> Hi ho, > > I'm Julie. Hi ho, hi ho, and off to work she goes! > I'm trying to get some advice on lighting. Please let > me know if this is not the appropriate place to ask > this. there is no inappropriate place to ask. only inappropriate places to expect a useful answer. > Here's the deal. At work I take pictures of > co-workers for marketing purposes. The camera I use > is a basic Sony digital camera (2.1 megapixel) with a > simple flash. Is this your sole role at work? If so, your company is not providing you with the proper tools to do your job and it is not entirely your fault that the results are less than satisfactory. If in fact, you are the default company photographer because you simply have more interest in it then any one else at the firm, then they are getting what they paid for. And WHY? should you have to stress because you are not a professional calibre photographer? Pro Photographers are stress monkeys and should be compensated for it. > Needless to say, indoor pictures stink with this > set-up. The pictures come out dark, the digital color > information isn't there, and the light diffusion is > virtually non-existent. Indoor pictures stink with this set-up because you are letting the camera dictate your results. Cameras are stupid. One must first be smarter than the tools to be the master, grasshopper. > I recently borrowed a Canon digital camera with a > nicer flash. One that I could tilt towards the > ceiling to bounce the flash to diffuse the light. The > lighting in these pics was fantastic compared to the > Sony set-up. Smarter camera? > Unfortunately, our budget is limited so the Canon > w/nice flash is out (~$1,200). And I cannot buy the > flash only because the Sony doesn't support external > flashes. So, smarter cameras are out of the budget. Let's hope smarter photographers cost less... > For reference, here's a pic from each camera - don't > laugh ;) > Sony: > http://www.precisionind.com/pic1.png > Canon: > http://www.precisionind.com/pic2.png It appears that the stupider of the two cameras is expecting tungsten balanced lighting even though it (should) know(s) that itself is going to flash the scene. > So my (long winded) question is, assuming the Sony CAN > take good pictures w/appropriate lighting, what kind > of indoor lighting solution would anyone recommend? > I've thought of the nice big, round diffusing lights > you see at the photography studio. Would that do the > trick? Are these affordable (around $300-400)? The only trick needed here is to trick the camera into doing a good job for you. Karl states wisely, > > Any studio flash can be used if it's able to be slaved to the Sony's > onboard > flash, and this will allow you to explore all the creative lighting > you > want. First though, you need to look into the sony's menu and set the > onboard flash parameters so that there is no red eye reduction or > preflash > prior to the slaved flash exposure. I believe you can also set the > sony > flash output levels on a lot of their models - this should be set low > so the > source contributes a minimal amount of light to the setup. > > karl Excellent advice. But, it requires vast amounts of experimentation and small amounts of duct tape. Go this route if you can. >lea writes: > Julie, > > Good questions many of us have suffered thru the same at one time or > another, most likely! > > First may I recommend you get your subject further away from that > background...not having a harsh shadow fall on the backdrop will > immediately make your shots appear to be better. the best advice of all, so far. >Secondly, find a big > window, door or stairway with some natural light and do the shots > there. The cheapest solution. > The natural, diffuse light will work wonders to improve your shots > with > even just your basic set-up because the flash becomes secondary > lighting > to the natural light. This assumes that you or your camera can figure out how to do a pleasing fill ratio. And that there is enough natural light to use an appropriately short shutter speed. Alberto Tirado writes: > May I add (a bit shy), that I am somewhat used to work > with "student-class" projects (zero-budget) and I use > balloons on top of the flash so they diffuse light. It > works fine for most purposes, just be sure they don't > obstruct any sensors, or use the flash in manual mode. > > You will have to play a bit with your new setup to > "get the hang" with the new levels of light, since the > camera most likely cannot account for it in any way. Superb low tech solution. While you are at it you might pick up a book on how to make animals out of the balloons. Not only will you get better smiles from your subjects but I find that balloons twisted in the shape of wiener dogs provide the most flattering diffusion of all. Roger Eichhorn tells: > After you get the lighting fixed, tell the first guy to button only > the middle button on his jacket and relax! The second photo is not > bad except for the shadows and the background. At least he looks > professional. Grooming is another topic all together. One that you would do well to perk to but perhaps a little advanced for you at this level. Master the wiener dogs first. To be perfectly honest with you. If it were me (and I have done this in the recent past) I would go to the hardware store and get some work lights. Get a couple of them. Maybe even three. They are really cheap. I recently bought ten of them and shot a truck for Chevrolet. You can get them two together on stands as worklights that look very nice. Experiment. I would start (in a smallish room) by aiming two of them (4 heads) at a wall to the side that the subject is facing. If the walls are too far away get the company to spring for a couple of sheets of foamcore. Bring them in closer and have them supported by stands that the company bought you and held in place by a-clamps that the company bought. Two lights at the wall. (4 heads) Place one light next to the camera. Aim one head up into the ceiling and one head directly at the person. there should be so much light in the room by now that the head aimed at the subject does nothing more than lightly fill the shadows and give you catchlights in the eyes to make them look sparkly and alive. Get a larger background. get another one of those lights just for the background. experiment until it looks right and then take some pictures. experiment some more. more light on the ceiling. all the lights on the subject. get an umbrella and bounce some light. shine all the lights on the background. experiment, experiment and experiment some more. r
