Flash lighting for table-top and small object photography

[Marie Hass]

Rob, I have to buy all my stuff on line as I live in a rather rural area. I usually shop B&H. The closest camera shop is over 80 miles away, and geared more towards framing, printing and game or portrait shots.

Works and cheap is good for me.

'Rie

[mknittle]

Rob, glad I found your thread. Yes, this is what I want to do.

How much did you spend on your setup? (if you don't mind me asking.)

Pennies count for me.

'Rie

I have a couple clamp on work lights with LED or the low what 3500Kelven rated bulbs and for diffusers I used Copy paper taped to the aluminum shade. It worked pretty good for a rainy day project. I used that to shoot the Jack.

Just Jacking Around

[IzzieK]

Marie, I started with two continuous light kits plus a hair light. Then I bought the backdrop which I can extend almost across the shortest part of the room. I went to a cheap fabric store to buy some cheap off cut fabrics and hang two (black and white ones) depending on which colour I need to use. For main lights I used to have those builder lights my husband used to have lying around (I thought...) and I kept stealing them from him so he bought me my own, 3 of them actually, one with its own stand and two others I have to find a place to position (now they are in its own box unused). You can use any other kind of light too according to your purpose. I know of some people here who shoots at night and only uses a flashlight for effects. Now that is cheap but effective for whatever purpose they use it on. There is nothing wrong with that...a table, a corner somewhere is cheap and I also have one round table downstairs near the deck's door that I use for food photography when I am in a hurry to shoot while my food is still hot. Or use a clothes steamer for smoke. The door to the deck provides natural light. Sometimes a studio is not really necessary. And since it is just you and your husband who lives in your house you have the whole house to use as a studio though it is nice to have something private too. Anything else you can pick up at a hardware store. Just how I started before I got my own. It took me 5 years...reading articles, researching and finding out what I can afford...

[ashcroft]

Marie, I started with two continuous light kits plus a hair light. Then I bought the backdrop which I can extend almost across the shortest part of the room. I went to a cheap fabric store to buy some cheap off cut fabrics and hang two (black and white ones) depending on which colour I need to use. For main lights I used to have those builder lights my husband used to have lying around (I thought...) and I kept stealing them from him so he bought me my own, 3 of them actually, one with its own stand and two others I have to find a place to position (now they are in its own box unused). You can use any other kind of light too according to your purpose. I know of some people here who shoots at night and only uses a flashlight for effects. Now that is cheap but effective for whatever purpose they use it on. There is nothing wrong with that...a table, a corner somewhere is cheap and I also have one round table downstairs near the deck's door that I use for food photography when I am in a hurry to shoot while my food is still hot. Or use a clothes steamer for smoke. The door to the deck provides natural light. Sometimes a studio is not really necessary. And since it is just you and your husband who lives in your house you have the whole house to use as a studio though it is nice to have something private too. Anything else you can pick up at a hardware store. Just how I started before I got my own. It took me 5 years...reading articles, researching and finding out what I can afford...

Good reply+

[ashcroft]

Rob, I have to buy all my stuff on line as I live in a rather rural area. I usually shop B&H. The closest camera shop is over 80 miles away, and geared more towards framing, printing and game or portrait shots.

I buy all my stuff on-line too. Have you considered buying used? I bought my original 5D used, and my Leica lens for the Panasonic, and my light meter. Most photographers are gear junkies and update their gear to new models, even though there's not much wrong with what they have.

For new stuff, I just looked on Amazon US for the lighting kit I have (Interfit EX300) It's going there for $410, which is very good. It's a very good kit, and they have 'user replaceable flash bulbs' which means you don't have to return a unit to a service centre if it fails (which is rare). http://www.amazon.com/Interfit-EX300...t+lighting+kit I honestly don't think you will do much better than that for the money.

And the Interfit company site is http://www.interfitphotographic.com/...tml#.VJqAp14jA

Had mine for two years and never had a single problem. Maybe I was lucky.

I live in such a rural area that if the locals see traffic lights they think it's Christmas.

[Marie Hass]

I live in such a rural area that if the locals see traffic lights they think it's Christmas.

Right there with you, We have only one traffic light in town, and it is mostly to control traffic when the fire or police department get a call. We live on 10 acres in the hills above town. No neighbors - very peaceful.

I love buying used. If there is an equipment buy/sell/swap i would be on it.

I've had a look at the site and bookmarked it. I am also trying to save for a new camera. I cannot decide if i want to ditch Canon and go Nikon or if i should just get a full frame camera (like the 5D).

'Rie

[Marie Hass]

Marie, I started with two continuous light kits plus a hair light. Then I bought the backdrop which I can extend almost across the shortest part of the room. I went to a cheap fabric store to buy some cheap off cut fabrics and hang two (black and white ones) depending on which colour I need to use. For main lights I used to have those builder lights my husband used to have lying around (I thought...) and I kept stealing them from him so he bought me my own, 3 of them actually, one with its own stand and two others I have to find a place to position (now they are in its own box unused). You can use any other kind of light too according to your purpose. I know of some people here who shoots at night and only uses a flashlight for effects. Now that is cheap but effective for whatever purpose they use it on. There is nothing wrong with that...a table, a corner somewhere is cheap and I also have one round table downstairs near the deck's door that I use for food photography when I am in a hurry to shoot while my food is still hot. Or use a clothes steamer for smoke. The door to the deck provides natural light. Sometimes a studio is not really necessary. And since it is just you and your husband who lives in your house you have the whole house to use as a studio though it is nice to have something private too. Anything else you can pick up at a hardware store. Just how I started before I got my own. It took me 5 years...reading articles, researching and finding out what I can afford...

Great ideas, Izzie. I will have to buy piecemeal.

Thanks, Mark.

[xpatUSA]

2. Lighting units

The largest softbox is 1 metre across. The larger the light source in relation to the object the softer the light. So for smallish objects including flowers you don't need a large light-source just a relatively large one. Also, the closer the light is the more power it has because of the inverse square law - you remember that from school, don't you?.. With table-top, unlike some other work, you can get up real close, so you may not need as much power as you think.

Nice results, Rob, by the looks of it. I had a fit of nostalgia on seeing that thing called a "radiator" and it's auxiliary electric heater.

I would like to mention that the inverse square law does start to break down with those large panels and short distances. There's a "five times" rule of thumb that says it only applies accurately if the panel is five times it's diameter or more away from the subject. See p.26 here for more about that:

http://kronometric.org/phot/xfer/lig...20handbook.pdf
.

[Manfred M]

Marie - based on your location have a good look at the gear put out by Paul C Buff. Their Alien Bees line is a very good entry level set and a lot of pros started with their gear because of the excellent value. Some continue to use it. It is much better than some of the low end stuff that you find on eBay, that comes in from China.

http://www.paulcbuff.com/index.php

They do mail order only, so that is one way they keep down the price and with some minor exceptions deal pretty well exclusively with the USA and Canada markets. Much of my studio stuff is from them (I have four of their more expensive Einstein units). I would start out with one head, one stand and one softbox and grow from there as required.

[Loose Canon]

I wasn’t going to mention anything about this originally for various reasons. But I’m going to second Manfred’s suggestion, Marie. Also his starting lineup (head, stand, softbox, but you’ll need a way to trigger the light). Add as you go along. Give them a serious look as you decide.

I use Buff studio gear as well. Their prices are good and the value is excellent. Their modifiers are going to be better (baffled, so double diffusion) and you have a lot more choices when it comes to grids, snoots, softboxes, dishes, etc. About the only thing I don’t use are their stands. Mostly because I had some already.

Their customer service is also excellent and you can always get a real and knowledgeable person on the phone if you need one. They will clear up any questions you might have before you place an order and after you receive the equipment. All of their bulbs are user changeable (Flash and modeling and don’t forget to order at least one of each plus a spare fuse or three).

They do triggers if you want to go that route and their systems are compatible so you can mix and match. You get into proprietary equipment such as speed rings for the modifiers, triggers, and such. Like a camera system, a lot of stuff is not interchangeable between brands. Useful to consider this now if you decide to expand your system down the road.

They have good warranty and you don’t have to send it overseas to get equipment worked on if needed. I called them up with a warranty issue on a softbox. They apologized profusely, accepted my opinion on an improvement, and sent me out a replacement while I was on the phone! Plus a couple of bulbs and a fuse at no extra charge for my trouble. They paid for shipping for the return and told me to send it back to them when I had time, no rush. That right there paid the difference!

When I made my inevitable decision to sink come coin into some studio gear I did a lot of research Marie.

One thing I have learned over the years is that I would rather have less really good gear than more of the cheaper gear. Too many times I have been tempted to get less expensive gear because I could get more of it sooner only to be sorry for that choice. Nothing worse than having to deal with equipment problems. (Possibly) ruins the shoot which is bad enough. Then have to spend valuable time trying to figure out how to get it resolved blows!

And I darn sure would rather have someone right here in the States that stands behind their product. Peace of mind is worth a lot. Especially if things go wrong and you need support. They are not the leading seller of studio gear in the USA for nothing.

[Manfred M]

Marie - just to add to Terry's comments.

There are three ways to trigger the Buff monolight heads:

1. Synch cable from the camera. My lights all came with a synch cable that runs between the camera and the light. My camera has a synch socket and if it does not have one, one can buy a hotshoe mount one for very little money. A bit of a pain to use (the cable can be a tripping hazard), but for table top work, not as much of a deal as when shooting people.

2. Slave - If you have a popup flash or Speedlight, it can be used to remotely trigger your monolight. The Buff units all have an optical pickup, but the photo cell needs to pick up the light from the master unit, so a line of sight is required; again usually not an issue with table top shooting.

3. Radio triggers - Buff makes a line of its own that is quite cost effective. There are a number of third party triggers out there by companies like Cactus, Phottix, PocketWizard, etc. I use PocketWizards, but these are premium products and by far the most expensive option. The advantage is that line of sight is not required and they have a range of around 200 ft. I can adjust the flash intensity right from my camera when using these triggers with the appropriate attachments. Again, less of a problem with a single light setup for tabletop work.


As for lightstands, there are generally two types, regular that can go up to varying heights and the come in regular and air-shock varieties. I have several of both types; the air shock ones protect me from my own stupidity by cushioning the decent of the head. This means there is less of a chance of breaking them. I do use sandbags for stability on these, especially when shooting people in situations where there is a lot of movement.

I also use C-stands, which are heavier and more stable, but more of a pain to reposition.

All light modifiers are attached to the studio lights using a speedring, and these tend to be proprietary to a specific make of lights. The Buff units use a "Balcar" speedring; so anything that Buff turns out or are listed as having a Balcar speedring will work with these lights.

[ashcroft]

All light modifiers are attached to the studio lights using a speedring, and these tend to be proprietary to a specific make of lights. The Buff units use a "Balcar" speedring; so anything that Buff turns out or are listed as having a Balcar speedring will work with these lights.

You can also get adaptors to fit other softboxes to Alien units http://www.wexphotographic.com/buy-i...alcar/p1534728