Setting up Lights; How Much Time

[doidinho]

Just curious as to how much time other photographers spend tweaking and adjusting.

When I have three lights on the model; key, fill, and kicker it usually takes me about 15 - 20 minutes (after getting the lights up on the stands) of adjusting to get things how I want them. Some guy just told me yesterday that he spends about an hour metering each setup. I had previously thought that 20 minutes was a lot of time.

[Moppie]

Anywhere from 30 seconds to an hour.

Depends on what I'm shooting, how I'm shooting it, how I want the lighting set up, if I'm using my own, or someone elses lights, etc.

[Mark_Cohran]

30 minutes tops - usually 5-10 minutes. I pretty much know how I like my lights set up now and I just set them up, meter them individually, then shoot.

[AxxisPhoto]

Like Mark, usually 10-15 mins depending on how many lights I am using.

[inthedeck]

I never know where the heck to set my lights. So, I'm always changing them, during a shoot...but, hardly more than 15-20 minutes. I've even got a light meter, and need to practice using it, since there's no 'real' way to trigger the WL's, with a Sekonic. :(

[kickmaster]

30 minutes....tops!

[buurin]

20 for 3 lights.

I was much slower before getting a light meter.

[paul837]

5-10 minutes now. Initially hours and hours.

[kelz]

10-20 after mounting your strobes and soft boxes, after that 5-10 if you change the ambiance.

[Shamir]

5-10 working on a single speedlight with softbox or umbrella.. lets see when the bees come in =)