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Please note, we have discontinued the blog. Too many trolls and spams made it impossible to provide the technical support that the blog was originally intended to do. You might write me directly at nino@efplighting.com and I will answer to your directly and also post your e-mail and answer in this section for everyone to benefit from.

Hi there!

I was wondering if I could possibly trouble you for some advice.

I am starting to learn all about lighting etc and realize that having a good background is essential. For one of my projects I am looking to see what type of background I could get that had the look of a bookcase. Unfortunately I am based in the UK and I find it very difficult to find anyone that is able to provide advice/help. Do you know anyone in the UK that provides this? What would you advise? Perhaps a collapsible one would be best but I don't know which supplier does this.

I apologise for my lack of knowledge in this area but would really appreciate any advice that you can give,

Thanks for taking the time to read this.

King Regards

James

Hi James,

Please don’t ever feel that you have to apology for asking questions, we all had to start somewhere, none of us was born an expert.

Although I talk a lot about background, something that I should have stressed was that whatever possible always take advantage the natural surrounding and use backgrounds as a last resource. The background should also tell the story. A chemist in a laboratory setting would make a much better story than against a background.

There are however many instances when there’s nothing else available and we must create something.

Collapsible backgrounds are ideal for our profession as they allow us to create a variety of settings. The Collapsible illustrated in the site are made by the Denny Manufacturing Company in Mobile, Alabama. www.dennymfg.com

They have bee around forever but are mainly marketing to still photographers. I don’t know if they have distributors in the UK, they should because they have a great line of products. Send an e-mail to Debra L. Goddard-McKean at dmckean@dennymfg.com tell Debra that you saw the background on EFPlighting.com and you are looking for a distributor in the UK on in Europe.

Good luck and write me back if you have any more questions. Also let me know if you find a source in your country so I can let anyone know.

Thanks

Nino

Nino-

Really like your site! Can't believe I've been doing this for 7 years now and just now am getting to your site! In any case, I'm certainly learning a lot from you though, thanks!

My question is your lights in the "Quick Interview" set up. I find myself, along with many photogs in the market I'm sure, doing many of these a day and I'm always looking to do them better. For your key light, you mention using an Arri with a big diffuser in front of it. And for your hair and back lights, use Lowell Pros, one with a Chimera. Well, I have the two Pros and a softbox, and a big ol' black cloth to control the spill from the key if I so choose. But for my key light, I'm left with a Tota (w/ either a 500w or 100w... can't recall.) and two umbrellas: silver reflective and white diffuser.

I never really like usign the Tota becuase it's so hard to control all the light coming out (without causing a small fire!) unless that's what I need to do with multiple subjects. But in this case, would that cut it?

Thanks again and I look forward to hearing from you.

Mike

Hi Mike,

What you have is plenty to create better looking interviews. Often the quality of your work depends more on how you use the lights rather than what lights you are using.

Although the Lowel Tota is not the most ideal light mainly because it’s difficult to control, it’s still a good light source and with a little extra work it can achieve good quality. I still have a half a dozen of those lights and some I bought over 30 years ago. Lowel also have a lot of accessories for the Tota, I believe they have barn doors too or you can make your own with black foil. Always be very careful because they get very hot, also use the protective screen because I’ve seen those bulbs explode and they can do a lot of damage. The bulb can be easily and inexpensively changed with different wattage, I’ve see them at Home Depot.

With what you have available I would go with the soft white umbrella. I would prefer however something larger, even a larger umbrella so the light can give you a good wraparound on the subject. If you can afford to invest in a large silk like the one shown on EFPlighting.com it probably would be a better option for quick set-ups. When necessary the silk will also help you outside to control the sunlight and being white it can also be used as a reflector, it’s very versatile and not very expensive, just don’t place the light any closer that two feet.

The key for good lighting is to experiment. You can’t do it on a job so take the lights home with you and spend a day experimenting until you find something that you like; then try it on your next job.

Good luck and let me know if there’s anything else that I can help you with,

Nino

Nino,

A friend told me about your site the other day and I love it! The articles on Lighting Interiors was great. I always wondered how DP's lit scenes like that. I am beginning my self education in videography and was wondering if you could give me a suggestion on what would be a good starter light kit that would be useful in learning the concepts you teach, but is still budget friendly?

Thank you very much and look forward to future articles,

Shaun

Hi Shaun,

Purchasing your first light kit depends mostly on what type of work you are planning to do. Unless you have something specific in mind the best suggestion is that you build your light kit around what you would need to do interviews. Start with the key light. The most popular and also the most useful is a soft box like the Photoflex or the Chimera, Photoflex is considerably less expensive. Word of caution; make sure you get a soft box made for hot lights and not for strobes. You will need a light for the soft box and a speed ring for that specific light. I recommend a Lowel DP or Omni, those are open face lights and can be used also for other purposes beside the soft box.

Next you’ll need something to fill the shadow on the face. I would not normally suggest using a reflector because it has some limitations in being most effective fill but for the beginning it will do it and a reflector can also be used very effectively outdoor. Next will be the hair light, for this the Lowel Pro light with the barn door accessory is a good starter. You can also add a XXsmall soft box as illustrated on the “quick interviews” on this site. Actually if you go to this section you will get much additional information. http://efplighting.com/?Lighting_interviews:Quick_Interviews One or more additional Lowel Pro lights can be used to light the backgrounds. Eventually you can add some Fresnel lights; an Arri 300 will do it for a starter. Also get a pack of diffusion gels and some cloth pins to attach the gels to the barn doors of the light.

Lowel also make some decent light stands or you might want to shop around for the best deal.

This should get you started, let me know if you need anything else.

Nino

Dear Nino,

I think you have one of the best, if not "The Best" website, discussing Film & Video lighting techniques. The way you've photo illustrated each technique making learning advanced Professional Lighting applications something that even a beginner can do. I really appreciate you making this information available like this. I've paid large money for books and DVDs which cover this subject, and none of them can even touch your website in value or quality of education.

I have a question, I would like to know where you got the reversible and collapsible bookshelf background? I have not been able to find a collapsible with a bookshelf picture on it.

Sincerely,

Stevie

Hi Stevie,

The company the manufacture the background is the Denny Manufacturing Company in Mobile Alabama. www.dennymfg.com and look for the Computer Painted TwistFlex. They are not cheap but worth every penny.

Nino

Hey Nino....I have visited your lighting site many times and learned alot of useful techinques and I just wanted to say a quick thanks for it.

I was hoping maybe you had some insight as to when you're shooting a interview and lighting.....how much does the actual chair the interviewee is sitting in come into play? What kind of furniture do you avoid? Thanks for any input.

Ozkar

Good question. First it depends on how you or your producers are planning to frame the subject. Most interviews are from mid chest to the top of the head or even closer. Because of the tight shot it’s preferable to have a rigid chair that will keep the subject upright and minimize the possibility of moving around too much; usually a banquet chair is the most preferable. Always test the chair to make sure that doesn’t make squeaking noises.

Given more flexibility on the framing, the chair that I prefer to use is a low back side arm chair, something that the subject can comfortably relax. Some people, both male and female have great body posture and when they sit down they naturally assume great photographic poses. A good photographer, particularly those who was trained in portrait posing could coach them in sitting in a very attractive way. This is beneficial with long interviews where you can change the framing from wide to tight giving the producer more variations for editing.

Nino

Hi Nino,

Awesome site. I just found it this morning and have locked in into my favorites so I can read a bit more each day.

The only bit of lighting kit I own is a reflector, a couple of home depot flouro work lights and a small on camera LED.

I shoot HDV on Sony's Z1 but also starting to use the XDCAM HD cameras on a few jobs.

I'm on a budget but would like to start building and effective light kit. How would you start for the basics???

Most of my work doesn't require lights as it's events and sport and there isn't he opportunity or time to build a lighting set-up. However, I keen to start making these opportunities available so that my production values can increase.

Your outlook on where you would start and what is most important would be great.

My theory is to start small but with quality gear - I imagine I'll never have a big kit (can always rent) but all the basic tools I need in a couple of years. Quality, ease of use and service and portability are key!

Thanks again for sharing.

cheers

wes

Hi Wes,

Thanks for writing and sorry that it takes me so long to answer.

Probably your best answer for a very limited budget light kit and how to make it work successfully is in the Quick Interviews Section .

Lighting is a modular system, if you have limited budget don’t bother to go out and buy lights that you are not sure that you will need or can’t afford right now, start with one light at the time and build from there. You already have enough to get you going, start by organizing what you have and add what you need. Your on camera light can make a good fill light if you can find a way to control the output, you can do that with a dimmer if available for your light or by adding layers of diffusion gels. Your reflector can also become a fill light. All you need right now to get going is a good key light. Start with an inexpensive open face light like the Lowel Omni and a medium softbox. You will need an adapter ring for attaching the light to the softbox and a stand to support the light. Also buy a box that has accessories available so you can grow into it. The most important of the accessories will be a fabric grid; this will allow you to control the spill of the light.

You now have a key and fill light; the next purchase down the line will be a back light. A Lowel Pro Light probably will be the most inexpensive way to go and the most versatile. I own six Lowel Pro lights and use them mainly for travel when I need lightweight and versatile equipment.

Again look at the Quick Interviews Section for some very low cost solutions.

Thanks

Nino

Dear Nino,

This is Fred from China.

Regarding the different lights, like HMI, Tungsten,

Kino Flo, Xenon, Chimeras, Carbon Arc etc, I want

to know the detailed technical parameters of each

category with regard to different shooting situations.

Meanwhile, getting the right light reading is really

essential to the proper exposure, so please also keep

me informed that how to employ the light meter

to get the best light reading off in different locations.

Thanks and Best regards,

Fred

Hi Fred,

Thanks for writing. I’m really honored to see many hits on EFPlighting.com coming from China.

Let’s start by categorizing the lights that you have mentioned. HMI and Tungsten are lights most commonly used for productions today. Kino Flo is a brand and should be categorized as Fluorescent lights. Xenon and Carbon Arc are usually light sources found on locations, although I believe some manufacturers use these as production lights.

In video not only we have to be concerned with proper exposure but even more important is the color of the lights. We all have a light meter in our kits but we found ourselves using it less and less. If you are looking for precision work then you should consider a color temperature meter. This will give you the correct color temperature emitted by the light source and also indicate what gel you should use to modify the color output to the desired color for your productions. This of course also means a large supply of gels.

The most important piece of equipment for video and broadcasting work is a good production monitor with all the adjustable bells and whistles, something that can give you accurate colors or the way that your camera sees the colors.

Most professional cameras today have a built in very accurate color and exposure metering system and although it will not tell you what gel to use to modify the output of a light, it will tell you what the actual color output is and you can make a decision from there.

The only time that I tale my incident light meter out is if I need even light coverage, like lighting up a large green screen. On most set-ups the last thing that I look for is even light coverage.

If even lighting is needed, you can accomplish this by using a gray card and take several readings with your camera of the gray card across your set. This will tell you what the correct exposure is with each reading. You can also get a white balance with each reading so you can get an idea if the color is different across the scene.

The problem might be when there are conflicting color light sources. The correct way would be to shut down all light and start illuminating with your own lights, but this is not always possible. The next option would be to gel all existing light but this would also be time consuming. Many times you can gel your own lights to match the existing light. But most often the photographer must set his camera to only what’s important and let the rest just go whatever colors there are. Often the changes in colors across a scene might make the shot even more interesting.

There are many ways to resolve problems; good photographer will turn problems to their advantage.

Thanks for writing.

Nino

Subject: Lighting One Person Interviews

Hello Nino,

Firstly you have a remarkable site. Kudos to the extensive illustrations you have developed. Sometimes narratives alone are not sufficient but your illustrations help one easily move from concept to reality.

I work for a charity involved with doing a number of one-person (indoor) office type setting interviews. I have a Sony PD150 but at present no lights. Due to budget, I am looking at the purchase of one keylight and leaning towards a Rifa softbox.

Upon reading one of your posts, you referred to Lowel having enhanced their Rifa (now called the Rifa eXchange System). I was looking at B&H's site, specifically I was reviewing the Lowel Rifa-Lite LC-66 750 Watt Tungsten Softbox Light with Lamp (Mfr# LC-66EX1 • B&H# LORL750L)
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/285954-REG/Lowel_LC_66EX1_Rifa_Lite_750W_Softbox_Light.html

I understand that the Rifa eXchange system would allow me to use a lower wattage tungsten lamp, such as a 500 or 250 (instead of the 750 Watt that comes with it)? I also understand that the Rifa EXchange system would also allow me to use fluorescents. Does the Rifa eXchange system require the purchase of different lampheads in order to use a lower wattage tungsten or fluoresescent? Or will the lamphead in the Rifa eXchange system accommodate lower wattage tungsten or fluorescents as shipped from factory?

What are your thoughts on using the one light for one person interviews (that is, the Lowel Rifa-Lite LC-66 750 Watt Tungsten Softbox for the office type setting interviews)? Using the 750 watt lamp, what distance would I have to be from the interviewee?

Using just one light, would you suggest a different light (other than the above Rifa 66)?

I also came across, the Sunpak DigitLite 600 Flat Fluorescent Light Panel (six 24-watt daylight-balanced fluorescent tubes, the equivalent of 600 watts of tungsten light, into a single 18.5x19.5x2.6-inch unit). What are your thoughts on using this florescent light for the aforementioned one person office setting interviews? What will be the light look like from the Sunpak DigitLite 600 Flat Fluorescent Light Pane vs the the Rifa 750? How close would I have to be? The B&H URL for this Sunpak light is:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/323742-USA/Sunpak_MDL600_DigitLite_Flat_Fluorescent_Light.html

Any other ides or suggestions would be much appreciated. Thank you for sharing your skills, knowledge and gifts.

Regards,
Sam

Hi Sam,

Thanks for writing and for the kind words.

Although I own 6 Rifa lights and I highly recommend them, for a first purchase I would be inclined to start with something more versatile. An open face Lowel DP or Omni light with a speed ring and any softbox made for hot lights like the Photoflex or Chimera (not for strobe lights) will give you more lighting options. You can use it like a Rifa softbox or bounce the open face light against a reflective surface or shine it thru diffusion materials (see the Quick Interviews section) in order to get more lighting options and different looks out of the same investment.

The same suggestion would apply to fluorescents fixtures. Those are excellent light sources; I own several and use them frequently. Unless you have a good budget I would not make those as a first purchase for the same reasons that you will not have different and more versatile lighting options.

Having said all this, if all you are going to do is the same type of interviews and not planning to do anything else, then the new Rifa Exchange probably is a better option. I haven’t tested the light yet but I’ve seen it at NAB and I was impressed with the quality of the light.

Good luck and thanks

Nino

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