# Your Lighting in Action...



## keapople (Jun 20, 2008)

Please post photos of your lighting setup in action!

It would be good for us to see the angles and equipment you are using, as well as the types of lighting. 

No need to have the camera in the photo, but your tripod location would be great.

Thanks
Kirby


----------



## gerryr (Jun 21, 2008)

I think most everyone just experiments with the position of the lights until they get what they want.


----------



## karlkuehn (Jun 22, 2008)

I gotta agree with Gerry, most of the time I'm changing my lighting and angles for any given pen. There never seems to be a 'perfect' spot that works from one pen to the next. Heck, most of the time I'm just winging it on the angles, just finding that sweet spot for a pic.


----------



## Daniel (Jun 22, 2008)

My lights are fixed directly left and right of the pen. This is not a good thing so is an example of what not to do. i can move the pen forward or backward on the table to change the angle in that direction just a little but not enough. the arms the lights are mounted on will adjust up and down as well so this is the greatist difference in angel I can make. I usually have them at about 45 degrees or so and like them at least 15 degrees in front of the pen. My defusion is not the best and I just ordered a small light tent to help with that. I also use a small 75 watt accent light as close to the camera as I can get it and not be in the way. 75 watt is small considering my main lights are 500watt photo floods. As others have mentioned though there is no magic set up and each pen requires some experimenting. as in all things photography related, practice does improve your ability to set things up at least close on the first try.


----------



## jrc (Jun 22, 2008)

Hi Kirby,  Here is my setup from a past post.

http://www.penturners.org/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=35069&SearchTerms=light,tent


----------



## gketell (Jul 10, 2008)

Just set up my camera again today.  Here is mine:






Primary lights left and right, reflection light above/behind camera.  Which side and exactly where depends on how the pen is laid out.  

Here is the picture taken today with the setup you see:





I used a Kodak grey card to do manual color balance and to set the aperture, etc and the only editing was cropping and trying to fill in the top where my background wasn't quite tall enough.

GK


----------



## pbrinegar (Jul 13, 2008)

Greg, nice setup, nice pen, and a nice photo!

As a suggestion, you might want to put some sort of round diffuser in front of your direct light, as you can see the actual light bulb and surround in the highlight on your pen.  A diffuser would mask that effect.

Paul B.


----------



## gketell (Jul 13, 2008)

Paul, I'm torn.  Sometimes I think a diffuser would be good.  Other times I think that showing that you could almost read the brand of bulb in the reflection really shows off the quality of the finish.

In the past I put the pen at a sharper angle to the camera so the reflection is stretched out more.  But this was the first try with a mirror.  I like it but it doesn't really go to using a sharp angle as much.

I'll keep playing.  Thanks for the comments and suggestions!!
GK


----------



## DKF (Jul 14, 2008)

Great photo Greg.....May have to have you take a little trip to the Tahoe area and give me a tutorial.......I am slowly figuring it out, but I would like to get that extra WOW to my photos that yours have!


----------



## gketell (Jul 14, 2008)

You know, that might work later this summer.  Come up, play cameras with you then get my glider rating with a friend of mine who flies up there.

GK


----------

