Light spill from gels...

M

matthewd5

Veteran
ok i'm using gels more and more lately and i seem to get a LOT of light spill.

mainly i use them with a lowell tota light using the frame that came with it.

what am i missing?

the frame is the same size as a gel sheel, i think its 10x14 or close to that, and an awful lot of light gets by it.

it almost seems like a larger gel that sort of arced around the light would keep the light from escaping?

matthew
 
Re: Light spill from gels...

You're exactly right. I rarely use gel frames, but use c-47's (clothespins) to clip the gels on the barndoors. Be generous when cutting gels and use ones that are big enough to cover the whole front of the fixture to get all of the spill. If you're going to stick with the frames, you can get some of the spill by restricting the light with the barndoors, but with Lowell open faces, you're probably better off on the doors. make sure you bow the gel away from the light to keep from melting it. Open face lamps are notorios for melting gels.
 
Re: Light spill from gels...

ok thanks.

i've done a little of what you say but nowhere near enough.

i did build one big moonlight gel, i took a piece of foamboard and cut out the center just smaller than the size of a lee moonlight gel, around 20 inches long and sandwiched it between two of these foamboards.

piture a giant 35 mm slide and i use a bogen flexible arm with a bogen clamp and a bogen super clamp to hold it to the c stand.

it came out rather nicely i thought.

but that is just because i figure i'll be doing a lot of moonlight stuff and i had a spare sheet of lee moonlight gel and some spare time and spare black foamcore.

matthew
 
Re: Light spill from gels...

I always use BLACKWRAP to control spill when using gels. You may have to be creative when clamping the blackwrap onto the barn door. I usually use it as a flag to block unwanted light from hitting where the gel is hitting.
 
Re: Light spill from gels...

I agree with filmaker58. I use Totas alot. I forgot they even had those gel frames. Clothespins on the barndoors works better. Also, Lowel Omnis work good with the clips on the barndoors. I actually like the Omnis better because they have that little bit of zoom control that seems to control the spill, and give the lights just a little more punch.
 
Re: Light spill from gels...

Totas are a very broad wash light and as such need a big piece of gel to do the trick. clipping gel to the doors can work but that light gets very hot and so can burn out a gel pretty fast.
try the black wrap suggestion in conjuction with the gel holder. it will somewhat limit the aperature of the light but that will provide the control you need
 
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