Sunday, 24 March 2013

Photography week 9 - The Studio

On Fridays lesson we shot in the studio using highly technical equipment. I made the following notes on my mobile along with photographs to trigger certain memories for when I next use studio lighting.

General Memory Notes


  • 50mm lens = wide, 80mm = standard. 

  • There are little nobs on pro tripod to drop it down low. Two handles - one for tilt and pan. Can turn it onto its side into portrait mode. The metal plate that holds camera has an arrow with 'lens' underneath - point it to lens on camera. 
  • Barn doors to clip on to lights. Make light directional. Also there are floor mounts for back lights (in 3 point lighting system) to twist onto! 

  • Must use stairs to put lights up and use metal contraption to twist light on. Must use 'lanyards' too twist onto light - stops it from dropping if metal contraption fails. 
  • Snoot = focus hard light! Directional. Honey comb filter diffuses light even more! Need clips and clamps. Examples below (snoot left, honeycomb right)


  • Lighting table can be used for still life shots in the studio. 
  • There are also Light tents for product shots. 






  • Look at photo above of Summer with histogram - Tall white sections either side reflects the white background of shot - darker part = clothes. 

  • Turn all lights out apart from back light and meter white background/reflective surface for a reflected reading as Paul is seen doing in the photo above. If it meters as f. 8 then background will be mid grey. (Concurrent with The zone system shades of light - either side of mid grey) 3 stops brighter = white. We are shooting over all at f. 8 and so we should make the background 2. 5 Fstops lighter (3 may be too strong and give Summer- the subject- a halo) 
  • 2.5 f stops above f. 8 = 16.5. Put soft boxes over lights (seen in photo's above). 

  • Screen on studio lights (seen above) merely represents flash power and not f.stops. We just need to know that flash power goes up and down to match the f stop that you set for the camera, from the light meter reading you got from the persons nose. 

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