Question for you lighting gods

[mleone]

So I need a continuous light for a video shoot. I'm being super cheap here. What do we think of this.

Get a home depot work light w/ clamp ~$30
Get a umbrella mount thingy ~ $30?
Get a 46" umbrella- white w/ black cover ~ $30
Use an old tripod (has 1/4" and 5/8" mount screw)

Bound the work light off the umbrella. Of course I will look for a bulb that is close to daylight.

This is a one time deal and I really dont want to dump a bunch of money on this.

Q&C welcome.

Mike

[eduardofrances]

So I need a continuous light for a video shoot. I'm being super cheap here. What do we think of this.

Get a home depot work light w/ clamp ~$30
Get a umbrella mount thingy ~ $30?
Get a 46" umbrella- white w/ black cover ~ $30
Use an old tripod (has 1/4" and 5/8" mount screw)

Bound the work light off the umbrella. Of course I will look for a bulb that is close to daylight.

This is a one time deal and I really dont want to dump a bunch of money on this.

Q&C welcome.

Mike
Be sure that umbrella is for continuous lighting or you will melt it down :)

[mleone]

Be sure that umbrella is for continuous lighting or you will melt it down :)

Ah! Nothing is ever so simple. :)

How do I find one?

[mleone]

Something like this?
(http://www.handhelditems.com/xpro-professional-studio-continuous-lighting-umbrella-p-5001.html)

[staffer]

What kind of shoot?
Get a Manfrotto 1/4"-5/8" female adapter and attach 1/4" end to the worklight bracket and other end to the tripod (cheaper than a clamp)
You'll need a card to white balance
The umbrella should be heat resistant (Lowel makes some)
Will the tripod extend high enough and does it have a head for tilting or is it just legs?
If just legs, you'll likely need something like a Manfrotto lite tite

[mleone]

What kind of shoot?
Get a Manfrotto 1/4"-5/8" female adapter and attach 1/4" end to the worklight bracket and other end to the tripod (cheaper than a clamp)
You'll need a card to white balance
The umbrella should be heat resistant (Lowel makes some)
Will the tripod extend high enough and does it have a head for tilting or is it just legs?
If just legs, you'll likely need something like a Manfrotto lite tite

Its for work. A Model Casting. For some reason they think I have studio lighting in my desk. But all the want is a fill light, this not for a photo shot but a video shot. So light has to stay on.

Dont know if it needs to be high, but it will close (like 4') so big is helpful. They want soft light

[hastur]

Instead of an umbrella, could you hang a white sheet a foot or two in front of the light? It would be one way to get an inexpensive diffusion screen. I'd experiment with distances between the screen and light as well as between the subject and the screen with a careful eye on screen temp.

A thought

Rob

[staffer]

[quote=mleone;6496449]all the want is a fill light.

What will you use as a main light then?

If you end up using the umbrella as a main, you'll want a few reflectors (white cardboard will do). Photo or video, lighting principles are the same (techniques differ). If you are using the desk as a table top, your tripod may be OK doing double duty as a light stand.

You can achieve soft light a number of ways: bounce light off a wall or large reflector. The umbrella will give you a little bit more control