Steady light. Portraits in living rooms.

[Tony_Gamble]

I am about to start a portrait project photographing quite elderly people in their living rooms.

I am sure they'll be phased by flash, particularly as I'll want to take plenty of shots to make sure I have something good 'in the can'.

I have to be prepared for the fact that the natural light may not be in the right place for good modelling. So I need to take something portable and battery powered so as not to risk fusing their mains sockets.

Is "Compact Fluorescent Lightsouces (CRL)" what I am looking for?

Does anyone have a better solution?

Could anyone suggest a good brand and model to buy - ideally a UK forumite if possible.

Thanks in advance.

Tony
London UK

Hi Tony, I often am shooting in situations where I need constant light as we shoot HD vid on many of our commercial gigs as well and I have experience of this very problem...

The fluorescent lights do work ok but they have a distinct look to them, which I would describe as "tv like". the throw they give out is surprising short, and I find that i have to have big softboxes very close to the subject to get any where near enough flattering light to shoot at even f5.6. I try not to use them as I don't like the look.

I find that a couple of 250w tungsten Dedo lights gelled to match available light and barn doored closed to be not so bright work best. I like to diffuse these with a 72" Calumet Light Panel. This is easy to set up and light to carry around.

If I don't have time to find power I also have a couple of battery operated portable video lights, I think by Lowel which give me about 30 mins run time. I diffuse these in the same way with the Light Panel.

Best of all of course are the super expensive HMI lights as used in movies, one Arri 575w looks amazing and with one reflector to bouce fill in will truly get results that are outstanding. You can dim these with no reduction in light tempurature, unlike the tungstens which get annoyingly yellowish when dimmed.

Of course, everything has now changed for me with the new Canon 5d Mk2. This camera astonishes me. Shooting at 6400 iso is so noise free that it allows me to now consider using a simple silver bounce to help focus whatever available light is there already. My goal is to now not need any additional light at all.

Good luck!

Will

[Tony_Gamble]

Will,

Very helpful. Thanks.

Ironically your final para is the one I find most in sympathy with.

Most of my current work is with the 5d mk1. I've asked, in the Canon section, for suggestions around the 24mm 1.4 lens as I'd thought of using it for coverage of social gatherings without flash. My current lens is the 24-105 IS zoom.

Edmond Terokopian suggested that I might make better use of my money upgrading to the 5d mk2 instead of getting the 24mm - and that was for another use.

You are now suggesting that I get a Mk2 to avoid needing to buy a portable steady lamp. I already have the 85mm 1.8 that I'd use for these portraits.

The sums are coming together and pointing towards getting the new body. The shots I am asking about will almost certainly be printed in black and white so a bit of noise will be no hardship.

Thanks again.

Tony