Light tent question

[Mike]

I'd like to start doing some still-life work, using a light tent. I've
looked around a little bit at the equipment that's available and it seems
that a decent light tent can be bought quite cheaply. The main expense seems
to be in the lighting.

I'd like to buy a pair of lights with fully adjustable heads and use
daylight temperature bulbs. I'd be interested to know what others in here
recommend using - do I really need to buy the purpose-made lighting rigs?

Thanks

[David Dyer-Bennet]

"Mike" <noot...@yahoo.co.uk> writes:

In these days of digital, dispense with the "daylight temperature".

For critical work, the mismatch of consumer-grade bulbs will still be
an issue. Very little work, it turns out, is actually that critical.
For the rest, a custom white balance will do the trick. So a couple
of cheap 500-watt halogen worklights will be your friend. Except for
the heat. But they're cheap and bright. Or 3, you might well need
more than 2.
--
David Dyer-Bennet, <mailto:dd...@dd-b.net>, <http://www.dd-b.net/dd-b/>
RKBA: <http://noguns-nomoney.com/> <http://www.dd-b.net/carry/>
Pics: <http://dd-b.lighthunters.net/> <http://www.dd-b.net/dd-b/SnapshotAlbum/>
Dragaera/Steven Brust: <http://dragaera.info/>

[bob crownfield]

for perspective, check http://www.alienbees.com/
and http://www.white-lightning.com/

strobes are far cooler, and stop any motion,
which may eventually become of interest to you.

the tent can be a premade tent, or can be cheaply
improvised out of white sheet, white paper and or white Styrofoam,
and white PVC pipe.

>
> Thanks
>
>

[[BnH]]

If you have the time and patience and room :) , buy from your local hardware
store those pvc water pipe.
Join all the together and mount sail cloth on each side.

or if you are going down with full studio light with softboxes, those
'infinite' table like the ones sold by Manfrotto for its still life table is
VERY good.

They take up space, but it produce much diff result compared to a simple
light tent.

I recently play around with mine and following are the result[s]
http://etienne.multiply.com/photos/photo/1/88.jpg
http://etienne.multiply.com/photos/photo/1/90.jpg
http://etienne.multiply.com/photos/photo/1/92.jpg
http://etienne.multiply.com/photos/photo/1/94.jpg

Light setup : 4 Nikon speedlights set at M 1/8 power on left, right and
back. the 4th set at 1/32 to command its siblings.

=bob=

"Mike" <noot...@yahoo.co.uk> wrote in message
news:druftg$fbb$1...@nntp0.reith.bbc.co.uk...

[Steven Campbell]

"[BnH]" <b18[at]ii[dot]net> wrote in message
news:43e39088$0$31205$5a62...@per-qv1-newsreader-01.iinet.net.au...

> If you have the time and patience and room :) , buy from your local
> hardware store those pvc water pipe.
> Join all the together and mount sail cloth on each side.

Like this http://www.pbase.com/wlhuber/light_box_light_tent

> http://etienne.multiply.com/photos/photo/1/92.jpg

You might have cleaned the dirty marks off the grip first ;o)

[Gene Palmiter]

Rather than sail cloth I use a dollar store shower curtain.

--
Thanks,
Gene Palmiter
(visit my photo gallery at http://palmiter.dotphoto.com)
freebridge design group

"[BnH]" <b18[at]ii[dot]net> wrote in message
news:43e39088$0$31205$5a62...@per-qv1-newsreader-01.iinet.net.au...