Kino / Red head question

L

leaftors

Well-known member
I am trying to do a booklight setup after reading hurlbut's blog. They used a 2k bouncing off a beadboard shooting through half soft frost.

Now my problem is that there are windows in the shot that I don't feel like blacking out. So now I run into the problem of daylight mixing in with the redheads. I will lose too much light gelling.

I am thinking of using 2 x 4banks shooting through a 6x6 half soft frost. It's a medium shot so I can put that half soft frost and 4 banks right up close to the subject to make up for the loss of intensity.

Do you think I'll get the same exposure from the 4 banks?
 
Two 4x4's ganged up probably would be close but not quite as bright as a single redhead, doesn't mean it won't be enough though. I've seen Kinos get triple diffused before.
 
That wouldn't be as soft, but the output should be good.

Also consider an 800w Joker bug if you want a true book light.
 
+1 for the 800w HMI. It'd probably work out to a similar cost to renting two 4-bank kinos anyway.
 
You can also look at adding another level of diffusion such as a 4-by of opal or 251 between the heads and the 6-by which will go a long way to recreating the uniformity of a book light. But I also agree with the folks above that the 800W Joker is going to be more helpful, especially since you are going up against windows in the shot and need all the stop you can manage. An M18 would be the best house-power* choice although a lot pricier!

*depends on the wiring at location...caveat emptor
 
You seem to be doing this backwards. You shouldn't just try to put a booklight there for the sake of it. You should start from the windows and see where they lead you. If your background is windows you may need quite a punchy light to pull your subject up (I presume you don't want a silhouette). If the windows are to the side of the shot, and just showing near the edges, then they should most likely form your key, and you can wrap it with a bounce/booklight/diffused flos/whatever placed between windows and camera. In both cases, the power of the light needed depends on the exterior lighting conditions, size of windows, windows position in the frame, position of subject related to windows, distance from subject to windows, ambient light level (you will have some, if you let outside light in), and whether you will want to blow the windows or not. A light that is plenty powerful for a specific configuration will be pretty weak for another specific situation. I guess you've measured both your window light and ambience at the subject position? This should be a good reference point for the light levels needed (for the specific outside lighting condition, anyway; weather does change).
 
cpc said:
You seem to be doing this backwards. You shouldn't just try to put a booklight there for the sake of it. You should start from the windows and see where they lead you. If your background is windows you may need quite a punchy light to pull your subject up (I presume you don't want a silhouette). If the windows are to the side of the shot, and just showing near the edges, then they should most likely form your key, and you can wrap it with a bounce/booklight/diffused flos/whatever placed between windows and camera.
Click to expand...

Hmmm. Well, if we are talking shoulds and shouldnt's, I would counter that we don't know what style of project the OP is shooting, and thus it shouldn't be a given that the windows in frame must represent the dominant light source in the lighting scheme. Motivated lighting is a choice. Not all lighting schemes need to be that literal.
 
This is certainly true. But I would argue that an educated choice to ignore the self-imposing natural lighting scheme of the location usually passes through at least considering that scheme. And a booklight is too much of a contraption to just try to stick it wherever.
 
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