Here's what a $300 investment can get you.



I took over the vinyl cutting room here at work. It is a cramped 10x10 but it suits my needs for now. I bought this lighting kit from B&H as well as a few backgrounds for macro work, threw a bedsheet behind the whole mess and called it a day.

I'm by no means an expert but I've been getting decent results so far, and shooting everyday has allowed me to learn a lot.

a sexy motocross helmet



a cute toy for the kiddies


a $2000 set of forged aluminum wheels



and one outdoor shot just for fun:




Any body else do a studio on the cheap?

ted

Not yet, those pictures look really professional with your setup.

Originally Posted by tardypizza

Here's what a $300 investment can get you.

Any body else do a studio on the cheap?

ted

lol
$300 != cheap...
All my gear shots are done in my light box at work... Which cost under $100. Granted it's for smaller stuff, but I went super budget:


I'm using a set of HomeCheapo 500w halogens screwed to the shelf on my desk. $30 for the set I think, then I have some curtains in front to block my reflection (I shoot silver and gold so reflections are a bitch). That's $5 in fabric from WalMart. Plus $3 in dowels to hold it and maybe another $1 for cup hooks. I have foam core sides, one side white, black paper glued to the other. Those were leftover matting supplies, but let's say $10 if you bought a new sheet. Then the one expensive part was a roll of translum from B&H:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/cont...ughType=search
It's the most expensive part at $44.90. That roll is way more than I needed but I can do backgrounds, and light diffusion with it...

So the total is $45 + $10 +$1 +$5 +$3 + $30 so like ~$95 all up and that with more translum than I'd ever need....

Ben

When I think of studios I've had the opportunity to work in, I'd say $300 is pretty damn cheap!

Originally Posted by jacobsen1

lol
$300 != cheap...

Ben

Well, compared to what I have invested in just camera gear it is! And 2/3 of that cost was just the lighting setup. If I were to go with strobes I easily could have blown $1000s. In the grand scheme of the photography world, $300 is nothing.

But I see what you mean. Your lighting setup yields fantastic results for only a $100 setup.

Really I just wanted to fill out your newborn forums a little. Keep the ball rolling!

ted

Yeah, I'm just busting your balls. My first setup was $30 in lights and maybe $10 more in foam core and tissue paper if that... But then we needed more room for some bigger pieces and it tripled, so doing the math for motorcycle parts and I can easily see how you're at $300... You're getting awesome shots, so I'm sure your bosses are happy with the $/looks ratio.

As for expensive studios, yeah, I got to go down to the city to visit one of our customers studios to get some pointers as to why my quality wasn't up to snuff with theirs... (We were shooting a catalog for a group company where the most expensive piece is $16 cost versus a multi billion $$$ company...) So they bitched to me it wasn't perfect complained to my boss who called in a favor... I had said give me $50k~$100k and I'd get them those results too... Well how right was I? All MF gear with Leaf backs when I got there. Very similar setup, except their studio was maybe 100' x 50' with 3 sections, but yeah, throw $ at it and you get better shots for billboards/posters.

Ben

This is my cheap setup. Some white background board from Walmart and two lamps from home depot with GE bulbs.



This is the end result.

Originally Posted by jacobsen1

Well how right was I? All MF gear with Leaf backs when I got there. Very similar setup, except their studio was maybe 100' x 50' with 3 sections, but yeah, throw $ at it and you get better shots for billboards/posters.

Ben

I've never even seen a digital MF setup. Even if I could afford it, I probably wouldn't buy it. Hell, the 1Ds Mark II with its measly ( :P ) 16MP is overkill for many pros, much less prosumers/hobbyists.

yeah, if all you did was studio work though, then a MF digital setup is the way to go. But if you EVER take it anywhere w/o power AND a computer then a 35mm based system makes a lot more sense. I'm very VERY happy with my 5D though. Awesome size and weight and the IQ is amazing.

Originally Posted by 0BLUEWRX3

This is my cheap setup. Some white background board from Walmart and two lamps from home depot with GE bulbs.

you do realize the bulbs don't matter though right? Custom white balance will fix any issues with weird bulb colors. They just all have to match is all (IE no overhead florescent on while using an incandescent).

The bulbs can matter a bit in color rendition, IE you wouldn't use fluorescents. I've found some incandescents, even when white balanced, still don't look quite right (really cool bulbs, but not as bad as say a sodium or mercury light).

Of course, for the most part it's not an issue b/c most incandescents are fine.

Hmmm, I've never seen it. Not saying it can't happen though. I always use a custom white balance though. The only times I ever run into an issue is with mixed lighting as I said before. Then you'll get one white and one not so white... Unless the 2 are mixed perfectly, but like that ever happens.

But I've only ever used halogens and incandescents.

this is my first attempt with posterboard and desklamps, i will try our heavy duty lamps next. i think they may have been too much dust inside the desklamps and that helped cause the yellowing.

it looks to me like you have mixed lighting. The yellow in the corners mixed with the blue shadows...
did you fire your flash?
Also did you use a custom WB?

Flash = Flash fired, auto mode
White Balance = Auto white balance

sorry, answered my own question with the exif...
Yeah, don't fire your flash. Your camera also is still on auto WB so with the flash firing and indecent light you're going to have 2 different colors. There are 3 options for the camera then and it's match the bulbs and have a blue flash, match the flash and have yellow/orange bulbs, or split the difference and get slight blue and orange (which is what it looks like it did).

For next time:
turn off your flash.
Get MORE LIGHTS (enough so you can shoot at ~f/4 at ~f1/90th with ISO at 100~200, 400 if you must
set a custom WB for said lights. (they must be the same type of bulb to get a white light, mix types and you're mixing colors so you can't get a WB that will be right.)

Ben

thanks for the tips. i will be buying a pair or few HD lights.

FYI when I got mine a "set" was a "pair" on a stand and another solo, so 3 total in the box.

if you are shooting digital, you can correct your white balance in camera. if you shooting your files in RAW format, you can fix white balances in photoshop cs3 or other editing softwares.

bump for wrxfactor.

For these types of shots, I'd just shoot RAW or RAW+jpg...just in case.

Thanks, Ted!

this lighting kit is exactly what I was JUST looking for!

how hot is this setup?

Let's just say you shouldn't use tissue paper close to the lights.

It gets warm. Very warm. But for ~$50 in lights (HD halogens) you get a CRAP LOAD of lights, and there is zero recycle time (there's a reason all the skate/snow shots/movies have these lights in them ). It's cheap and fast, but hot. Like sweating if you're within 5' of them hot.

Originally Posted by jacobsen1

Let's just say you shouldn't use tissue paper close to the lights.

I meant the kit that Ted bought.

I have been using the HD lights for awhile now, I am looking for something cooler.

They get noticeably hot after about 15 minutes of working under them. In my tiny office the effect might be pronounced, but I can survive up to about an hour of torture before I give way. A circulating fan helps immensely.

I would definitely recommend the kit I bought for a first light kit, but after a year or two I'm looking at upgrading to some proper modeling lights.