ISOLITE- Kickstarter Project- I'm trying to figure out how it works....

[richardvallon]

what is it- a method for using three lights in studio to record each light source separately to create three layers which can be mixed and masked to create various looks in B+W.

I came across a fascinating Kickstarter project ( project goal was not met today). here is the link....https://www.kickstarter.com/projects...-light-modifie

Why am i posting this- well I'm a bit fascinated- this technology allows you to take one image - it seems a 3 light setup is used- each of these lights emits light of a specific wavelength.... possibly using a narrowband type pass filter. Each light records on a different channel of the RAW file- R G and B... OR- the light emitted is cyan -magenta and yellow- and 2 channels (RG-yellow, RB magenta, BG cyan) are then combined to create three layers- each layer representing a light source. these are my theories as just exactly what the filters are or the software used to edit the images is not indicated.

Those layers are placed in photoshop- or perhaps some app and are masked or revealed to change the amount each individual light figures into the composition. I 've had the same idea recently- but using a still life- which would allow making three differently lit exposures made on tripod that can then be combined afterwards. I was thinks of just using one light- and moving it. In this case sine I am not having to split the light into RGB channel the result is full color- however this only works for non moving subjects....

[pnodrog]

It reminds me of a theatre scene I saw last year. They had very strong magenta lighting from one side of the stage and equally strong green from the other. The costumes also had green, magenta and white designs on them. Depending on where they faced and stood on the stage the costumes changes dramatically. By rotating and standing in various positions they could change from monochrome to brightly coloured costumes. It was very effective and I found it fascinating from a lighting and colour theory point of view.

In photoshop it will simply be a matter of how you blend the three colour channels. Could be a useful training aid when explaining formal portraiture lighting.

[Manfred M]

I notice that all of the images are being worked only as B&W, which tells us what is happening. We can largely accomplish exactly the same thing by individually tweaking the colour channels when we do our B&W conversion. There is no "encoding" done by out camera; it already encodes the R, G and B channels.

It looks like another solution that we already have in our hands without spending the money on an unnecessary accessory.

[richardvallon]

I agree- I usually know what I am going for in my lighting- but this allowed such dramatic changes to the lit subject after the fact-

[Dave Humphries]

I agree- I usually know what I am going for in my lighting- but this allowed such dramatic changes to the lit subject after the fact-

As long as the subject is also monochrome.

Otherwise, there will be potentially unexpected/unwanted side effects, just as Paul's stage production demonstrates.

If you know what you're doing, it might help you achieve something, but I'm thinking it has to be easier to get the lighting right in camera, not leave lighting as something else to 'fix in post'

Suspect it's really easy to over expose one channel and lose detail from that light's angle too.

Not for me,
Dave

[Andrew1]

The project was due a couple of days ago and failed to be funded. They say they'll be back though.