Try to take a portrait with clamp lights...

[miraroadvolfire]

One of the guys at the fire department want me to take a picture and all I have is the use of two clamp lights with 100w natraul daylight bulbs. He said if would be fun to try and help me learn about lighting.

What type of settings do you thing I should use, the gear is black with orange refelcter strips on the arms and the helmet is red.

I was thinking of turnning out the lights and turnning on the clamp lights to see what we could get.

I have a nikon d5000 with the two kit lens that come with it. would one lens be better than the other and what type of settings do you think would be good. He is looking for around the waist up.

See what you think and let me know...........

Thank you

[RLucas]

I've done a few of these. I replaced the standard incandescent bulbs with the Ott cfl color corrected bulbs. If you want, you can look in my stream under my failed 365 project. Most of the black and whites were done with one or two of those lights. They were about 2 to 3 feet from the subject. You can check my EXIF. I can't remember the exact settings, but I am guessing around f/4, with a shutter speed between 1/60, and 1/80. I kept the ISO jacked up too.
Hope that helps! They are fun to work with!

[gturner]

What are you shooting? A portrait?

The 2 bulbs will help you set up something moody no doubt, but it will be a struggle to get much else. What is the picture of and what natural / window light do you have.

My last shots at a fire dept where quite easy. We moved a truck out and set up in the garage with the big doors open. The bounce sunlight off the car park worked a treat, and even gave enough to shine up the kit inside.

These are the only 2 I have on this machine to post right now.

[miraroadvolfire]

we just don't want the same old picture on the wall with the uniform and hat on.......

[miraroadvolfire]

Originally Posted by RLucas

I've done a few of these. I replaced the standard incandescent bulbs with the Ott cfl color corrected bulbs. If you want, you can look in my stream under my failed 365 project. Most of the black and whites were done with one or two of those lights. They were about 2 to 3 feet from the subject. You can check my EXIF. I can't remember the exact settings, but I am guessing around f/4, with a shutter speed between 1/60, and 1/80. I kept the ISO jacked up too.
Hope that helps! They are fun to work with!

Can't find your stream in the search

[faeriegodess612]

What RLucas is talking about is his Flickr thing in his signature. Just click on it, and on the left side click on the set titled 365. The Black and Whites of people are done with the clamp lights.

[ffscj3562130]

You could look at Learnmyshot.com. He has one segment shooting a model with the clamp lights and diffusion paper.

[RLucas]

Originally Posted by miraroadvolfire

Can't find your stream in the search

Just click my flickr link in my signature. There is also a thread in the lighting forum that deals with using clamp lights. Here is the link. Playing With Shop Lights It's pretty interesting!

[miraroadvolfire]

Phillips New - Natural Light - provides light similar to natrual daylight.
Light output 680 lumens - energy used 60w.......

Phillips - daylight 23w - 100w .... Light output 1,600 - energy used 23w....


Which one would be best two use..

Also as I said nikon d5000 with two kit lens

VR - NIKON DX - AF-S NIKKOR 18-55MM 1:3.5-5.6G

VR - NIKON DX - AF-S NIKKOR 55-200MM 1:4-5.6G EO

Thanks for the replies and I did find the B&W Photos and they look great and make me want to try and take some with these lights. It would be a great way for me to learn and spruce up the Fire Dpartment at the same time...lol


Thanks again and this is teaching us how to work with what we have on hand, wow.........

[miraroadvolfire]

Originally Posted by gturner

What are you shooting? A portrait?

The 2 bulbs will help you set up something moody no doubt, but it will be a struggle to get much else. What is the picture of and what natural / window light do you have.

My last shots at a fire dept where quite easy. We moved a truck out and set up in the garage with the big doors open. The bounce sunlight off the car park worked a treat, and even gave enough to shine up the kit inside.

These are the only 2 I have on this machine to post right now.

As a volunteer firefighter this hits home.....