Need help, trying to do BASIC lighting

Should work but depends upon the distance from the subject and also if the 2700k version of the bulb mixes well with the other lighting in the Church IMHO. The light from a soft source like these flo bulbs will have a steeper dropoff and needs to be kept between 3 to 6 feet from the subject if possible.
 
Okay, I need to start buying some of this stuff today so here is what I have so far. I need specific advice on this list and if it's okay or not. If something looks like it won't work someone tell me please. I don't know a whole lot about color temperature other than I assume they should all be the same or similar? And I also don't know what wattages I should use for different light sources (key, fill etc.) So here it is...

2 Clamp Lights Supporting 250 w bulbs
http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=203219-1373-FL-302PDQ&lpage=none

1 30-inch Lindcraft china ball
http://www.filmtools.com/30whitpapchi.html

I'm assuming I need one of these for the china ball
http://www.filmtools.com/chinlansocas.html (QUESTION: How does this connect to the China Ball??)

2 of these light bulbs for the clamp lights
http://www.buylighting.com/55-Watt-Compact-Fluorescent-2700K-Warm-White-p/fe-us-55w-27k.htm
Or something similar to these. With a 2700k temp.

I need color gels, I always have trouble finding them. I heard all I really need to start out is CTB and CTO. I was only able to find a large pack for $26. Anyone know where I can maybe find a better deal and where?

2 things I'm stumped on...what bulb should I buy for the china ball and how do I use the color gels to even out temperatures? I am trying to get them all 2700k or around that, and I am assuming that would need a CTO when used indoors?? I'm so clueless with all this. I just really need someone to look this stuff over and tell me how it looks. Thanks for all the help so far!!
 
Filmtools will sell gel by the sheet, that will be a better deal than buying a pack that's probably designed for stage lighting anyway.
If you're only using tungsten lights without daylight, you don't need gels at all, just white balance the camera for tungsten or manual white balance.
 
J.R. Hudson said:
2700K

Why ?
Click to expand...

He's trying to match it to the lightbulb color temp. You don't need to put CTO's on your lights.

Someone feel free to correct me if anything I say is wrong. CTO is to help bring things that are at the 5600k range and bring it down to tungsten (2700K is about tungsten, although 3200k is considered tungsten). Any incandescents are close to if not tungsten (or look for tungsten bulbs). Adding a CTO to that would just make it even more orange. What YOU would need is a CTB. This is because if you want to use lights with a window, then you need those tungsten lights to match the sunlight, and you put on CTB (since sunlight is blue).

Although be warned, any gels will lower the strength of the light by a stop or two (not sure how much exactly). This goes for diffusion as well. Therefore, the stronger the light in the china ball, the better. So 250 is good.

Question though, why are you buying a 55w that claims to be giving out 250w of light, when you could buy a 250w lightbulb with those lights you're buying? I suppose you can always try it, but don't trust what they say. They don't think photographers or film lighting gaffers are going to rely on those numbers. It's just a claim they make to tell an average homeowner 'hey, our lights are bright!'

ProfessorU said:
You mean you actually saw someone cook an egg on one of those lights?
Click to expand...

Seen it done on TV on the discovery channel I think for some how to show. A guy took a 500watt, layed it down flat, and cracked open an egg on it and cooked it. I'm not surprised. When I worklights I put aluminum foil around them. When I turn off the lights, the aluminum foil is always glowing a little bit.



Oh, and If you're asking how to diffuse worklights, bouncing off a white wall or something else works. Also taking a cheap white showercurtain or white bedsheet works as well. If it's seethrough enough then you can hang it, make a big screen, and use the worklights behind it. I use large sheets of tracing paper, use a tripod and a stick to mount them in front of the worklights. But anyways, try out your stuff. You seem on the right track. It all depends on the lightbulbs though and how strong they actually are.
 
I was using 2700k because I don't know any better and I'm trying to make them all the same lol. Also, I was using the compact fluorescent because originally I was trying to not burn a hole through my cheap clamp lights which only support 100 watt light bulbs. But now that I plan on using the ones that support 250 watt bulbs I can use different ones but the problem now is I can't find any other bulbs to use. Those just looked good and had the regular household screws. Can anyone point me to any other bulbs I could maybe use. Thanks for the write up about color temperatures that helps. But I still need to find bulbs for those clamp lights. I would be happy to use regular 250w bulbs but I don't know where to find ones that are good to use. Is 2700k good or bad to use? Should I go for a higher temperatures? I'll be shooting mainly indoors with the lights so should I get something different. I hardly know anything about all this so I really thank you all for the help. I will probably buy a couple CTO and a few CTB, I should be able to get by with those right?

EDIT: If someone could point me to a good site to buy bulbs from, or a link to maybe a better bulb than the one I have listed, that would be great. I don't have any idea of what is good and what isn't that is why I humbly came to you guys haha
 
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LATEST UPDATE: I just bought two clamp lights last night, and two 200 Watt bulbs running at 2600k temp. These were all I could find at my local hardware store. I also bought two sets of barn doors off of Cool Lights. They came in really fast. :) Now I just need a couple gels and a couple diffusers. Are these diffusers okay? There are no pictures on the site so I have no idea what any of it is...

http://www.filmtools.com/leedifsheetx.html
 
You're looking at sheets of diffusion material. You'll need something to attach them to your lights. The cheap way is with wooden clothespins.
 
Yeah, I can get some clothes pins. Okay I have everything else lined up to buy except for my light bulbs. One question...

Should I get different light bulbs for each light? One strong, one medium, one weak etc? Or should they all be the same then just diffuse them?
 
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