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Coloured lightbulbs for background

  • 05-02-2012 08:45AM
    #1
    alowe
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 347 ✭✭


    I'm hoping to take a few photos of the kids, and while I have a white background (white paper roll), I'd like to be able to have different colours on the backgrounds. I have a flash gun, but thats all for flashing lights. Apart from that, all I have are uplighters or spotlights or lamps, that I was going to use to light the room.

    I'd like to have some red, blue or other colours as the background, but don't want to obviously have to buy coloured roll, and I don't think my sheets would work that well .... We had our photo taken once in mothercare, and they shone a purple light onto the background (but i'm not sure if this was attached to a flash, or what.)

    Anyway, my question. If I buy coloured lightbulbs and put them into a spotlight to shine on the white background will that work? I've read about gel colours - will these work on the flash gun (just to make sure my terminology is right, this is an extra flash that fits on top of my dslr.) and will they give enough colour? If I buy crepe paper, could I put this over a white light shining towards the white background and it'll change its colour?

    I hope the above doesn't sound too stupid. I'm basically looking for the cheapest way to get different coloured backgrounds.

    thanks for any guidance.


Comments

  • #2
    mehfesto
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,277 ✭✭✭mehfesto


    Heya,

    You could get these guys:
    http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/727554-REG/Cokin_FGK15500A_Photogel_FLASH_Filters_5.html

    They're small gels designed for flashguns. They come with velcro strips to attach to them. They'd be ideal for what your after.

    They give enough colour depending on the scene. If you've a controlled environment, i.e. you can control all the light in the scene, you should be fine. But I find I have to have my flashs' zoom at it's widest angle and consequently, the flash at full power when I use these guys. That or have two flashes on the background. That's because I've my model lit up from the front with a softbox, and my studio isn't big enough for me to have my lights as far back as I'd like them to be!

    If you're lighting your model seperately, it might be worth looking into a grid for a softbox for the model-light. Itll stop the light hitting the background and give you more control overall!


  • #3
    Kenny Logins
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,060 ✭✭✭Kenny Logins


    These guys on ebay do great flash gel kits, and deliver very quickly.

    http://www.ebay.com/itm/STROBIST-FILTERS-PRO-STARTER-PACK-X15-LEE-FILTER-FLASH-STROBE-PHOTOGRAPHY-SET-/280818695842?pt=UK_CamerasPhoto_CameraAccessories_CameraFlashUnits_JN&hash=item4162193ea2#ht_11301wt_1002

    That kit ^ is mainly correction filters but they a wide range of colours for effect too.


  • #4
    ThOnda
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,699 ✭✭✭ThOnda


    I have few colour gels, but I am having issue with inconsistency of luminosity, due to the small size of my flash and close distance between the flash head and the background.
    Still good enough for head shots and messing with macro.


  • #5
    alowe
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 347 ✭✭alowe


    Thanks - I was thinking of those gels, but just wasn't sure that i'd get enough colour (or any colour) onto the background, as the flashgun is on the camera, I don't have a seperate flash.

    Kenny_logins - i'll look at buying those tomorrow, as they're not that expensive.

    Should I look at getting something that will allow the flash to go off at a distance away from the camera, as my thoughts would have been if the coloured flash is on top of the camera, then the model will also get the colours bounced off them?

    I'm thinking I need to experiment a bit too!


  • #6
    pixbyjohn
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,250 ✭✭✭pixbyjohn


    Which camera and flash are you using cos some DSLRs have a built in flash trigger for off camera flash.


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  • #7
    alowe
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 347 ✭✭alowe


    pixbyjohn wrote: »
    Which camera and flash are you using cos some DSLRs have a built in flash trigger for off camera flash.

    I've a canon 400d and nissin Di622. Just did quick look on google, and think I can't usr remote trigger with it. Am hoping that's wrong though.


  • #8
    Kenny Logins
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,060 ✭✭✭Kenny Logins


    alowe wrote: »
    I've a canon 400d and nissin Di622. Just did quick look on google, and think I can't usr remote trigger with it. Am hoping that's wrong though.

    Put it into slave mode, it will fire when it sees your on-camera flash.

    http://speedlights.net/2010/12/22/nissin-di622-ii-review/#Flash-Modes


  • #9
    alowe
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 347 ✭✭alowe


    Kenny Logins wrote: »
    Put it into slave mode, it will fire when it sees your on-camera flash.

    http://speedlights.net/2010/12/22/nissin-di622-ii-review/#Flash-Modes

    I don't have the mark II, so don't have those lights at the top, but will try this eve to see if it works, as it does have space for batteries.


  • #10
    Kenny Logins
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,060 ✭✭✭Kenny Logins


    alowe wrote: »
    I don't have the mark II, so don't have those lights at the top, but will try this eve to see if it works, as it does have space for batteries.

    It does have an optical slave mode.

    This video shows how it can be used (skip to 3:45) -

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GesYNhPCvoM


  • #11
    alowe
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 347 ✭✭alowe


    Much appreciated Kenny. I've just bought those filters too, so can't wait for them .... and then the fun will start!

    thanks again.


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  • #12
    oshead
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,131 ✭✭✭oshead


    Your best bet for getting rich colours is to underexpose the background a little. Even better if you can go with a dark grey background too. If you want soft pastel types shades you can do it with a white bg and play around with the power. A simple rule to follow, underexpose the background to produce stronger colour and over expose to produce a more pastel effect...

    Here's an example of one I did a while back
    444C6825324F4371AB5F803A0B104F36-0000322011-0002575227-00800L-1A79978134E2471CA007A8E91A85D2F7.jpg


  • #13
    alowe
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 347 ✭✭alowe


    Ok, i'm still after a bit of help ...

    I used the gels on the flashgun, and tried to position it in different places - but when pointed towards the white background, you could easily see the white part of the paper, i.e. where the flash hit. The surround was the colour I wanted - but possibly because I was now using my flash at the background, the subject wasn't well lit at all. I think maybe everything was too close to the background - is this the case? Oshead - exactly what you did is what i'm after.

    I went looking at the possibility of get 'studio lights', and saw a lot of sets on ebay for the 250e ish mark, which I'm tempted by, but then reading reviews from people on here, they might end up been a bad buy.

    All I want to do is get some nice studio type photos of my kids (who don't stand still and follow direction!). I can setup the white background, I have the lenses, I have the ideas for the poses, and I have the software for afterwards... but I think i'm falling down on lights. Is there one or two lights that I could buy that would do what I want? Would a cheap strobe light from china be fine or do I really need to go to the likes of gunns? Should I buy a 'barndoor' thing to give me the backlight, or with an extra light can I get the flashgun with the gels to do the same as oshead?

    Sorry for all the questions, its just something that i'd love to get sorted before the kids get too old :-)


  • #14
    ThOnda
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,699 ✭✭✭ThOnda


    Check if your flash gun has zoom head and zoom it out, to the shortest focal length, that will ensure the widest spread of the light. And also check whether you have any light leaks around the colour gels.

    When buying lights, you are buying the whole system: light, then more lights, bulbs, light modifiers that could be mounted on that light (reflectors, soft boxes, barn doors...) - you are not buying just one thing. It is investment that will most likely grow.

    When buying cheap, you should also consider possibility of service and spare parts (accidents happen). After that, you have recharge rate (how quickly you can shoot), life-span (how many flashes are covered by warranty and what is the design of the lights), not to mention stability of the light (if the settings keep constant, to allow you precise work with the lights).


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