Flash lighting for table-top and small object photography

[ashcroft]

I thought I'd share some of my lighting setup and experience. If you want to add your own set-up (inc images of it) and any comments, then please do so. I'm not claiming this is the best way to do things - it's just my way, and it seems to work well for me.

I use flash extensively for macro and close-up work, both indoors and outdoors, and I find it makes an incredible difference to the quality of what I can produce. I know some people are on a tight budget, but you can get some very effective lighting on a reasonable budget, as I hope to show here.

#1 A place to shoot.

This is my home studio. Fancy title - the reality is it's a spare double bedroom in our house. OK, I'm lucky to have that. But it does help to at least have an area of your house where you can keep your gear set up, or mostly set up. Why? because if you can start shooting in a matter of minutes and not have to spend ages setting gear up, you will be more inclined to photograph more often, and will find it less frustrating. The black thing on the wall is one of those Lastolight pop-out portrait blackdrops. I claim I keep it there all the time as it saves time. The truth is I can't fold the damn thing up, and I've yet to meet anyone who can.



2. Lighting units

I have a set of studio lights (see shot below). They are 300WS each, which I think is more than sufficient for table-top work. I could also use them for small portraits, but it wouldn't be enough for a large group shot. I use diffused soft-boxes to give a very soft light as they increase the size of the light source (from the flash bulb to the diffuser panel at the front) 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.

If buying studio lights it's best to buy a kit - it will be cheaper, and you should get all you need - stands, umbrellas, soft-boxed etc.

These are the studio lights I bought as a kit. Very cheap, but they are very durable and robust. I don't need the highest quality that pros use because they never leave the house. They don't get thrown around. The quality of light from mine costing £350 is the same as a set costing £1,000. There are plenty of kits around from a wide range of suppliers. Check around.
http://www.wexphotographic.com/buy-i...x-kit/p1521669

I also have three flashguns, or 'strobes' as we now call them (if clicking these links to purchase you need to change the product to suit your camera make). A Canon 430EXII http://www.wexphotographic.com/buy-c...shgun/p1027434 A Nissin Di866 Pro http://www.wexphotographic.com/buy-n...n-fit/p1031356 and an old Sigma ring flash http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sigma-EM-140...gma+ring+flash

So which is best? The Canon and the Nissin are both excellent, but the Nissin is more powerful for the same money. Both do High Speed Synch for outdoors. The Nissin does strobe effect photography (multiple exposures in one frame) if you want to do that. But both are quite adequate to shoot on a small scale in a studio. The ring-flash is for more specialized close-up work, and is not suitable as a general flash. Nikon flashes are very good, but like Canon are also top prices. For table-top you don't need anything (I was going to say 'flash' there!) fancy. I always shoot in manual mode which is what you need to do for close-up work. You don't need ETTL unless you are also using the unit for other, more general work.

So... studio flash, or flash gun flash? Both if you can afford it. If you nearly always want to shoot outdoors (flowers say) then it has to be flash-guns. If you mostly want to shoot indoors then a studio flash kit may well be cheaper and will give you more light, plus all the accessories. But if you already have a flash-gun then you can use that in the studio with some light modifiers attached. So the answer is - it depends. Using a flash-gun outdoors for close-up is particularly valuable. You can get some very good creative shots using a flash with a small modifier, so you might want to consider if you need a flashgun for outdoor work as well as table-top.



#3. Doing it at low cost

The cheapest set-up I have is shown below. A Panasonic G6 (£450) a Leica macro lens (£600), The nissin flash (£200) and a Rogue Flashbender (£20) a great little attachment that fits on any flash. You can bend the white panel any way you like and it stays put. It bounces the flash light off the white surface taking away the harsh effect of a naked flash. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Rogue-FlashB...ue+flashbender You don't need fancy wireless triggers, you can use a simple synch cable costing £15 as shown below. The G6 camera doesn't have a synch port so I used a £5 adaptor which fits on any camera. The Nissin is for Canon fit, but with a cable it can be fired by any camera - no ETTL though, but you don't need that for table-top.



If you want a larger light-source then you can now get a large variety of softboxes for flash. I have a Neewer Softbox http://www.amazon.co.uk/Neewer-Porta...neewer+softboxwhich is 60x60cm (but you can get larger ones). It provides a much larger light-source. You need to buy a stand for it, but they can be brought cheaply. As you can see in the shot below, the bracket at the back takes the flashgun (any make) on a special clamp which is adjustable. The head pokes through the opening at the rear of the box. It's just the same as a studio light with softbox attached. So if you already have a flash-gun this could be a cheap option.




#4 Be imaginative
It's all very well having the gear, but it also helps to be imaginative in how you use it. In the shot below I'm using a softbox with a studio flash head (the Interfit) as a white back-drop (on low power). That gives a pure white back ground and also illuminates some of the fine detail in the flower. I'm also using another old studio head overhead to light the front of the flower. That produces images like this one (different flower but same setup.





And just to prove flash works as well as ambient light shooting, if not better, I did a test shot this morning. I shot this orchid using the Panasonic G6 with the Leica lens on f/22 1/125s ISO200. For lighting I used the Nissin Di866 flash gun (£200) in the Neewer softbox (£28) as all shown above. A cheap set-up. I didn't take any real care over the shot. It was hand-held, just to show you can do it even without a tripod. I used a white A4 card to the left of the shot which bounced back some light to the left side of the orchid from the light which was angled from the right side. The black background is the black Lastolight thing - which I still can't fold up.

So... Do you want to go out now and get some lights?

[IzzieK]

I wish I can show mine right now. I also have a studio that was actually my husband's den when I came to live here, now it is mine and conveniently located across my actual den. At the moment, it is full of Christmasy stuffs until after January or February after I come back from Oz. Your setup looks very good indeed. I have a smaller place for a studio. And the Lastolite pop-up I have one of those too that nearly dislocated my arms from its socket trying to fold the damn thing, so like you, it stays in the corner till I need it. My last purchase is a real cotton black fabric from a fabric store because the one hanging from my backdrop stand is a little bit on the shiny side. I hang both black and white fabric on it.

[Loose Canon]

Guys? Really?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FFI58qrUXoI

Okay, its not as easy as it appears!

Looks like a nice set-up for your purposes, Rob!

And Izzie I would love to see yours, too. You wouldn’t know it but I do a bit of studio stuff from time to time.

I have a hugely important question. One which cannot go overlooked.

Where the heck is the All-Important Cup Holder and the Equally Important BRT?

[ashcroft]

Guys? Really?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FFI58qrUXoI

I got lost after the first 12 seconds with him doing the pre-demo with his waist belt. I couldn't watch anymore because it's too painful for me to be a failure.

[Mike Buckley]

Where the heck is the All-Important Cup Holder and the Equally Important BRT?

I'll give you a pass on your idea that the BRT is as important as the cup holder. Even so, considering that Rob's studio has neither, it's clear that his setup is not compliant with the best practices of studio photography. Heck, I'd be willing to bet that he has no idea what a BRT is.

[ashcroft]

I also have a studio that was actually my husband's den when I came to live here, now it is mine and conveniently located across my actual den.

That's right, get your priorities sorted!

Your setup looks very good indeed. I have a smaller place for a studio.

I don't think you need a very large space for this type of photography. My room is 13x12ft, but I used to work in a smaller room that that. You just need to be tidy - which I am of course...

[ashcroft]

Heck, I'd be willing to bet that he has no idea what a BRT is.

Well I do, see. I just Googled it. According to Urban Dictionary it's either 'Bra Removal Time' or... it's short for 'Back Road Tour'. A BRT usually occurs in rural communities where teenagers have nothing better to do than go driving on dirt roads or roads found in the middle of now where.

You know, I think I prefer the first one.

[Mike Buckley]

You know, I think I prefer the first one.

I prefer both of those over the term being discussed here -- Big Red Tub. It's a must for Terry's liquid shots. He's very messy. Very, very messy.

[Mike Buckley]

I don't think you need a very large space for this type of photography. My room is 13x12ft

Mine has a total working space of 6 ft x 9 ft and a shooting space of 4 ft x 8 ft.

[Manfred M]

Those shooting conditions look rather familiar, Rob. Mine gets assembled in the basement room from time to time, but has to ge knocked down again when my wife wants to watch television (as I shoot in front of the TV set). Getting me and my setup between her and what she wants to watch is not a pretty sight... :0)

[Loose Canon]

I'll give you a pass on your idea that the BRT is as important as the cup holder.

Typo Mike! Everyone knows that the BRT is only "Almost-as-Equally-Important" as quoted front the Compliance Chapter of the International Best Practices of Studio Photography Committee!

And it occurs to me that I have been using a BRT for the wrong purposes!

This is the best I get out of my BRT!

[Mike Buckley]

International Best Practices of Studio Photography Committee!

You're behind the times, Terry. That Committee has been renamed to indicate that it is now determining the standards for the Galactical Best Practices. I'm sure you know who recommended that change.

[Loose Canon]

I missed that Mike! They booted me off the correspondences for my Worst Practices!

Could you put in a good word for me?

[ashcroft]

Mine has a total working space of 6 ft x 9 ft and a shooting space of 4 ft x 8 ft.

Very impressive! Not wishing to incur the wrath of any Mods who may be re-fuelling on Mint Baileys in the run-up to that holiday thing, can I point out that mine is bigger than yours?

[Marie Hass]

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

[Mike Buckley]

mine is bigger than yours

Everyone tells me that.

[ashcroft]

Mine gets assembled in the basement room from time to time, but has to ge knocked down again when my wife wants to watch television (as I shoot in front of the TV set). Getting me and my setup between her and what she wants to watch is not a pretty sight... :0)

I'm very good at visualizing things (and not much else) But I must confess I have to go away and think about what you just said there. I'm trying to imagine it, but I'm getting all sorts of weird images in my head. Can't you get her a portable for the kitchen?

I shouldn't have said that last bit... but nice lights!

[ashcroft]

Everyone tells me that.

They're lying.

[Loose Canon]

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

And where the heck did you find black vertical blinds?

[ashcroft]

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

Pennies count for me too as I'm a pensioner. The essentials are either studio lights kit - mine was £350(about $650 at B&H over there) or flashgun(s), like the Nissin I mentioned - about $350 over there. Plus diffusers like softboxes which can vary enormously in cost, or you could start off with shoot-thru and reflector umbrellas, which are cheap and work quite well.

Studio light kits are good because you get all the basics, and the price is good.

Then there are accessories you might need on top of that such as blackcloth, art boards to use as reflectors and backgrounds, pieces of safety glass, reflective perspex, cables, etc. I have a light meter, but I don't use it much as I can judge the lights quite well and use the camera histogram on test shots. A meter just makes it a bit quicker. I'd say about $200 should cover it initially, but you can get some of those things as you progress. The important basics are getting the lights and getting used to them.

Before you buy anything I'd get more advice. Do you have a good local camera shop? Tell them what you want it for and see what they say. But don't be tempted into buying stuff you don't need. Because this shooting is in an amateur environment, and no one will see what you are doing you can improvise quite a bit and save money. If it works and it's cheap, then use it, I say.