p.1 #1 · Anyone Want to Split a Set A Light 3D Purchase?
I’ve been on the fence about getting Set a Light 3D Studio. It looks pretty cool for just playing with lighting ideas before you have a model and drag out all your lights. It comes with 3 computer downloads and I only need one and don’t care about the community features. Would anyone else be interested in splitting the downloads? It’s $169 plus tax but I believe you can always use a 15% off coupon.
p.1 #2 · Anyone Want to Split a Set A Light 3D Purchase?
Though I don't presently have or use it, since I'm rarely doing portraits now, I found that it was a great way to document the lighting setup for each studio portrait shoot. Most of what I'm doing now involves macro and extreme closeups of product and still life, since I'm pretty much now almost completely working in my studio due to health reasons. If they expand it to better cover my present need I'll have it again. Learning to use it effectively does take a bit of time because it has many possibilities in choice of lighting and subject, and the placement and effects resulting. If you aren't that well experienced in lighting and the effects possible, it does help you learn without physically setting up the studio shoot and adjusting the lights to get the shot desired. You can do most of it ahead of time on the computer.
p.1 #3 · Anyone Want to Split a Set A Light 3D Purchase?
Yeah, that’s why I’m sort of on the fence. But I have scenarios where I shoot with multiple strobes and I want to hit a variety of looks and not have to play with them much on game day. Like I really like a top down light for football players but their eyes go too much into shadow so I was thinking of putting a spot light on their face that still looks natural. And I like doing rim light shots, so playing with a full set that I can use one way for the main photos and another for a separate look. It’s hard to get all that configured with a real person waiting. I don’t need the program to be perfect as long as it’s reasonably close to help brainstorm.
p.1 #5 · Anyone Want to Split a Set A Light 3D Purchase?
GGEIS wrote:
Yeah, that’s why I’m sort of on the fence. But I have scenarios where I shoot with multiple strobes and I want to hit a variety of looks and not have to play with them much on game day. Like I really like a top down light for football players but their eyes go too much into shadow so I was thinking of putting a spot light on their face that still looks natural. And I like doing rim light shots, so playing with a full set that I can use one way for the main photos and another for a separate look. It’s hard to get all that configured with a real person waiting. I don’t need the program to be perfect as long as it’s reasonably close to help brainstorm. ...Show more →
One option is to buy a cheap mannequin head to practice lighting on. Doesn't replicate skin 100%, but it's a start.
p.1 #6 · Anyone Want to Split a Set A Light 3D Purchase?
I have one, my kids like to take it yell at each other that it's the other brother's girlfriend and throw it around the yard. It worked well for a while but I pretty quickly outgrew it, I pretty well know the lighting on a face, it's more the edge lights, how they hit the body, the ratios, and particularly choosing different modifiers. A mannequin head is too small to really see the changes and coverage across a body. Then there are tougher ones to replicate like team shots which are really hard to practice and experiment because everyone is always waiting, so I generally pick the safest setup. The program isnt a need to have, which is why I didn't pull the trigger on it. Just reaching out to see if there's anyone else that might be on the fence that would put them over as well.
p.1 #7 · Anyone Want to Split a Set A Light 3D Purchase?
I believe that the Set-A-Light program communicates with home whenever you use it. They allow several of your computers to have it so you can switch to laptop or tablet while the desk top has the master copy, but I think that this built-in "phoning home" feature lets them keep track of each copy and where it's located. If in a different address and different owner have a copy, I think you will be in trouble if you separate the user locations. For about $120 or so US$ (maybe old price) it just isn't worth it to try doing this multi user stuff. Buy the program if you like it, grit your teeth a bit about the price, but don't try to cheat the creating company. It's a great program for experimenting with the lights and for documenting your equipment positions so you can be closer to repeating the shoot if you should find it necessary in the future. The program works very well for portraiture, but I just don't do much of that any more. It's a truly amazing program that actually lets you experiment with light levels and positions in 3D
Learning mostly from doing is the best way to learn how to use it.
p.1 #8 · Anyone Want to Split a Set A Light 3D Purchase?
GGEIS wrote:
I have one, my kids like to take it yell at each other that it's the other brother's girlfriend and throw it around the yard. It worked well for a while but I pretty quickly outgrew it, I pretty well know the lighting on a face, it's more the edge lights, how they hit the body, the ratios, and particularly choosing different modifiers. A mannequin head is too small to really see the changes and coverage across a body. Then there are tougher ones to replicate like team shots which are really hard to practice and experiment because everyone is always waiting, so I generally pick the safest setup. The program isnt a need to have, which is why I didn't pull the trigger on it. Just reaching out to see if there's anyone else that might be on the fence that would put them over as well. ...Show more →
Fair enough, I guess it's time to get your kids to be your light model. But of course, that doesn't help with trying modifiers.
p.1 #9 · Anyone Want to Split a Set A Light 3D Purchase?
If you have some kind of studio or dedicated photography room, you might want to get a mannequin. They never complain, stay young looking and interesting to look at. They never eat a bite, and are willing to pose without moving for you at any time when you that you want and willing to stand there for a week, if necessary, while you experiment with your lights and camera. When I asked, every one of my pro studio photographer friends told me that they each have a mannequin, and they pull it out of the closet when no one is available to pose for them.
Actually, in many ways she is a kind-of "perfect woman", well almost, but they make male mannequins too. I do more portrait photography of women than I do of men, so I decided that a woman mannequin was a better choice for me. Unfortunately, if you are married, some wives (including mine) aren't/wasn't happy with another woman in the house, even if she is made from recycled plastic soda bottles. My wife has finally accepted this "other woman" after I stopped asking her to pose for me.
I'll provide more info about my mannequin if you ask. It's a relatively long story, both good and bad, as well as funny, but my now 5 year old female mannequin poses well for me when I need a human figure to adjust the lights and camera and I don't have anyone available and willing to do it for me. She resides in my gear closet when not needed, so as not to "creep out" any of my studio visitors. She is sexless and not a love doll, but the right shape for a young beautiful woman. I paid Amazon about $86 for her and then bought two dresses and a pair of low heel shoes for her from a local thrift store for $5.50 each, and a wig from the Halloween Section of Walmart for about $7. She is just a human form to make adjusting my lights and the desirable shadows easier for me. I had tried the head only form version, but since most of my portrait shoots include shots from the waist and shoulders up, a head only version just didn't do the job that I needed very well.
