how to creat beautiful background hot spots using one light

[abdul10000]

I can create all sorts of hot spots using two lights, but is there a way I can get similar results with only one light?

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3489/3884277498_49212ed3f0_m.jpg

The background below was lit with one light fitted with umbrella 90 degree reflector for even illumination. The second light was at the same distance to the side but fitted with 8" reflector and 30 degree grid. Metering the center the first light produced 5.6 7. The second produced 8.0 5, so they are almost one stop apart. Together they produce 11 3 in the center and 8.0 2 by the edge of the hot spot.

I guess the hot spot is 1 stop brighter than the rest of the background. I am not able to produce the same results using a single light with neither of those reflectors.

Is it possible to produce such hot spot with only one light, given that that the key light must be kept at a distance so it cannot be counted on to provide strong and even enough illumination to the background.

I remember being able to produce hot spots with my cheap mechanic clamp on lights that I bought from Wall-Mart. Those were cheap so I guess that;s why the produced hot spots. That being said they were a hassle to use for even illumination.

Does the compact (http://www.elinchrom.com/products.php?p_id=98#content) reflector produce this result (no reference to hot spot) or do I need to use a 1 stop gel with a hole in the middle? lol

[Hermes]

Robert might be able to chime in here but I think the varistar reflectors do something similar to what you're looking for when used on their own.

The reflector you linked to is designed to spread evenly so it won't be much help.

If you want a cheap solution, make yourself a translucent snoot out of something heat-proof. It will create a spot in the centre but leak light through to fill the edges of the background.

[abdul10000]

If you want a cheap solution, make yourself a translucent snoot out of something heat-proof. It will create a spot in the centre but leak light through to fill the edges of the background.


Interesting, this sounds like the 1 stop gel with a hole idea, so it was not a far fetched idea after all. I wonder, though, what type of material would work to make such a snoot?

[airfrogusmc]

I made a home made type device for my spot with white paper and duck tape
See the light by the B/G?
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y118/airfrogusmc/Cameras/IMG_3158.jpg

results
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y118/airfrogusmc/Cameras/IMG_9922.jpg

[Hermes]

Interesting, this sounds like the 1 stop gel with a hole idea, so it was not a far fetched idea after all. I wonder, though, what type of material would work to make such a snoot?

Instinctively I'd use :- http://www.leefilters.com/lighting/products/finder/act:colourdetails/colourRef:C4630710C7F92C/

[abdul10000]

See the light by the B/G?



I can see the light, but not the modification. Do you have a closer shot of the modifier?

Thanks

[TRM]

I made a home made type device for my spot with white paper and duck tape

very nice! so simple yet so effective.

[TMR Design]

How large an area does the spot need to cover?

[abdul10000]

Instinctively I'd use :- http://www.leefilters.com/lighting/products/finder/act:colourdetails/colourRef:C4630710C7F92C/


This looks like it might do the trick. In fact there are holders made for those sheets:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/163168-REG/Rosco_102302202124_E_Colour_220_White_Frost.html

The question that come to mind how does this filter create a hot spot? It made thinner in the middle?

Thanks for the link

[abdul10000]

How large an area does the spot need to cover?


I usually use hot spots for head shots to half body shots. The background paper I use for those shots is 53" wide. So a hot spot needs to cover at most half of that space.

[airfrogusmc]

If you're shooting with seamless paper I've also had a lot of success bringing the lights in from the back side shooting through the paper.

[airfrogusmc]

I can see the light, but not the modification. Do you have a closer shot of the modifier?

Thanks

I don't think I have any close ups of the light. The light on the stand by the background is an old White Lightning 1200 and they used to come with clear plastic domes that protected the modeling lamp and the flash tube. I put black duck tape on the outside of the plastic covering. The half that would flash back at my subject and I left the side towards the B/G untaped so the light would still be bare bulbed towards the background. I then put some pure white paper on the inside to help keep the color neutral and to help reflect the light on the background. You can change the pattern buy tilting the flash head or by moving it closer or farther away.

[TMR Design]

I don't have the time to try this myself right now but Hermes is right about the 135 degree wide angle reflector. Using a wide angle reflector at close range will almost definitely give you what you want and using some diffusion material or a diffusion gel will soften the edges and transitions. If the strobe is going to be directly behind the subject then you'll be able to get a nice round shape. If it has to be below or out of the way then the round shape will obviously turn into an elliptical one.

[abdul10000]

Wonderful, I have one 135 degree reflector on order and it should be arriving, God willing, soon. Never thought about using it for such task, but I will sure put it to the test once it arrives.

Thanks for all the feedback!

[TMR Design]

That's the nice thing about the wide angle reflector. If you use it without a deflector it increases the coverage but still leaves you with a hot spot. The deflector increases the size of the hot spot so you probably don't want to use one. I think that diffusing the light from the reflector will give you what you want with a nice hot spot and soft transitions to the area surrounding the spot.

[Benji]

I use a Morris Bare Bulb slave http://www.themorriscompany.com/Lights/ac_barebulbslave.html in a home made holder atop an old microphone stand that I cut down. It is cheap, works great and isn't so powerful that one needs to stack a bunch of ND filters on it when using it close to the background and it puts out a perfect round spot of light.

Benji

[airfrogusmc]

That's the nice thing about the wide angle reflector. If you use it without a deflector it increases the coverage but still leaves you with a hot spot. The deflector increases the size of the hot spot so you probably don't want to use one. I think that diffusing the light from the reflector will give you what you want with a nice hot spot and soft transitions to the area surrounding the spot.

My spot isn't round I think what you are describing is the hot tip.