Quick Lighting Question

afaloth · Jan 19, 2012

Basically, would these type of lights be ok for a basic 3 point lighting setup? they are only about £10 each, dont have the money to fork out on a complex lighting set up.
http://www.wirelessconnections.gy/images/portable_worklight.jpg

Rayandmigdalia · Jan 19, 2012

They will work, but they are made to sit on the floor. You will need to have the lights at
eye level or above. Look for the clamp lights, which attach to anything and are much
cheaper.

afaloth · Jan 19, 2012

ah i see, thank you very much! ill have a look into it

afaloth · Jan 19, 2012

this kinda thing? http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Ikea-LAGR...Lighting_SM&hash=item3f11b8d2e5#ht_500wt_1054

knightly · Jan 19, 2012

Nope, this kinda thing: http://www.amazon.com/Woods-82839-Tight-Grip-Clamp/dp/B000BQU6IY
The smaller plasticy ones will melt with slightly larger bulbs in them (you'll quickly learn that 60watts isn't that bright)... and these specific scoop lights have a bolted knuckle rather than the friction ones that fall apart and end up costing you more in the mid to long term.

Add some DIY barndoors to these (coollights.biz has patterns for this) and you're good to go. Most of these handle up to a 250w bulb... which is a bit more heat than normal spray paint can handle, so if you choose to paint them so they don't reflect light around the set, make sure you get a high-heat flat black paint for that.

wheatgrinder · Jan 20, 2012

my first light kit was old drum cymbal stands with scope light clamped on. Works fine.

Gonzo_Entertainment · Jan 20, 2012

Auto Engine or exhaust paint works well for lights, good up to 600 degrees or so.

MTsquared · Jan 28, 2012

I use the ones knightly suggested, but I got mine for around $5 here, then a $1 bulb. You can get a few of them for cheap and set them any where you want. You can put diffusers over them or leave them plain. Great for soft lighting because they can clamp onto anything almost.

afaloth · Jan 31, 2012

I've been looking about for them clamp lights for a while that knightly suggested, but as I am in the UK I am having trouble finding them, and dont fancy how to pay the huge VAT and import fee's of buying from the US, I've find some different variations of the portable ones i posted above, they're are more or less the same, but on a telescopic stand which extends to 1.8m, would that work equally as well?

knightly · Feb 1, 2012

If you go to a farm supply store, you can generally find "Brooder" lights that are for providing warmth to chicken eggs... the cheaper ones are basically the same thing as clamp lights.

afaloth · Feb 5, 2012

Thanks a lot knightly, I've finally been able to find them, found some nice 250w ones as well, thanks for all your help!

knightly · Feb 6, 2012

no worries!

afaloth · Feb 7, 2012

Uh oh another dilemma haha, I have just found more of them portable work lights, but these ones are 500w, double the clamps I found and have an extendable telescopic stand - http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/500W-TELE...s=63&clkid=6167840121982178724#ht_2115wt_1202

Would these be better than the clamps? Easier to use and give a better light quality?

afaloth · Feb 7, 2012

also these http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/400W-Port...ighting_SM&hash=item35b7fadc09#ht_1067wt_1037

and http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/400W-TWIN...s=63&clkid=6167929322806335479#ht_1677wt_1037

knightly · Feb 7, 2012

I have a bunch of these... they're great to work with as well, although they seem colder to me (color wise -- they're HOT!!! we used one as a heater on a shoot in the middle of winter). The smaller lights can get closer to your subject and will throw a little less light around the rest of the set, but the larger lights will get the light farther away and make less of a "hotspot" on the subject. Buy a couple of each, I guarantee you'll find times to use them.

afaloth · Feb 8, 2012

Haha, the hotness of them has already persuaded me, gonna need something to warm up the set, save some heating bills too maybe haha. Thanks a lot, I think i'm gonna for 2 of each for now