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Strobes vs Continuous Lighting
DemiM wrote: I suggest reading this thread for examples of REALLY good photographers who use hot lights. Jan 09 06 03:19 am Link DemiM wrote: What do you think really great photographers used before strobes came along? The first monobloc didn't hit the scene until 1963. Hell, real photographers use flash powder. Jan 09 06 03:52 am Link Brian Diaz wrote: DemiM wrote: Yah,but there more positives in using strobes Jan 09 06 03:58 am Link William Kious wrote: Each person has differen't views on what's great and what's just ok. 1963 was WAY before my time,so I don't even go there. Jan 09 06 04:00 am Link DemiM wrote: so all the hi-key glamour stuff from the 1940's isn't any good? Jan 09 06 04:14 am Link Remember that strobes are relatively new, all the great photographers used ambient or hot lights. I'm from a cinema background. I use strobes for shooting in locations with a limited power supply or if I'm shooting some beauty shots where i just need to illuminate, rather than light. I prefer the flexibility of hot lights. There are more options, from hiding a two inch kinoflo in someone's palm to pinpointing a background object with a dedo to mixing a key with practicals (a strobe will overpower Xmas lights, for example). I also use 400 speed Portra in my medium format (rated at 320) and like to shoot around a f4 at 1/60, it seems more natural to have a shallower depth of field. But what you see is NOT necessarily what you get, you need to know your stock, what latitude it has and where the toe of the gamma is if you really want to control your exposure. Jan 09 06 04:16 am Link Also, being from a cinema background, I'm not used to retouching. Most of my prints are straight from the negative with no photoshop work, so I like the control of hot lights. Jan 09 06 04:19 am Link I think part of the point is being missed here. That is say you have $350 and you want to get your first lights. Buy a stobe or a used strobe kit, it will be much easier to make good images. Yes you can make wonderful images with continuous lights, but to do that you'll need to spend a significant ammount of money, at least that of a strobe kit (just search fleabay for "mole richardson"). Even then you still wont be able to stop motion which is more often than not a good thing. The exception to the expensive rule may be in California where there are many production studios that come and go and continuous equipment (I've heard) changes hands (and falls off trucks) frequently. So if you look hard or are willing to wrench on some lights you could score a good deal. One the cheap side of things, I believe one could do better work with a one strobe AB starter kit and a piece of foamcore than a similarly priced 3 light Smith Victor kit. Yes the yesteryear Hollywood portraits were beautiful and yes they used hot lights, they were also heavily retouched, the subjects were generally posed in such a way that they could hold the pose easily, the cameras were on huge tripods/stands, and I'd guess that if adjusted for inflation no non-professional would consider buying one of those lighting setups today. Jan 09 06 10:28 am Link DemiM wrote: And for the rest of the shots that CAN be done with hot lights.....there are hot lights. Even with my strobe, I will still use them. Jan 09 06 10:33 am Link Strobes are cooler and safer. The images are a bit clearer with strobe. Hot lights tend to make the model sweat. I have also had two bulbs explode during a shoot...the hot blue glass burned me and melted about 30 triangle shaped burns on my back drop....oh ya, and melted the carpet. Jan 09 06 11:00 am Link visionmedia wrote: This may come off as a dumb question but didn't the metal screen on the fixture trap the exploding bulb or was there no protection (or was there that many small fragments).. Jan 09 06 11:15 am Link DawnElizabeth Moderator wrote: I didn't say real..I said REALLY GOOD. Jan 09 06 12:57 pm Link visionmedia wrote: Cooler, yes, safer? Strobes run at 450V up inside. If anything would explode it's the strobe capacitors. Hotlight tubes implode. And yes, don't touch the tubes, strobe or hotlight. Anything that runs on electricity is inherently dangerous, take it from an EE. Jan 09 06 01:02 pm Link DemiM wrote: D. Brian Nelson is one. Published worldwide. Jan 09 06 01:05 pm Link utako omori wrote: I was using Smith Vector sockets.. they do not come with any screens...and for never forgeting the sound, your friend is right....first i checked for bullet wounds and then threw out my underware. Jan 09 06 01:09 pm Link lll wrote: DemiM wrote: Kinos; Jan 09 06 06:29 pm Link You can get really cheap strobes off of Ebay, they have Britek brand 150 ws ones for under 100 dollars each. They are not the best but do the job and they do warrantee them. Or you can get one Alien Bees light for your budget. Jan 09 06 06:37 pm Link Brian Diaz wrote: Yes, Strobes freeze action, Continuous lights allow some movement to show because of and depending on the shutter speed. Hair blowing, fabric blowing - movewment you can't get with strobes. Jan 09 06 06:57 pm Link I started with Hot lights and once I used my buddies strobes I sold the hots and bought strobes. And the strobes were the same cost. Believe it or not I use the el-cheapo JTL 160's and they have modeling lights and adjustable to 1/8 power, i love them. Jan 09 06 07:09 pm Link Who uses hot lights? Everyone that's been around more than 20 years for sure has, and those who want the advantages of hot lights do. Who uses strobes? Everyone else. Nothing wrong with either one and there's no wrong answer, but for those who don't know what hot lights are, they should do more research. Tungsten is a great answer to some questions, where strobe is a fine answer to some other questions. Neither is the answer to every question. I used strobes commercially for a long time. 4000WS of Normans. Now that I don't shoot commercial stuff I use hot lights because I prefer what I can do with them. I am not sure strobes are the best thing for anyone...EXCEPT commercial photographers. Commercial photographers who are doing product/fashion/food ... any kind of studio work that requires extremely fine grain, deep DOF, color fidelity AND is assignment work, need strobes. Otherwise, explore what can be done with a window and a pretty girl for a few years before you buy anything. -Don Jan 09 06 07:26 pm Link Mastrianni wrote: lll wrote: DemiM wrote: Kinos; Well,thanks for posting it. Here are my honest opinions about those links Jan 10 06 01:09 am Link DemiM wrote: Nope. All great photographers are shooting with any light of their choosing, including the sun or a Mag-lite. Great photographers use the right tool to realize what they have in mind, lighting equipments are just "tools". Using tools to define result is like saying I should use a screw to hang a picture instead of a nail because I have a screwdriver but not a hammer. Jan 10 06 01:16 am Link lll wrote: Ok,I'll come from another angle. Jan 10 06 01:35 am Link {First link: can't say anything.Don't have a magnifying glass.} Is this better; http://www.marekandassociates.com/view.cfm?id=10 {Second link: Don't see any pics} Look harder or try here; http://www.mfilomeno.com/peterlindbergh/lindbergh.html (didn't know I would have to hold your hand) {Third link: Nothing great here. Too small as well.} Salgado is the most celebrated Magnum photographer of the century,.... If you can't see it in these images, you'll never get it. So either put down the camera or specialize in senior portraiture with your local schools. Melvin is a great guy and was shooting Twiggy before you were weaned. And, in fact, was inducted into the ICP hall of fame last year. If you don't appreciate and show a modicum of respect for what came before, you will go nowhere. Very sad indeed. You're right,...you're a "real pro",...go shoot something with your alien bees,....I need to puke. Jan 10 06 03:01 am Link DemiM wrote: I guess you just don't get it or simply have too much ego to accept any other way but yours. Jan 10 06 03:13 am Link Mastrianni wrote: OK,I'll post an answer.I was giggling for 10 minutes after reading this. Jan 10 06 04:11 am Link DemiM wrote: You've missed out on some excellent photographers, then, and even more artists-in-general. Jan 10 06 06:02 am Link DemiM (Regarding Salgado) wrote: No. You might benefit from examining his work instead of dismissing it solely because you don't like it. DemiM wrote: Um, Federico Mastrianni has "gotten somewhere". Have you heard of Advertising Photographers of America? If you follow fashion, you've almost certainly seen some of his work. Jan 10 06 06:53 am Link Depends on what your shooting....and what results you want. For people I'll almost always use strobes. For still-life I'll use hot lights or a combination. I'll use a 3x4 softbox overhead and CC some 300 watt Arri's for highlights around the set. I have not shot with any Kino-flow yet but think you'd run into a very slow shutter speed problem. Jan 10 06 06:58 am Link DemiM wrote: It just means your definition of "Great" is different from most photographers...So, sure, you're right, strobes are the best. If you set your standards so you don't like anything else, then whatever you like has to be the best. Jan 10 06 07:21 am Link DemiM wrote: No, that's simply ignorant. Even when you're pointed in the right direction, you can't seem to see the truth. Compare your photographs to those of the folks that have been trying to help you. Even on the surface it's obvious that they know more about lighting than you do. Jan 10 06 07:45 am Link I want to state first that some of the best well known photographers started out using only hot lights (Ansel Adams). I use a strobe system FotoTech that I bought off ebay from http://stores.ebay.com/2DreamMaker. I love them because they are not only strobes but have the ability of Continuous light. What I see is what I get and I love having both options. Whether or not to use hot lights or strobes is strictly the photographers prefernce. My studio is smaller so hot lights are out although I love how the portraits come out. When I first started out I only used hot light. You can go to Home Depot and buy garage lights and they'll work for you. I just wanted to add my two cents. Jan 10 06 08:10 am Link Dont know why link didn't work here it is again http://stores.ebay.com/2DreamMaker Jan 10 06 08:11 am Link That is just dumb, I know a lot of VERY good photographer who more or less only shoots with HMI, it all depends on what kind of light you want. check out this photographer she more or less never uses strobes only HMI. http://www.signevilstrup.dk Strobes got a lot of advances in many cases, but HMI is good for some things it all depends on what look you want in your pictures. I must say I did not read the complet thread so if we are talking in general and for most cases etc I would always go for strobes. //jonasj.com Jan 10 06 09:00 am Link Don't forget about your shutter speed! With continuous lighting it is hard to keep a shutter speed that is ideal for shooting live (moving) models, or if your looking to shoot at a smaller aperture of DOF reasons. I prefer the control that shooting with strobed gives me. Peace. seek the truth it is hiding in plan site... Jan 10 06 09:19 am Link DemiM wrote: Then I must be a shitty photographer. I use only hotlights. Jan 10 06 09:53 am Link DemiM wrote: I've worked with several REALLY good photographers who use hot lights, but they are absolutely miserable. Especially in summer with with only a tiny little window AC. I could have melted. Jan 10 06 10:37 am Link Can I hijack this thread? Part of this discussion has been very interesting (the part that was informative and helpful not the namecalling psychorants) and I am learning a lot. The QUESTION I HAVE has to do with Strobes vs. Flash units. Perhaps I should be more specific, I am considering purchasing either a set of strobes (Alienbees) or more flash units (Nikon SB-800). I'd like to hear thoughts on the benefits of one over the other. My priorities are: Portability I'd like to use them ANYWHERE Consistency and Control Jan 10 06 11:06 am Link Speedlights are going to be MUCH more portable, as they are designed to be attached to your camera and they run on AA batteries. However they are not designed for studio work. They can be used as such, but that's not what the engineers had in mind while they were being designed. By the way, the terms "strobe" and "flash" are largely interchangable. Jan 10 06 11:19 am Link Brian Diaz wrote: MEMasonPhotography wrote: That depends on how many lights you're using, the wattage of each light, the distance from the lights to the model, the size, ventalation, and temperature of your studio, etc. you still have to previsualize-given that the modeling light power is a fraction of the strobe/actual need....hence my point Jan 10 06 11:42 am Link |
