I'm new to cinematography. My lighting kit is not great but it's all I can afford for an upcoming video production. It consists of two Smith-Victor 250-watt lamps with 12" reflectors/barn doors both on stands, a 600watt Smith-Victor K60 quartz tungsten light and a handful of dimmers, a couple of collapsible white reflectors, a couple Grafflights and chinese lanters. In order to get my lighting ratio optimized, what would be the best setup? Would it be best to bounce the 600 watt light off one of the relectors as a diffused key and then use one of the 250 w lamps as fill or would that be a 1:1 ratio pretty much? I'm just curious what arrangement of these lights might yield the best ratio in a small interior like a bedroom or kitchen. Thanks for any input on the subject.
Lighting ratio questions
- Thread starter dignan00
- Start date
j
Veteran
Best for what? interview? Drama? Comedy? Any use of the lights can be valid or invalid. I start with the story, then use the lighting ratio to enhance, or support the story There is no textbook answer, other than test, test, test. The closest thing I can say is start with a 2:1 ratio and play with it from there.
-j
-j
JPatnaude
Well-known member
No,
I would use the 650 as the keylight on a stand. Use a little diffusion on it- like Opal.
Use the bounce card as a fill on the other side, and use a 250 for a backlight. You can always walk the lights in or out to get proper levels.
I usually have a C-stand and "arm-over" the back light so that the stand is out of the shot and the backlight is in line with the camera and subject for even illumination.
Dirt bag that stand. Chinese lanterns are okay for some fill light too, or to hang over tables with a nember of people for instance.
Are you lighting with a monitor or a meter?
Set your camera up, find your key light source (motivation- window, lamp, moon light, etc.) set your key light and fill from there.
Hope this is helpful.
Jeff P:beer:
I would use the 650 as the keylight on a stand. Use a little diffusion on it- like Opal.
Use the bounce card as a fill on the other side, and use a 250 for a backlight. You can always walk the lights in or out to get proper levels.
I usually have a C-stand and "arm-over" the back light so that the stand is out of the shot and the backlight is in line with the camera and subject for even illumination.
Dirt bag that stand. Chinese lanterns are okay for some fill light too, or to hang over tables with a nember of people for instance.
Are you lighting with a monitor or a meter?
Set your camera up, find your key light source (motivation- window, lamp, moon light, etc.) set your key light and fill from there.
Hope this is helpful.
Jeff P:beer:
JPatnaude
Well-known member
MDKfilms said:
Yeah- I've actually read that, and I thought about it when I wrote the reply. I was going to leave it be. :happy:
I was thinking that when I walk into a room and have to light, I need a reference of sorts. I look at the natural lighting thats happening in that space (and hopefully the spot was chosen because of nice light), and I try to let that define where I start. For the longest time, I knew 3 point lighting, and schematics, and all of the ratios and stuff. But on a practical level, I'd get stumped. It was a lighting class at Rockport Maine that opened my eyes to a simple procedure that let me "get it."
1. Look at the room/space -look for natural light and its direction.
2. set up the camera and a monitor.
3. set or select your key.
4. fill.
It's simple, but it helped me get over a hump.
Jeff Patnaude:beer: