AboutDavid Barry Expertise I have a lot of experience in most traditional forms of photography, so I`m quite knowledgeable about things like camera types and formats, techniques, exposure, film types, colour, filters, lighting, standard colour and black and white developing and printing.
I do not make recommendations about brands or models, and I am not a camera technician so I may not be able to tell you what is wrong with your equipment if it`s not working .
I also know a little about digital photography and imaging with scanners and digital cameras, so ask me and I will answer if I can.
Experience Experience in the area
I have been seriously involved in photography for over 25 years, including about 4 years as a professional, as well as 2 years providing administrative service to government photographers, requiring interpreting photographers' requirements and trade technicalities for those unfamiliar with such.
I have successfully trained several beginners in photography, helping them to become competent in basic techniques.
Organizations belong to:
None at present, but have been in about 4 camera clubs, having won or had placings in 2 club competitions.
Publications:
A lot of my photos have been in educational / training manuals, books and some photography magazines, as well as 2-3 dozen images been on the Web so far.
Education/Credentials:
Completed 4-year diploma in professional photography technique at Sydney's Technical College
Awards and Honors:
3 placings and / or merits in camera club competitions.
Expert: David Barry Date: 3/2/2007 Subject: home studio lighting
Question I have a Canon Rebel EOS that I just bought and I wanted to start taking pictures of my two children at home instead of dragging them to a department store four times a year. I wanted to know what lighting to use : wattage, use umbrellas or soft boxes, how many lights to use, if i should use a reflector, and how to use a backround light with color filters/gels and a grid. I also am unsure of what type of light to use (strobe or tungsten). I basically want to re-create the department store studio in my home...nothing fancy. Any info will help. Thanks.
Michelle Ruhnke
Answer Tungsten can be easier to work with because you can see the effects of the lights (where the shadows fall and the relative amounts of brightness of each lamp) before you take the picture, whereas strobe is harder in this regard. The strobe flash is too brief to be able to see such effects.
Also tungsten is often much less expensive than strobe.
On the other hand, tungsten is less efficient, typically producing less light output for electrical power input, thus needing longer camera exposures (in which time your kids may move and be blurred in the final image].
Tungsten can also generate a fair amount of heat and thus be more uncomfortable for the subject [your children]. If they hate being dragged to the store, they may also not take too kindly to being gently fried under a couple of tungsten lamps.
Thirdly, tungsten lighting requires either special type of colour film, or a conversion filter on the lens to make it's light colour compatible with that of common colour films (and the filter can add to your exposure woes).
Strobe is more efficient, putting out more light, needing shorter exposures, and with a colour quality compatible with most colour films (thus not needing the filter or special film).
Wattages: tungsten bulbs often come in 250 or 500 (or even 1000) W, while the wattages of strobe are expressed in watt/seconds, ranging from 250 up to 1500 or more. If you're going to use reflectors and softboxes, you may find the higher wattages more effective (exposure-wise), because umbrellas and softies usually reduce the nett light output.
I find brellas and softies just about equal in terms of the softness/harshness of their light, but I believe softies are more efficient in terms of light loss.
Two lamps are usually enough for effective portraits, but if you're keen on a background light, then a third lamp also required.
One lamp as the main light, one as the supplementary or 'fill' light to gently illuminate the shadows caused by the main light. The main light is typically placed about 30-45 degrees (experiment with angles and distances) to the side and above the camera to provide some 'modelling' (shaping) of the subject's facial features, while the second is placed about vertically level with camera and about same distance to the other side, but maybe slightly further from the subject.
The standard dish/bowl reflector (in my opinion) usually gives a fairly harsh, unflattering (of children) lighting effect, so the brella and/or softie are probably better as your main and fill light, and the dish reflector is probably better as the background light if you must have one.
I usually don't use filters or grid attachments - I consider them too gimmicky, and add to the exposure complications, so you'll have to do your own homework there.
Several suppliers sell starter kits comprising maybe 2 or 3 lamps/strobes, with assortment of reflectors, umbrellas, perhaps a softbox, and stands.
Wouldn't hurt to invest in, or borrow from a library, a book on portraits and lighting.
By the way, you didn't say if your Rebel camera was a film or digital version (they make both). If digital, you can ignore some of my comments about special film /filters for tungsten, because decent digital cameras have a 'White Balance' adjustment control to set with different types of light. Use the "Incandescent" or little light bulb icon setting for tungsten lights.
