Help needed for understanding studio set up!

[new2industry]

Hello there, I am very new to this site and am in need of some advice on setting up a portrait studio.

I have a purpose built studio, with two bowens esprit 500 heads and one bowens esprit gemini 500 head lights. I have a 3m wide white vinyl back drop with a standard room ceiling height. I currently have all my lights set on tripods. I have been advised to use the two esprit heads to light the high key back drop (with soft boxs - not yet purchased) and the gemini to use as the fill light positioned by the camera. My camera is a Canon Digital SLR D60.

I am really struggling with setting up the lights to the correct f/stops. I have got a prolinca lightmetre but am getting terribly confused as to how I work it. I seem to be getting really low readings on the light metre, and think I am doing this all wrong.

Is there anyone who can help and talk me through the absolute basics on how the light meter works and how the reading is then used to set up the lights. I do have a remote sync for the lights.

I appreciate this is a big topic to answer, but any advice would be gratefully received.

Thank you

[Peter_AUS]

I have the bowens esprit 500 setup. The gemini is the portable system isn't it.

What settings are you using on the cameras ?

Have you got your camera set to manual mode ?

How are you connecting the Bowens to the cameras. Remember the Safe Sync Voltage of the Bowens is about 15V so you might need to check what the SSV of the D60 is to not cause any problems with the shutter of the camera over time.

I started using mine, setup at f/8 1/125 manual mode.

Are you using the softbox or the umbrella ?

Move the light (one only to start) to 45 degree angle with the subject facing towards the light about 6 feet away.

Take an image and see what it looks like on the computer. The camera screen can give you wrong info by looking at the capture than on computer screen.

If too dark, move the light closer to the subject.

Try that for a starting point.

[JCPhoto1]

Your right it is a big question for a simple answer. I noticed your question on another forum too and I'll send this reply there too. The advice you got about using the two lights for the background is right. You don't need to use softboxes to light it though. Just use them on either side with only their reflectors on. Postion them a few feet from the background placed so they evenly cover the background with their light. You test the coverage with the meter. Hold the meter against the background facing out (with the dome up) and take readings all over ther background area while firing the lights. Check the readings until you get consistant readings in all positions. On the background don't ever go more then 1 stop over your shooting aperture. If you do you'll get light spill onto your subject or etching around the subject and it will effect the exposure. For your main light (this is where a softbox will work best) hold the meter under the chin of the subject pointing the dome at the camera. Do this with all your lights on and that will be your taking aperture.

To be specific about your question The background lights create the high key look but aren't your key or main light so the flash at camera isn't a fill it's a main. Use the single light as a main off to either side of the camera a few feet as a main/key. Then use a reflector for your fill. The fill can be placed near the camera. You''ll have to experiment to get the lighting you want. If this wasn't clear enough please ask any further questions that might pop up.

[new2industry]

[QUOTE=JCPhoto1]

Hi there,

thanks for all the advice so far. I have one more problem, when my lights are set up the back drop is pure white which is great. However I am getting light spill to the sides of my subject. I have the back drop with two lights with soft boxes but the light spill just ruins the photo. The studio is 3.5 mtres wide and my back drop is 3 mtrs wide. Is there the chance that the light is bouncing off the walls, should I be controlling this? (the walls are a light colour with satin finish). It doesnt matter what settings the lights are on, I still get some degree of light spill.

I am nearly there with this set up, but without knowing how to reduce the lightspill I am struggling.

Any advice would be gratefully received

[Trevor Ash]

Hi, I didn't read the whole thread, just your final response. The spill is best controlled by moving the background (and background lights) as far as possible from the subject. This eliminates the spill. The only other way(that I know of) would involved way too many panels to shield the subject from the background light.