# Lighting help.



## oxx44 (Sep 4, 2010)

Ok so I have built myself a light tent (well if you can call it that. Just recycled stuff in my house to build it). But my Question is what kind of lamps should I get? and Where? hopefully fairly inexpensive.

If you have set up a light tent I would like to know what you are using.


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## aggromere (Sep 4, 2010)

I dont remember what they are called, but I got some of the screw in florecent bulbs that are rated as daylight or sunlight, I think something like 5400 lumens.  I bought 3 of the cheap clamp on work light fixtures (the kind with the cheap tin shade.  And I use them.  It works really well.  Others may have more details.


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## toddlajoie (Sep 4, 2010)

If you're using a somewhat new (less than 5 years old) digital camera, you can pretty much use any light source you want, and the digital camera should do a decent job of balancing to it (you may need to play around some if the camera has color balance settings) but I would go with whatever is either cheap or you already have, but stick to a single type of light. The Clamp Aluminum Dish worklights are nice, cheap and convenient, and you can either put standard lightbulbs or daylight balanced bulbs in them, or even the compact florescent bulbs, but again ONLY ONE TYPE OF LIGHT!!!! If you go with standard incandescents, you can mix wattages, but I would stick with a single brand, as there can be some variation in the color balance of them.

Cheap shop florescent fixtures or aquarium lights can work well too, but you need to be very careful that the bulbs in them are the same type, especially with the aquarium ones, as they sell some VERY strange bulbs for aquariums.

If you want to have a TON of light, and like to keep warm while you're shooting (hey, winter is coming up...) you can even use the 500W halogen work lights from Home Depot. They're cheap (I've seen them as low as $5, sometimes it costs more to replace the bulb than buy a new light) absurdly bright, and they'll warm your shop up in no time. Plus you can use them at in December to light up your Christmas decorations...


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## kevrob (Sep 4, 2010)

Take a look at the photo tutorial on the IAP homepage. I purchased the lights the tutorial recommended - 5500k and it tok me about 10 to 15 minutes of looking at light bulbs to find the right one.  I am still playing around with my Nikon D80 to get the pics correct though, they still come out looking whitewashed.


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## SDB777 (Sep 4, 2010)

For best results your going to need some "Balanced Daylight Bulbs", and you should still use a grey card.  Never count on a digital camera to fix anything for you(although they are getting better...even though they don't know my piece of white paper should be white and not grey)



Scott (Photoforum is a cool place too) B


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## MatthewZS (Sep 19, 2010)

*....*

As said above, about any bulb type will work with a newer camera, just make sure to get all the same kind of bulb and keep them all replaced at about the same time so you get consistent light temperature from all your lights.  

I'll have to get a picture and put up later but I use this:

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/50119351

One each fastened to the sidewalls and one to the top of my photo "booth".

P.S. - I also have a Speedlight in my camera's hotshoe.


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## ctubbs (Sep 21, 2010)

Any light meter, whether built in camera or handheld, is designed to work with 18% gray card to give the correct exposure.  If the reading is taken off a white sheet of paper, the paper will look gray in the photo.  If your pictures are all washed out, you are over exposing.  If they are too dark, then your shots are under exposed.  Most any camera store should have an 18% gray card.  they can be had on line at most any good camera shop.  A good ring light will help get rid of those pesky shadows.  Or bounce the lights off some reflectors made form very white paper.


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