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[OM] Questions about light set-ups

Subject: [OM] Questions about light set-ups
From: Phillip Franklin <pfranklin@xxxxxxxx>
Date: Sat, 29 Jan 2000 17:11:49 -0800
Olaf,

Lighting control is about 70cience and 30% art as far as I like to describe it. 
 The good
thing is that the science part is easy.  If you plan on using anything other 
than very high
quality factory rated tungsten (halogen or any type of bulb) be prepared to use 
a color
meter. Variances of 300 to 400 degrees are not uncommon.  Personally I try to 
stay away from
hot lights especially for portraits.  I use them for video of course but it's a 
whole
different operation.  Lighting control on video is real time and the video 
lights are just
much more easier to use than hot lights for color still photography. So unless 
you want to
invest in a color meter and work with some really hot lights I would as a rule 
stay away
form those hot lights. 

Strobes are much more fun and you can set up a small studio to accommodate what 
you have and
not worry too much about temperature control.  It's amazing what you can do 
with about three
or four camera mount strobes (T32s and Vivitar 283s are great). I like to use 
Larson
umbrellas and and I have a pretty decent medium Larson Softbox.  Don't try to 
save on
expense by using cheap stands and mounting hardware.  My normal set up includes 
3 T32s
bounced into three Larsons with an overhead softbox.  I can get lighting 
control within
1/10th of an fstop all around. My goal is 100 0.000000e+00ven light.  It is my 
signature. I use a
Minolta Flash Meter IV and I can even get TTL but I somethings hate all of the 
cables so I
prefer the Wein Radio slaves. I bought the Wein set up several years ago and I 
did not think
it was too expensive.  I have no idea what it goes for know. But regardless of 
what you do,
don't rely too heavily on TTL. The best piece of equipment should be a flash 
meter capable
of showing at least 1/3 stops.  Learning how to move everything around to get 
exactly what
you want is the art form.  It is trial and error and error and trial. 
Eventually you end up
with exactly the look that you want.  The science part will always be 
consistent.

Hope that info is of some use.

Phillip Franklin

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