Location lighting tips: Drinks Factory

I have to go to a drinks factory to take photos but am not sure what to use for lighting, realising how badly lit factories are.

I need to take lots of shots showing the factory at work, including: machinery (some shiny), factory workers in action, warehouses, control panels. I use a canon digital SLR but the built in flash may be too harsh. I have two small studio flashes but they may be pain to move around the factory, electricity sockets may be limited and the lights may not be powerful enough. I have budget to buy a good "on camera flash", would this be the solution? Are the studio flashes the answer? I realise a slow exposure and tripod would be suitable for static subjects.

I would appreciate any help...

I don't have much experience shooting in factories, but I can tell you that trying to creatively light a place like that with flashes would be a MAJOR HASSLE. I'd think you would need a lot of equipment and a lot of time setting it up...

One distinct advantage of using a DSLR is the White Balance feature. With this in mind I think I would try 1K hot lights to throw large areas of light around, then balance the WB so the color looks good. Plus, you can see the results, both when you shoot, and then on the camera screen afterwards.

As for outlets, a long, industrial extension cord should make the job a lot easier...

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Originally Posted by simeywimey

I have to go to a drinks factory to take photos but am not sure what to use for lighting, realising how badly lit factories are.

I need to take lots of shots showing the factory at work, including: machinery (some shiny), factory workers in action, warehouses, control panels. I use a canon digital SLR but the built in flash may be too harsh. I have two small studio flashes but they may be pain to move around the factory, electricity sockets may be limited and the lights may not be powerful enough. I have budget to buy a good "on camera flash", would this be the solution? Are the studio flashes the answer? I realise a slow exposure and tripod would be suitable for static subjects.

I would appreciate any help...

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What style of photo is the final product supposed to be? I can envision two very different types of photos for this job. One would use small strobes, motion, and mixed light. That's what I'd push for. The other, very still and evenly lit, would require lots of lights and probably multiple exposures or Photoshop comped images. If you can get them to agree to the first type of photo, you could do it with slow-synch and one or two Canon 550s. That's how I'd want to do it. I also think it would be more fun to shoot that way and the results would be more interesting. I would not trust the job to the built-in flash, though. It just doesn't put out enough light.

a 550 & 2 420's (all with diffusers) would be good.

My first reaction (if it were me) would be exactly what you said. I suggested the hot lights becuase I figured if he wasn't already experienced at flash and blur, that project might be a tough place to try it for the first time...

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Originally Posted by Photo-John

What style of photo is the final product supposed to be? I can envision two very different types of photos for this job. One would use small strobes, motion, and mixed light. That's what I'd push for. The other, very still and evenly lit, would require lots of lights and probably multiple exposures or Photoshop comped images. If you can get them to agree to the first type of photo, you could do it with slow-synch and one or two Canon 550s. That's how I'd want to do it. I also think it would be more fun to shoot that way and the results would be more interesting. I would not trust the job to the built-in flash, though. It just doesn't put out enough light.

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The shots would be for publicity and ultimately an annual report - so slightly abstract stuff is good but I need the "if all else fails - banker shots". I could take the small studio flashes and a bigger one. The flash and blur would be great for conveyer belt stuff and workers in action.

At the end of the day I need a good mixture of creative stuff and clear shots to fall back on if the creative stuff don't work. :)

Do you think a decent flash gun on the hot shoe would be a good thing to use for some shots?

I've seen a lot of industrial photography using mixed color lighting coming from long exposures and several pops from a flash with contrasting gels on them. I think gels might also work with your machin-operator shots as they would throw a different light onto your worker/the machine, etc.

Remember to go and check out how the factory's lighting is going to show on your LCD. If it has a natural "orange" tone (like mercury lamps) or a natural "green" tone (like flourescents) then adding a daylight-balanced flash will create a different color than the rest of the factory's lighting.

Just a few thoughts.