Finally going to learn lighting. New some pointers.

I'm finally going to take the plunge and learn lighting. I've put it off for months. It is very overwhelming and intimidating.

In order to give me a push, my brother was kind enough to buy me a cheap lightbox kit for Christmas. (see link) I know it's cheap, but I believe to achieve ones goal or greatness, you gotta start at the bottom and work your way up. Besides, if he didn't buy it for me, I'd probably keep putting it off.

Light box kit

I also have the following gear

Tripod
Flash: 580 EX II
Yongnuo triggers.

I've taken a few picks, (which I'll post up). Some are ok, others are completely blown out.
I'm mainly going to take pictures of lenses, old cameras, macro work, etc

If anyone has some advice or pointers,(perhaps a few rule of thumbs when using a litebox) I'd really appreciate it. If there is a beginner book, I'll be happy to start ther

Some newbie questions I do have are

1. Can I or should I, be implementing my 580 EX flash on or off the camera? If so, where do I position it?

2. Cheap kit lights. How far away should they be from the tent?

3. Is there a rule of thumb what apeture I should be using, or does it really depend on what the subject is? I've seen a few videos on YouTube where guys have said the like to use F/4.

4. General lighting. I placed the lite box on top of a dining room table which has hanging lights above it. Should I turn them completely off?

5. White balance. Should I leave it on auto or should I set it up to custom? I have a cheap white balance cap that I also received for Christmas.

6. Mertering & AF modes?

What I did quickly learn was how the environment plays a HUGE role when using a light box. We had a red table cloth on the table and when using a black background to shoot an old Kodak camera, I actually saw how the table cloth effected the outcome of the picture.

Im also happy to purchase lightening or equipment that can help me along in my journey. (I just don't have much room to work with).

Thanks in advance. Not sure what I'd do without this site.

Happy holidays,

Christian

some of the questions Aren't lighting related and someone using 7d with nice glass like you list should already know IMHO.

Now I don't like those cheaply tent and lights. Why not get $50 softbox for your flash and put it off camera. Indoors probably you can even use the flash controller in your 7d to trigger the off camera flash.

The questions you are asking have alot to do with personal preference of what is being shot. So there really is no answer to them.

I agree with bobbyz that a softbox for your 580 would probably get you a bit more versatility and pick up a black / white sheet for a backdrop.

Search around the forum for various lighting threads. There is a ton of information on these forums about all things related to lighting. Start reading and you will answer your own questions.

I'd thank your brother for being so thoughtful then trash the kit.

This is a good place to start: Strobist - Lighting 101. It's a lot of information to digest, but take it in steps and make sure you understand it, and it'll be immensely helpful.

Very Good Info here for you....

http://strobist.blogsp​ot.com/

I will begin reading! thank you guys so much. I did take a bunch of shots with off camera flash. My girl is dragging me off to lunch, so I will download pics when I get back.

Other good read are "understanding flash photography" by Bryan Peterson (same person who wrote understanding exposure) and Neilvn.com (he has two books out on flash as well. One for on camera one for off camera)

gremlin75 wrote in post #13601371
Other good read are "understanding flash photography" by Bryan Peterson (same person who wrote understanding exposure) and Neilvn.com (he has two books out on flash as well. One for on camera one for off camera)

Bryan Peterson is fantastic. I thought I read somewhere that the book is outdated when it comes to the newest features found in flash???.

Buylongterm wrote in post #13602824
Bryan Peterson is fantastic. I thought I read somewhere that the book is outdated when it comes to the newest features found in flash???.

The book just got released this year and he uses the Nikon SB900 flash (think 580ex II but for Nikon). Only thing I don't like is his constant talk of the distance scale on the flash as I use Yongnuo flashes and they don't have the feature LOL

Heres a few pics. I took a ton, but I am quickly finding out that just using the 580 EX II remotely, does a lot better job than the lights that came with the kit.

The compositions aren't the greatest. Wasn't expecting to keep any of them, so I shot Jpg's, but they actually came out better than I expected. I did some touch up with lightroom. (Which I have no clue how to use)

If you have 50 similar things to shoot, a light box is a handy thing to have. If only 1 or two, you'll get more control if you look at the knife & Browning threads here: FAQ - Studio Lighting

^^
photoguy,

Thank you for the advice. I'll take a look ASAP.

Christian