Lighting help please

[axle01]

Ok guys how would you light this setup.

If you go to the “Abstract” forum and look at my balloon shots you’ll see that the 3 speed lights are causing hot spots, as you can see in the last shot of the orange balloon there is 3 hotspots and shadows on the other balloon shots.

I’ve just got 2 white umbrellas last week & placed them at 45* angle to the balloon and still getting uneven lighting.

Any advise would be appreciated even if I have to purchase extra gear.


http://i68.tinypic.com/2mzi7me.jpg

http://i68.tinypic.com/15nascz.jpg

http://i64.tinypic.com/2uyiux1.jpg


Al

[Gazza]

Not too sure about the lighting, Al, but that shed needs some attention, it's far to clean and tidy!

[axle01]

Not too sure about the lighting, Al, but that shed needs some attention, it's far to clean and tidy!

Haha,,,,,, not

[Brian500au]

Al, not really being an experienced with this type of photography, I have had some experience in lighting portraits. The secret with portraits is to soften or diffuse the light to avoid hotspots. I use a 40cm x 40cm softbox on speedlites - sometimes with an internal diffuser installed. I am surprised the umbrellas still give you hot spots - have you tried moving the umbrellas closer to the balloon - this should diffuse the light more.

The 40 x 40 softboxes are not expensive from fleabay but the light diffusion is not that much different than shoot through umbrellas. Alternatively you could try reflective umbrellas - although I feel this method is not as good as diffusing the light as shoot through umbrellas or softboxes.

[axle01]

Move them closer,,,,,hmmm I was moving them away,,,, I’ll try that although I can’t get to close or they’ll get covered in coloured water and stain them.

I’ve got reflective umbrellas I’ll also try them.

Thank you for your input Brian.

Al

[paulheath]

As Brian has stated.... larger diffuser = less hotspots.... if your a bit of a handy man you can knock up a large scrim type diffuser in minutes..all you need it a frame and some opaque paper.. buy a large roll and you have many scrims in the future.. try something along the lines of 6ft x 3 ft... youtube has plenty of DIY scrims

[nardes]

Hi Al

Yes - closer is the key, but the diffused light also needs to have a large surface area as well. When the light source is larger than the subject and also close, you should get that soft, wrap-around light with smooth shadow transitions and no hot spots.

The Sun is a big ball of energy but it is located some 93,000,000 miles away, therefore it acts like a spot light and produces harsh shadows and hot spots.

If you take a torch and light an object with it, you'll also get harsh shadows and hot spots.

On a heavily overcast cloudy day, you get nice soft light with no hot spots. A good flash diffuser should make the flashgun tube "appear" to have a larger surface area by spreading the light rather than concentrating it.

Cheers

Dennis

[axle01]

Thanks Brian Paul & Dennis I’ll work on that next round.

Al

[olympuse620]

diffusers or bounce them off a bit white sheet set up behind the camera or off to the side.