Zissou
Well-known member
I have a documentary coming up, and i want to film dust motes over a running motor, but i want to expose it properly and still have dust motes visible in the footage to create the impression that they are old cars/motors (a Deusenberg droptop and Studebaker coupe). I will be using a T2i with a Nikkor 50mm f1.4 or 35mm f2.0 via Magic Lantern, and may or may not use the HDR mode. I would prefer to use the 50mm f1.4 from 2-3 feet away wide open so i get some chromatic abberation and ghosting to enhance the effect. My hypothetical lighting setup is pretty simple; two 650w diffused (softened) tungstens at 45 degree angles 5-6 feet above and away from the centerline of the engine bay horizontally, and a single 650w tungsten at a horizontal angle directly above the engine block/bay, 2-3 feet away to pick up the dust motes swirling in the air as the vehicles' fan kicks on after the motor is running while camera is on a curved slider, with focus creeping up the engine block. Going for shallow DOF (4-5 inches) with a slow focus pull up the engine block to trace out and emphasize the details on the top of the blocks. I will be using filters and low ISO's obviously.
I have not shot anything intended to enhance or feature dust motes, so any tips or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Am i likely to encounter lots of out of focus dust motes or 'orbs' during shooting? i should like to avoid those if possible, and just capture the dust motes and the motors moving in the shots, to compliment and bookend shots of the exhausts vibrating and exhaling vapor, which i will again use a single 650w light to enhance the condensation coming from the exhaust with hard lighting and barn doors on my light.
Any thoughts or suggestions would be great. I have a few days to test different ideas but only 4 days to shoot all the car shots, interior and exterior, and limited time those four days. I would rather spend the time filming rather than testing. Its for a neighbor/friend/mentor and his car club, and may get shown on local access television as well as his car club meetings, and very important to me that i film it and present it right.
I can test on my own car or post pictures of lighting setup in my garage, and any ideas or advice is welcome, and ill give credit to any input, used or otherwise.
Thanks for any input!
I have not shot anything intended to enhance or feature dust motes, so any tips or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Am i likely to encounter lots of out of focus dust motes or 'orbs' during shooting? i should like to avoid those if possible, and just capture the dust motes and the motors moving in the shots, to compliment and bookend shots of the exhausts vibrating and exhaling vapor, which i will again use a single 650w light to enhance the condensation coming from the exhaust with hard lighting and barn doors on my light.
Any thoughts or suggestions would be great. I have a few days to test different ideas but only 4 days to shoot all the car shots, interior and exterior, and limited time those four days. I would rather spend the time filming rather than testing. Its for a neighbor/friend/mentor and his car club, and may get shown on local access television as well as his car club meetings, and very important to me that i film it and present it right.
I can test on my own car or post pictures of lighting setup in my garage, and any ideas or advice is welcome, and ill give credit to any input, used or otherwise.
Thanks for any input!
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