluorescent tubes I've used to photograph a car in an old fort, which delivered me this:

To power them I used a £30 inverter in my car and an extension reel. Sometimes the most Heath Robinson things can work very well.
Click to expand...

Brilliant ...great photo to
 
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