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Archive 2012 · I'd like some help figuring out what to do.

  
 
kurtis miller
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · I'd like some help figuring out what to do.


I have a shoot coming up and think I know what to do but would like to run it by you all because I respect the experience around here!

I am going to be shooting in a dark long machine shop (40ft with by 160 long).
Hot rods and tones of stuff in the dark background (owner of the shop throwing sparks off a welder on those hot rods)
Model up front at the front 1/8th of the shop with the featured car and the rest in the BG. ...don't worry I have plenty of room to work with.

I have plenty of lights and spare strobes to fill in dark spots, huge octabox, big gridded 12x80 strip box, ...umbrellas...

I'd really like to get in there knowing what I am going to do instead of figuring it out when I get there...

Your thoughts? Thanks!








Aug 21, 2012 at 08:10 PM
BrianO
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · I'd like some help figuring out what to do.


Mounting your camera on a sturdy tripod, and using long shutter speeds, will allow you to make the most of the available light, and can turn those welding sparks into interesting trails of light.

Then it's a just matter of using additional lights to bring the subject exposure up to where you want it.

Because of fall-off, having the lights as far from the subject as possible will prevent having a well-lit subject against a sea of blackness.



Aug 21, 2012 at 09:11 PM
markd61
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · I'd like some help figuring out what to do.


The exposure on the subject is dependent on the distance assuming similar output. In addition to Brian's advice I would think about placing lights down the length of the shop pointed towards the center. It depends on the mood that you want to set of course but lighting that way minimizes the effect of trying to throw light down what is a long tunnel and blowing out the foreground and still leaving the far end dark.


Aug 21, 2012 at 10:20 PM
kurtis miller
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · I'd like some help figuring out what to do.


BrianO wrote:
Mounting your camera on a sturdy tripod, and using long shutter speeds, will allow you to make the most of the available light, and can turn those welding sparks into interesting trails of light.

Then it's a just matter of using additional lights to bring the subject exposure up to where you want it.

Because of fall-off, having the lights as far from the subject as possible will prevent having a well-lit subject against a sea of blackness.



I was thinking of something like this... using a real estate like approach to lighting the BG. The walls are an ugly color of yellow so I really want to hide them. Here is one shot I did for them in the past that touches on the concept:

W-IMG_9876 by KMpics.com, on Flickr

Thanks for the suggestion on keeping distance with the subject's lighting! Makes so much sense.



Aug 22, 2012 at 06:06 AM
kurtis miller
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · I'd like some help figuring out what to do.


markd61 wrote:
The exposure on the subject is dependent on the distance assuming similar output. In addition to Brian's advice I would think about placing lights down the length of the shop pointed towards the center. It depends on the mood that you want to set of course but lighting that way minimizes the effect of trying to throw light down what is a long tunnel and blowing out the foreground and still leaving the far end dark.



This in addition to using some strobes pointing right at me from behind the subject for effect. Thanks a bunch for the input! This is easing my anxiety of going in without a plan.



Aug 22, 2012 at 06:13 AM
jefferies1
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · I'd like some help figuring out what to do.


Bring a cable in case your remote flash receiver don't work in the metal building. Has happened to me before only in large metal buildings where my Skyports just don't fire right.


Aug 22, 2012 at 05:19 PM
kurtis miller
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · I'd like some help figuring out what to do.


jefferies1 wrote:
Bring a cable in case your remote flash receiver don't work in the metal building. Has happened to me before only in large metal buildings where my Skyports just don't fire right.



Ya that shot above is in the shop triggered by radio triggers so it should work out... but will bring the squid of cables just in case Thanks!



Aug 22, 2012 at 06:26 PM
John Skinner
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · I'd like some help figuring out what to do.


Secret to this shoot is don't over complicated it.

I don't see any sky lights to have to scrim. (if there is any in the model area) be preparred to scrim the model by way of a 8 X 8 plain old white see-though to remove harsh shadows.

2 lights, MAYBE a gel... certainly a spot grid for one of those reflectors.

Some body oil if this is like a mechanics calendar type thing... a 70-200 2.8

So a highlite for the rim lighting and a beauty dish with grid for a main.

I've done hundreds of these... All winners and printed up.

You CAN chimp this... But I never do. The 758DR makes it a measure once, shoot once deal.



Aug 24, 2012 at 11:16 AM
kurtis miller
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · I'd like some help figuring out what to do.


John Skinner wrote:
Secret to this shoot is don't over complicated it.

I don't see any sky lights to have to scrim. (if there is any in the model area) be preparred to scrim the model by way of a 8 X 8 plain old white see-though to remove harsh shadows.

2 lights, MAYBE a gel... certainly a spot grid for one of those reflectors.

Some body oil if this is like a mechanics calendar type thing... a 70-200 2.8

So a highlite for the rim lighting and a beauty dish with grid for a main.

I've done hundreds of these... All winners and printed up.

You
...Show more


Thanks for the comment and the advice!



Aug 24, 2012 at 12:55 PM
kurtis miller
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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · I'd like some help figuring out what to do.


http://kmpics.smugmug.com/Cars/Cutworm/i-Mf2dssK/1/XL/IMG6315-XL.jpg


One of the shots I came away with... After all the thought when I was on location it just turned out to darken down that background anyway! Didn't get to use the sparks idea either...



Aug 26, 2012 at 01:33 PM
BrianO
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p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · I'd like some help figuring out what to do.


Sparks or not, I think it looks pretty good. I think the dark BG works well to minimize distractions while still giving a sense of place.

The only thing I might have done differently were I in your place would have been to gel the lights to match the fluorescents in the ceiling a little more closely, or turned off the fluorescents completely; their color is a bit off for my tastes. That's a very minor quibble, though; overall I like it a lot. (And the color of the fluorescents could be fixed in post in about 60 seconds if desired.)

Edited on Aug 26, 2012 at 05:51 PM · View previous versions



Aug 26, 2012 at 02:28 PM
kurtis miller
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p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · I'd like some help figuring out what to do.


BrianO wrote:
Sparks or not, I tyink it looks pretty good. I think the dark BG works well to minimize distractions while still giving a sense of place.

The only thing I might have done differently were I in your place would have been to gel the lights to match the fluorescents in the ceiling a little more closely, or turned off the fluorescents completely; their color is a bit off for my tastes. That's a very minor quibble, though; overall I like it a lot. (And the color of the fluorescents could be fixed in post in about 60 seconds if desired.)



Thanks and great point about the florescent lights matching! I was thinking of just taking them out all the way... but if just color matching them would make the image look better I am game!



Aug 26, 2012 at 04:00 PM
kurtis miller
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p.1 #13 · p.1 #13 · I'd like some help figuring out what to do.


BrianO wrote:
Here's a quick one I did for you so you can see if you like it.

There are many ways to do it, depending on your software. I use layers in Photoshop Elements 9.

I created three layers: a saturation layer which I took down almost but not quite to zero saturation, a brightness/contrast layer to make the lights look brighter, and a gaussian blur layer to give the lights some "glow."

I then masked out all the layers, and then used a soft white brush to reveal only the areas of the lights.

I like using adjustment layers, because I can individually adjust
...Show more

Yes! My idea on how to do as you suggest was Duplicate layer> Saturation to next to nothing > move to back > erase warm lights on the front layer.... but your idea of the blurring of the lights was just what it needed.

Great job and I appreciate the input of everyone here for the help!



Aug 26, 2012 at 06:28 PM





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