Photographers- need some help! | GTAMotorcycle.com

Photographers- need some help!

rmemedic

rmemedic

Well-known member
Well, I have done lots of shooting sports with my t1i. Usually outdoors. I'm comfortable setting up my camera to get good results for it.


Im doing something different in a couple weeks. It will be an indoor shoot of the typical bikes with a "model". Its basically a big indoor bay with fluorescent lighting. Will be done at night so I can control the amount of light.

Ill have a borrowed remote flash with a diffuser which I have no experience with. The backdrop will be my race trailer or just some white or black sheets.
I should have access to extra fluorescent tube lights that I can position for extra light if needed.

This is just a fun thing with the new gf, she is a bit shy to try but I know it could look great.

Any advice is appreciated.

Oh, and yes, if this works, pics might end up on the forum.
 
Those fluorescent lights won't get you the desired look. You need more power. Either studio strobes or more than one speedlight.
 
How about some of those halogen flood work lights?
Dont exactly have lots of equipment to get my hands on.
 
Floods might work, just make sure your WB is set to the right K.

If you can pick up another 1 or 2 flashes that would work aswell.

Just play with it and have fun and always tell her she's doing awesome so she loosens up. Don't give her too many instructions or correct her too much or else she won't feel comfortable and shell freeze up and look even worse.

Good luck
 
Set exposure to take a decent picture using just your fluorescent/halogen lights (I don't recommend mixing types, it just makes problems). Use the remote flash you have to fill in holes in your light. Obviously this isn't ideal, but it gives you a good start. You could also try more stylistic shots (i.e. use one of your extra tube lights on the ground between the trailer and bike and your remote flash to light the model, if you can get it to work, the bike will be in silhouette). . Overhead fluorescent lights are probably your enemy in this whole exercise, they will make the pictures look decidedly meh. Use whatever moveable lights you have and just keep playing around until you find something you like.

Your model may be more relaxed if you present it as her hanging out while you learn something new with the camera. She won't be worried about every shot counting because you don't care about every shot counting.

Have fun, post pics.

I am assuming you are still up north but if you are in the GTA, I can lend you some lighting gear.
 
Set your WB to the fluorescent or halogen lights...use only one type. Then gel your flash to match the colour balance.
 
Thx guys. Yep I'm still up north so I'm pretty much on my own.
Ive done a bit of reading and figure that with being creative I can get enough light. There are some shots I want that I only need one light source for (like the one half illuminated and the other half dark) shot.
i know fluorescents suck, so maybe I'll do this in the day and use the sun to my advantage. I have basically a 20' long south facing window that will allow lots of light in and then use the flash with diffuser to fix the bad shadows?

She knows I'm not a pro, I plan on this being basically a fun thing; let her have a good time and I'll learn some new stuff.
 
rmemedic said:
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Its basically a big indoor bay with fluorescent lighting. Will be done at night so I can control the amount of light.
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Sorry, I didn't get it. Is this actually indoors or outdoors?
I am not 100% sure you can really control the ammount of light, unless you have the equipment.
I suggest a tripod, a very still model, and use longer aperture. If you leave the Rebel to use Auto mode, it will try to use a high ISO, which could result in grainy shots - so use Aperture Priority AE (Av) and the tripod. Have you used a tripod before? do u have one?
 
Roasted said:
Are all the photos gonna be posted or are you holding on to the ones taken once the top (and possibly bottom) comes off?
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Well for the sake of keeping things out of TT and for the sake of keeping my gf, there will be no nudes posted lol.

MarcosSantiago said:
Sorry, I didn't get it. Is this actually indoors or outdoors?
I am not 100% sure you can really control the ammount of light, unless you have the equipment.
I suggest a tripod, a very still model, and use longer aperture. If you leave the Rebel to use Auto mode, it will try to use a high ISO, which could result in grainy shots - so use Aperture Priority AE (Av) and the tripod. Have you used a tripod before? do u have one?
Click to expand...
i can't remember the last time I used auto mode. I usually figure out what settings I need, and managed some good shots from the stands at the Toronto supercross. With my cheap set up, it took a while but I got the settings figured out. Hard to do with fast objects in low light from a distance with smoke in the air.

This is inside. It's a big mechanics bay. I think the lighting isn't the long tube fluorescents, but those big round pot lights. There's plenty of soft day light in there during the day, so I can try to use it to my advantage.
I do have a tripod to use. It's not fancy but it is sturdy.
 
rmemedic said:
Well for the sake of keeping things out of TT and for the sake of keeping my gf, there will be no nudes posted lol.


i can't remember the last time I used auto mode. I usually figure out what settings I need, and managed some good shots from the stands at the Toronto supercross. With my cheap set up, it took a while but I got the settings figured out. Hard to do with fast objects in low light from a distance with smoke in the air.

This is inside. It's a big mechanics bay. I think the lighting isn't the long tube fluorescents, but those big round pot lights. There's plenty of soft day light in there during the day, so I can try to use it to my advantage.
I do have a tripod to use. It's not fancy but it is sturdy.
Click to expand...

Perfect! I suggest using the tripod and see how it goes... also, take the camera off the tripod too, try handheld and compare the two.

For example, taking photos of children (who won't sit still) in low light is challenging, but if you have a subject that cooperates then you can get some great shots... other people already posted some good suggestions above, I like the idea of getting another flash if you can

good luck and let us know how it goes
 
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if the room has big pots they are probably sodium lights, they show a green/yellow in the end product, flourescent is yellow/green. Both are sort of bad. Incandesent is just yellow glow, the daylight balanced aren't, they show pink.
They make flourescent photo lights, they are a pain as well.
You should have a white balance setting in your camera, look at the online manual for where you want to be. Auto will give you a very muted picture. The color balance can be done post production, but you need the software and its easier to start with an decent shot.
shooting against a white trailer is going to produce a back glow and reflection thats hard to control. Use your flash, more if you have it to fill and balance the room daylight. With a couple umbrellas you can control the light pretty well.
Those foil survival blankets make great reflectors and give a really crisp look.
The true beauty of digital is you can run a hundred shots and the cost is minimal.
Mixing light source is a pain for white balance and color control, but it's what differentiates the professionals. They also have 20k of post production software backing them up....
 
If you don't have access to strobes, and the most powerful lights you have a re halogen worklights, see if you can get a large (4x4 or 4x8) sheet of foamcore, and bounce the lights off that, rather than aiming them directly at the model. Don't have any of the fluorescent house lights on at all. If you don't have stands this may be difficult, but you can try and rig something up. Good luck with it ;)
 
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