Studio Lighting Continued-Part 2

Sunday, December 11, 2011

Studio Lighting Continued

Part 2

(Using the LTM Spot Lights)

     Yesterday, I introduced you to the LTM 100 watt spot light. Today, I'll show you how to cut the Lee or Rosco gels to fit the LTM. I was "digging around my photo filters,and I remembered that I had a large set of Kodak filters. I decided to check them, and lo and behold, I found a cache (hidden source) of filter frames - wow! Nothing like not throwing out old stuff! Kodak calls them "gelatin filter frames" because at one time these gels were made from gelatin. Nowadays most are made from heat-resistant plastic. I was lucky because the Lee or Rosco gel holders are close to $ 30.00-$45.00 each, depending on their sizes, which correspondingly depends on the light size (100, 200, 300, watts). I checked on the Kodak frames, and their $ 7.97 - $ 9.00. Anyone handy with their hands can probably find sheets of metal at a hobby shop ( I just did) made from either aluminum or brass. You can then use metal snips and some forms to help make the "envelope parts,  sand down the sharp edges, and then spray paint them with heat-resistant paint.

The Lee Filters "sampler".

Rosco also has a sampler. Depending on your local pro photo store, you either have to pay for them or get them for free.

The above are just small enough to fit over your flash head. These are great, but that's for another instalment.

Above is the LTM filter holder, along with different intensities of "neutral density gels". 

I mentioned yesterday that these are like sunglasses. In the studio, you place them over a light to block out 1 f-stop, 2-f-stops, 3-fstops or 4 f-stops of light. Of course, you can use 2 of them and increase the blockage.

                                                   Here is a close up of the filter holder. 

                    The other ones that I'll show you from Kodak are 75mm x 75mm (3" x 3")

Here is  a Conversion filter (tungsten to daylight) cut to approximate size.

Here is a different type of light blocker.

It's a heat-resistant screen and it holds back about 2 f-stops of light.

THese are used more in movie studios because they are used often, and they're less -expensive in the long run that the plastic ones.

Also, although the plastic ones are heat resistant, they will over time dry and crack.

When the movie studios are using 10,000 watt lights, these screens are better!

This "light blocker" or "scrim" in movie and photo language holds back light by 1 f-stop.

The 2 scrims on the left will let pure light pass on their unscreened part, while holding back light on the screened part.

When yopu watch TV next time, keep on the lookout when the camera zoomz out. You'll sometimes see that demarcation line being the "scrimmed" light and the clear light. The clear light always appears on the bottom of the person.

I talked about reflectors briefly, but I'll be using them them in the second half of this instalment.

There are:

1. Shiny silver

2. Matte silver (sprayed with a Krylon matte lacquer spray)

3.Gold reflector

4. White reflector (not shown).

The "shine factor" makes for more reflection to either add to the dark areas (shadows) or to create highlights. The gold is used  to create a "warm-toned scene" and for gold metal and jewellery. If you used a silver reflector, you'd change the colour of the gold, and the jewellery people would not be happy!

     I'm going to use a recently acquired, and soon to be sold nice 1950's Hubley Steam roller. I'll do what's called "building up your lighting". So lets' get started.

Here are the Kodak Gelatin Filter Frames.

I live in Quebec, so the description is bilingual, n'est pas?

HDont' worry if you don't cut the first gel exactly.

You can trim it.

The ND .9 darkest gel (Neutral density holding back 3 f-stops of light) is buckled or crinkling. It's too big for the froma holder and needs to be cut.

The 2 -parts of the sleeve. One part holds the gel. That part is then inserted in the other part (a sleeve)

This filter in ND .3 (Neutral Density holding back 1 f-stop of light)

Think of this filters as changing light bulbs.

If a light in your living room was 200 watts and was too bright, then you could change it for a 100 watt light. Photographically, we'd use a ND .3 gel to cut the light brightness in 1/2.

HI can;t seem to add any more photos, so  I guess, I'll write a second Sunday instalment.