The Language of Advertising
Alice Wilson
Studio and Lighting
Health and safety is important when working in the studio, this is because you are working around plenty of electrical equipment, cables and lights, which can be highly dangerous if not respected properly.
There are simple rules that are to be applied when working in the studio which are important to abide by. These include-
-No liquids and no food.
-No shoes on the cove.
-Keeping a tidy and organised space, cables and leads neat and tidy (try and tape to floor if possible)
-When leaving the room turn everything off, check for tidyness and lock the door.
The image to the right at the top is the BX 500 lighting kit. this is used in the studio for flash lighting to get the perfect effect. On the back of this light there are different settings. Including-
-Mains inlet socket.
-On and off switch.
-Modelling lamp fuse.
-The button with the green symbol is the open flash/test button. -Digital multi display and charge/discharge indicator.
-Eye-cell on/off.
-Eye-cell receptor.
-Power up & down buttons.
-Modelling lap on/off
-Modelling lamp up & down buttons.
-Tilt head with extra umbrella fitting.
-Handle with support for spare fuses
-Standard hand socket 5/8 inch.
-Centered umbrella tube for EL umbrellas- 7 mm diameter
-Knurled clamp screw.
With the ability to use different attachments on to the studio for example, soft boxes, umbrellas and different shaped add ons; gives you a wider range and helps you to achieve the desired effect.
Light Meters
A light meter is a device that measures the amount of light. In order to calculate the correct exposure in a photograph, photographers use a light meter to dermine which shutter speed and f-number should be selected for the exposure depending on the lighting situation and film speed.
Light meters are also used in cinematography and scenic designs in order to determine the right light level for a scene.
The first type of light meters were called extinction meters which contained a row of neutral density filters of increasing density. The photgrapher would put the light meter in front of the subject and would note the filter with the greatest density that would still allow incidental light to pass through.
Studio Add Ons
These are many different types off add ons for the studio lighting. The images to the side are two of my favourite add ons to use when working in the studio. The first image is a soft box which creates even, diffused light and makes a softer and less harsh feel to what you are photographing. The second image is of a reflective umbrella, this helps the light to spread making it even. This add on is perfect for beauty lighting, creating the perfect tones in your images. There are other extentions including beauty dishes and snoots that I do enjoy working with in the studio to help set different moods for each setting I am trying to achieve.
Reflectors are also commonly used in studios and they can be used in a range of different ways to get different effects with your images. Black reflectors absorb light while gold relfectors create a warmer skin tone. White reflectors are basic reflectors to help bring more light on to the subjects being photographed.
Sky Port
A sky port is used to connect the lighting equipment to the camera through radio channels.
Frequency one- Make sure all the switches are set in the downward position.
Frequency two (cove lighting)- Make sure the first switch from the left is up however the second and third switches down.
Frequency three- Set the first switch down, the second switch up and the third switch down.
Frequency four- Set the first and second switch up and the third switch down.
When working in the studio the lights are set to frequency two.
r=Radio Reciever.
r1=Radio Reciever ON. ro=OFF
r2=Multiple Signals.
These are a few images to the right that I have shot in the studio with different kinds of lighting to experiment with different moods to create charismatic atmospheres. I started using two soft boxes on a low level of lighting to try and achieve softer tones and not as much shadowing. I think this would be my favourite source of extention to lighting as it creates an equal overall coverage. The soft box creates smooth tones which is an element I would like my final images to have.
Further down on my contact sheet I have experimented with a snoot. I really think that this extention creates a striking and theatrical effect and I certainly feel that this is unusual and alluring however I have decided that this will not be something I will use when shooting final images. Despite that, I would definitely like to experiment even further with this extention.
For my next shoot I am planning on shooting purely for photoshop reasons, to give me practice and I have planned to shoot real made clothes by the fashion course to put all my skills to work.