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$6 Ringlight
Yesterday I threw together a $6 ringlight that was made out of a cake pan and two strings of Christmas lights. As you can imagine, this didn't throw off a lot of light. I did manage to get this at f/1.8 at 1/50 seconds using ISO 1600. https://www.modelmayhem.com/pic.php?pic … 5149d64426 What kinds of improvized lighting have you all used? Feb 05 06 08:13 am Link Well, IMHO... I think you did ok there, considering what you were looking for! I haven't played too much with out of the norm light sources... candlelight on occasion. Most of what I do doesn't give me artistic freedom - hoping to find more time to experiement! Steve Feb 05 06 09:12 am Link I used a lampshade as a snoot, your idea came out with better results, nice shot!! Feb 05 06 09:16 am Link At various times I've used flashlights, hand-held vivitar flashes (for weird multi-exposures), candles, and a baked bean can with a lightbulb base in the bottom. Your $6 ring light rocks!  mjr. Feb 05 06 09:51 am Link Very Impressive.. care to show us how u rigged the light, I would love to try that! Feb 05 06 09:56 am Link I'll post a picture of the set up if I get the chance. It's pretty simple though. I got one of those deep cake pans where the bottom comes off for $5.00 at Bed Bath and Beyond (it was clearance since it was missing the bottom). I wrapped two strings of $.50 Christmas lights around the outside. I held the light about 6-12 inches from the model's face and shot through the hole in the center with a 50mm lens. Feb 05 06 10:09 am Link Love it! Ever since I saw a post on some web site about doing something like this, I've been looking at the two cheap ( Feb 05 06 10:33 am Link Very interesting, might have to give it a try. thanks for sharing. Feb 05 06 10:37 am Link I might have to try this with a Bundt pan... Feb 05 06 11:19 am Link Vihao wrote: The picture looks great, so you obviously had the right idea. Feb 05 06 11:46 am Link Dave Krueger wrote: Your photo still has a very cool quality... I like it!!! Feb 05 06 11:54 am Link Vihao wrote: Yes, would lve to see your plans too! Feb 05 06 11:56 am Link I think your photo looks great. Congratulations on your ingenuity! Add me to the list of photogs who would like to see a shot of your invention. Bill Feb 05 06 12:01 pm Link I'm using 4 foot fluorescent shop lights with full spectrum bulbs. Right now, they just sit to the side of the model, but I am in the process of designing a light stand so I can hook 2 together with 4 bulbs. The photo is my avatar and another in my port with Violette Moon. Feb 05 06 12:06 pm Link I think this pretty much sums it up...  Feb 05 06 12:33 pm Link That's awesome! Love the photo! You've got me thinking, and I might try to do this with a few high power LEDs. Hmmm... Thanks for the great idea! Feb 05 06 12:58 pm Link They make ringlites with high powered LED's - I worked on the "Crazy In Love" video for Beyonce and although it was awhile ago...if you saw it, the shot of her on the roof she is surrounded by them. They're expensive to rent but it woul'd be neat if you found a way to rig your own. I don't own at the moment so sometimes I just go frontal with the strobe reflecting off an umbrella... I have also seen them made out of a wooden ring or foamcore and wired with little lamp bulb outlets around the ring. Put in 100 watt bulbs and it kicks a bit... The coolest ringlite I saw was used on a Vaseline commercial - it was made out of a piece of truss (the kind they rig lights on). It was about 10 feet in diameter and floods all the way around it... Aside from that, yeah, flashilights, headlights from a car, a sparkler... Feb 05 06 01:07 pm Link I am working on a LED ringlight. the idea is that i could have a continuous powerful ring light that does not melt my lens ! I am planning to use LED ropelight that can be color controled via computer. I am talking to several set lighting designers and sourcing out the components... any additional info on that beyonce LED ringlight (brand/company that rents it...?) would be helpfull. O- Feb 05 06 01:34 pm Link Vihao wrote: ...really really really fabulous use of X-Mas lights.....! Feb 05 06 01:44 pm Link Vihao wrote: that's wicked... and i love the shot you got from it... Feb 05 06 01:45 pm Link Call either CamTec or The Camera House for more info on the LED ringlite. I think they also make them in small panels 1'x3' and those were color contollable also... CamTec 818.841.8700 The Camera House 818.997.3802 p.s. These are motion picture camera houses but they can prolly point you in the right direction... Feb 05 06 01:49 pm Link This was a quick and dirty set up.I could have tried to align the lights for a more optimal output, but I didn't. Next time. Feb 05 06 02:01 pm Link i am working on a version that will cost about $90 to build but will be much more powerful, i'll post images when i get it finished Feb 05 06 02:05 pm Link I like the lights pointing everywhere too. What if you put a piece of white showcard or foam core behind it or even some aluminum foil just to bounce the light back??? This is in keeping with the lo-tech rules too! Feb 05 06 02:06 pm Link I've used a cake pan with a barebulb flash: http://www.aaaarrrgggggg.com/article.ph … 0211837735 Feb 05 06 02:16 pm Link Looks like bakeware is making its way into the photography world. Feb 05 06 02:46 pm Link Dave Krueger wrote: I was thinking of doing this a few weeks ago but I am not as mechanicly/electricly inclined,lol. Any possibility of describing how to made this one? Feb 05 06 02:59 pm Link If you lined the inside of the cake pan with aluminum foil, would it kick up the light level a notch? Feb 05 06 03:02 pm Link here is an improv of mine. the improv is in the use of twisted wires, scotch tape, and aluminium foil.  Feb 05 06 03:06 pm Link Hehe home made lighting rigs. I once made a softbox out of the box for my rotisserie oven, a halogen freestanding lamp, a pile of bend hangers and some xmas stuffing paper as a gel. It took 3 photos before it burst into flames, and I gave up amateur photography. You did sorta pull it off, but you'll probably want to just save up for a ring flash. The disapointment of almost having what you want, but knowing you can't cheat it any further hurts to bad inside. Feb 05 06 03:41 pm Link Thinking back...I've done some crazy setups, but this one is a first...Good idea and it gives me ideas as to how to build one on the cheap. Feb 05 06 03:49 pm Link I'm planning to build one out of Light Wire. Check this site out http://www.coolight.com/ Feb 05 06 03:51 pm Link Vihao wrote: Greetings, Feb 05 06 03:54 pm Link Glamour Boulevard wrote: I dug it out and took some pictures. It's made from mat board that is hot glued together. The bulb is held in with wire. I took the ballast thingy and cut the wires and spliced in extra wire. The bracket is just some metal I had lying around, but you can get aluminum from Home Depot which would be lighter. It's also glued on using more mat board to reinforce it. The camera mounting bolt is standard 1/4-20 thread. Actually, the nut goes on the bolt before you put it in the bracket with the camera on the other side. The nut is used to tighten it after you have it mounted (basically like a tripod mount). Feb 05 06 05:26 pm Link Dave Krueger wrote: that would be a bitch of a ride during reentry Feb 05 06 05:30 pm Link Craig Thomson wrote: Yeah, it would burn up just like the real thing. Feb 05 06 05:48 pm Link Dave Krueger wrote: I've seen a desk lamp that's sort of the same. Except there's a magnifying glass in the middle where the whole is. Feb 05 06 09:54 pm Link JMX Photography wrote: Unfortunately your design looks prone to wicked lens flare. Feb 06 06 03:47 am Link The light you speak of is on display at Samy's Camera.... -it is GORGEOUS but expensive as hell!!!!! Vibe N Vision wrote: Feb 06 06 03:49 am Link Boulevard West wrote: No... you go to an auto parts store and buy "chrome bumper paint".... that is as bright as you can get. Feb 06 06 03:50 am Link |
