Home Depot Studio

[CookieMonster]

i'm looking thru this forum and this home depot sudio thing is a really intersting idea. just one question tho.... what types of bulbs should you use to get the brightness all photographers want in a studio? if this question has already been answered in the forum, please direct me to that thread and message.

thanks in advance

Cookie

[PaulN]

Hi,

I am creating my own lighting setup too. I am using full spectrum (5500K) compact fluorescent (CF) lights from Full Spectrum Solutions (http://www.fullspectrumsolutions.com/). The bulbs come in various wattages up to 65 W ---a light output roughly equivalent to a 300 W incandesent. I bought a bunch of cheap ceramic light fixtures which I am wiring together to make various light sources. I am also making a softbox with a sheet of white plastic as a diffuser. Since the CF bulbs produce (relatively) little heat, I do not have to be as worried about heat buildup ---of course, some ventilation is necessary.

-paul

[Longwatcher]

Given that you have a digital SLR, I presume; as long as your home depot lights have all the same bulbs you should get close enough results to work with the white balance tools in DPP, ACR, or in camera custom WB and get good end results.

To get more precision beyond that you need real studio lights.

As my Father pointed out, the Home Depot work lights use the same light as most studio hot lights, the Home Depot lights are just not calibrated in any fashion other then do they turn on and produce light.

Just my opinion,

[mjordan]

Longwatcher, there is a difference between bulbs you buy that are made for photographic work and those that you get off the shelf at Home Depot. The big difference is the glass that makes up the bulbs. It is usually frosted or coated so that it gives an even glow of light. The cheaper lights at Home Depot are clear and even have a logo or wording on the glass. Clear and anything on the glass will cause shadows and hot spots and not give even lighting. The photo rated bulbs will also give a more consistant light color output over it's life while the cheaper versions can very and change quickly.

Mike

[Curtis N]

Cookie,
The main light for this portrait was a shop light stand with two 500 watt halogen bulbs, shining into a 45" silver umbrella. On her right were two 20 x 30" white foam core boards to reflect some of the main light for fill. Above and a little behind her head was a ceiling fixture which highlighted her hair (the hair light was an afterthought - She happened to be sitting under it, so I turned it on). The blue tablecloth backdrop was illuminated by three 50 watt halogen flood lights on a 24" track lighting fixture screwed onto a short stool behind her (that track lighting setup cost me more than the 1,000 watt shop light with stand). So - the system was about 1,300 watts total, all the stuff cost me about $110 US (not including the ceiling fixture).

The shot was taken at 400 ISO, 1/60 shutter at f/4.5. I used the tungsten white balance in my Canon Digital Rebel.

This sort of system has its drawbacks. The bright light bothers the model, it produces a lot of heat, and isn't real portable. I'm working on getting similar results with a few slave flash units. If you have a few old flash attachments collecting dust (you know, the kind with high trigger voltage that will fry today's cameras) you can buy hot shoe slave adapters for them for under $40. I'll post the results once I get that worked out.