HottShotz wrote:
Thank you all. I have a much better understanding of continuous vs strobe lights, there capabilities, etc. However, I still would like to hear more of your thoughts and techniques on both continuous lighting and strobes. I'm sure there's plenty people out there who are for continuous and against strobes... or for strobes and against continuous... So feel free to post your experiences/reasons for using/not using which

I think any good photographer is for only one thing; light. I've done shoots with nothing but a flashlight and shoots with 10 stobes. I've also done everything in between. There is one shot in my portfolio that was done with one of those clip on silver metal lights you get at the hardware store, or even K-mart. There is another one that was done with just the modeling light of a single strobe because I was traveling and did not have any way to hook into the strobe at a borrowed studio. I doubt that anyone could correctly identify which two shots I'm talking about without checking Exif data (one was digital). Regardless of what kind of light is available, it is usually possible to work with it and get the results you need.

Smedley Whiplash wrote:
I just bought some 5000k daylight balanced florescent bulbs that are the size of a 1 liter Pepsi bottle that put out 300w.  Haven't done any work with them yet, but they're not "hot" lights, and what heat they do generate on the base of the bulb dissipates quickly.

I have used Alzo's CFLs in the past. They were 5600k and very consistent. The color temp was a good match to our strobes. I found them to be good for shooting food and tabletop product work, and worked well in conjunction with strobes. In my experience, the Alzo cool lights got warm, but nothing even close to what I would consider hot. I mean, they were fine for shooting salads, which wilt much faster than a model. lol.

Kent Art Photography wrote:
The 'hot' thing is rather overdone.  How many film or tv actors were ever fried?

All of the actually. It's a constant complaint from them!

chadsimages wrote:
I did it backwards so to speak. I started with strobes and then recently went to Arri Fresnels. It's great having the option to choose one or the other, depending on the project. It's silly to say that hot lights are terrible. I use both strobes and continuous depending on the look I want.

I'm not a hot light expert, but here's what I've experienced

Advantages of Hot Lights (specifically Fresnels)
- Great hard light, looks like sunlight
- Easy to see the light
- Very directional, good subject isolation
- Easy to shoot shallow DOF
- My normal settings are usually around 1/125, f2.8 to f4, ISO 200 so not too bad.
- Good for vintage light setups
- Use scrims to cut the power, and barn doors to help shape the light
- Great boudoir style lighting

Disadvantages of Hot Lights:
- I had to buy a pair of gloves to use when positioning the light
- Pupils will get smaller (but doesn't bother me)
- I often use a monopod because of the lower shutter speed
- I give models more time off camera to give their eyes a break
- Hot lights get a bad rap, some people associate it with newbie status

[edited to add a smiley]

you forgot to add the cost of burn ointment and gauze and assorted bandages and painkillers. because nobody gets to the grave without at least once forgetting the gloves and barehanding a hot fresnel or something.  (insert your choice of smiley/frownee here)

Matt Knowles wrote:
A big disadvantage of continuous lighting? This:

Seriously? LEDs, Flos, and low wattage HID sources won't do this and they're all continuous light sources.

Starkey

GPS Studio Services wrote:
We did a lighting workshop on Kinoflows in the old So. Cal. studio way back in 2004.   The problem with them is cost.    They serve a specific purpose and deliver a special kind of hot light.  Even today they are expensive to buy.

The good news is that you can make a satisfactory alternative using flicker-free, color corrected tubes.  They aren't quite the same, but it is possible to put together a decent box of your own at an affordable price.

Your quotes got a little reversed there. lol.

I agree with you on the pricing of the Kinoflows and alternatives. Thankfully, the number of lighting companies offering 'cool lights,' including HID, CLF and LED lighting, is growing, gradually driving overall prices down. Alzo Digital, mentioned above, is a good example... among others.

AVD AlphaDuctions wrote:

you forgot to add the cost of burn ointment and gauze and assorted bandages and painkillers. because nobody gets to the grave without at least once forgetting the gloves and barehanding a hot fresnel or something.  (insert your choice of smiley/frownee here)

LOL, that's what made me get the gloves. No ointment needed but it was a stinger!

Andrea Acailawen wrote:

I have used Alzo's CFLs in the past. They were 5600k and very consistent. The color temp was a good match to our strobes. I found them to be good for shooting food and tabletop product work, and worked well in conjunction with strobes. In my experience, the Alzo cool lights got warm, but nothing even close to what I would consider hot. I mean, they were fine for shooting salads, which wilt much faster than a model. lol.

Is it just me or do these twist lights have a odd feel to them.  I know they are daylight balanced but the spectrum of light they produce is very narrow.

GPS Studio Services wrote:
We did a lighting workshop on Kinoflows in the old So. Cal. studio way back in 2004.   The problem with them is cost.    They serve a specific purpose and deliver a special kind of hot light.  Even today they are expensive to buy.

The good news is that you can make a satisfactory alternative using flicker-free, color corrected tubes.  They aren't quite the same, but it is possible to put together a decent box of your own at an affordable price.

Andrea Acailawen wrote:
Your quotes got a little reversed there. lol.

You are right, oops!

Andrea Acailawen wrote:
I agree with you on the pricing of the Kinoflows and alternatives. Thankfully, the number of lighting companies offering 'cool lights,' including HID, CLF and LED lighting, is growing, gradually driving overall prices down. Alzo Digital, mentioned above, is a good example... among others.

That is bound to happen.  Kinoflows are still expensive, but you are right, there are more alternatives.  I, personally, don't like shooting with LED's.  I also don't like the light characteristics of the Alzo's, but I agree with your point.  Besides, these are subjective things.  What I dislike may be perfect for the statement of another.

JOEL McDONALD wrote:
Decided to go with the Continuous Lighting. Kinoflo's were too expensive for now.

So after researching and checking Kinoflo specs I built my own continuous lighting system using full spectrum natural light fluorescent T12 tubes and bulbs.



Strictly for studio and not mobile beyond studio space.

2 units using 8 - 4' tubes. Each tube is 2200 lumens/40 watts/90cri/5000k. Both rigs are mounted on heavy industrial lamp stands that can be raised and lowered.
2 units using 2 - 4' tubes.
A "hair" light bulb and reflector
A secondary elevated (above front) 2700 lumens bulb fill for facial illumination (butterfly shadow below the nose, etc).

I'm still developing my technique with this lighting, and I did find that the use of a diffuser is important with this rig.

Looks pretty neat. What kind of shutter/aperture/ISO settings can you get with this setup?

chadsimages wrote:
Looks pretty neat. What kind of shutter/aperture/ISO settings can you get with this setup?

I found for what I'm doing: 400iso, 1/80-1/100, around f5.6-8.

The initial problem I had was flatness, but I realized that I am NOT Peter Hurley, so I included the elevated front fill and set the rigs in the traditional rim/fill configuration.

The T12 bulbs have magnetic ballasts so have a lower flicker rate. Better for the slower "shutter" speeds.

What's nice is I can create the classic Butterfly Lighting effect in the pupils now since I've resolved the flatness issue. I like that i can nuance my lighting now and I'm learning to tweak it as needed. I've only been shooting in a studio for about 2 months now.

Lorin Edmonds wrote:
This is a 5 year old Zombbie thread.

They are so cute at that age