• 02-17-2009, 02:49 PM
    John Q. Camera
    Budget Lighting and Setup for Home Macro?
    I need some help trying to figure out how to take pictures of small objects when there's no outdoor light available. We've been using sunlight for a long time, but the long New England winters with short days make this an undependable light source at best.

    We've tried halogen lights, "daylight" incandescent bulbs and they both stink - halogen's too yellow and the daylight bulbs are too blue. Not to mention the hard shadows they throw.

    We also have a cheap fabric photography tent to use as well.

    What kind of inexpensive lighting can we use to take a good quality pic without having to fuss with the color in (GiMP, Photoshop, Lightroom, whatever...) and try to make a guess approximating the object's real color on the screen? What other accessory might we need to get that good lighting? BTW, we use no flash for taking these pictures.
  • 02-17-2009, 04:03 PM
    OldClicker
    Re: Budget Lighting and Setup for Home Macro?
    Here is what I use. Cardboard box with trash bags over the cut-outs and three (two sides & top) 100W daylight fluorescents. Do you have a camera with adjustable White Balance? – TF

    http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/l...SC00128600.jpg
  • 02-18-2009, 03:01 PM
    John Q. Camera
    Re: Budget Lighting and Setup for Home Macro?
    No, unfortunately it doesn't. It's a simple point-and-shoot.
  • 02-19-2009, 05:04 PM
    Don Kondra
    Re: Budget Lighting and Setup for Home Macro?
    A minimum is inexpensive clamp on work light reflectors and these bulbs.

    Cheers, Don
  • 03-05-2009, 07:25 PM
    John Q. Camera
    Re: Budget Lighting and Setup for Home Macro?
    Don,

    Do you mean the 5500K lights or one of the others on the page?
  • 03-05-2009, 07:53 PM
    Don Kondra
    3 Attachment(s)
    Re: Budget Lighting and Setup for Home Macro?
    I mean the 5500k Compact Fluorescent Light bulbs, the first three on the page, you decide what wattage suits your needs.

    At a minimum I would go for 45w side lights and a 27w top light using the clamp on reflectors, with or without the light tent but with a paper backdrop.

    If you are handy you could make barn doors or a softbox for the reflectors and go for the 85w bulbs, that should give you plenty of light.

    This is a shot in a light tent, gray paper backdrop and two 65w CF bulbs in 10" reflectors from the sides. The bulbs are 4100k but I can adjust for WB in raw... basically this is just to show you what can be done.

    Attachment 64979

    Attachment 64978

    The next step up would be purchase multiple head reflectors, I have two that hold four bulbs, I've seen a model that holds five bulbs.

    Attachment 64980

    HTH, Cheers, Don
  • 03-07-2009, 03:14 PM
    John Q. Camera
    Re: Budget Lighting and Setup for Home Macro?
    Thanks for the tips everyone, when I get around to ordering some of those bulbs I post some pics of a subject. It might be a bit though.