various Lowel topics

Michael Wisniewski · February 5th, 2007, 07:31 PM

As a general rule of thumb, you could use the Rifa as a key, the Pro as a hair light, and the Omni or Tota for your background. But that's just a starting point. As Ralph pointed out "it depends" not only on the situation, but on the person lighting the scene. Give your kit to 10 different people, and you could end up with 10 different viable setups.

I prefer DVD learning over books, so I'd recommend:
DV Enlightenment - A comprehensive look at lighting techniques and equipment.
Light It Right - Watch a master lighting pro in action. Worth it to see Victor Milt's gears turning as he lights. He simplifies the process by focusing on key principles and experimentation.

Also, the DVeStore at DV creators has several short & free demos by Guy Cochran.

John Hewat · February 7th, 2007, 03:41 AM

Thanks guys,

I'm considering DV Enlightenment. But I was wondering if it (or others) are specific to the Lowel lights?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Michael Wisniewski

As a general rule of thumb, you could use the Rifa as a key, the Pro as a hair light, and the Omni or Tota for your background. But that's just a starting point. As Ralph pointed out "it depends" not only on the situation, but on the person lighting the scene. Give your kit to 10 different people, and you could end up with 10 different viable setups.

I prefer DVD learning over books, so I'd recommend:
DV Enlightenment - A comprehensive look at lighting techniques and equipment.
Light It Right - Watch a master lighting pro in action. Worth it to see Victor Milt's gears turning as he lights. He simplifies the process by focusing on key principles and experimentation.

Also, the DVeStore at DV creators has several short & free demos by Guy Cochran.

Carlos E. Martinez · February 7th, 2007, 11:36 PM

Have a look here:

http://www.efplighting.com/

The basic lighting situations are very well dealt with, and you might learn how to start.

IMO you should begin by learning the basic qualities of each spot. Start with lighting one person, following the instructions on that site, using hard and soft light.

Use one spot only at first, so you can see the light working on your subject, and how it accentuates several features.

Then add a second spot to lower contrast. Look at the results on a TV screen, if possible edited one after the other.

Then add a spot on the background, and watch to see how a backlight or hairlight helps or not to separate your subject from the background.

Lighting two persons is not different from lighting one. You just have less freedom to put the lights around. Sometimes using one subject's frontal light to work as backlight for the other subject.

Follow the simple setups on the site and you will learn a lot.

Carlos

Noel Evans · February 8th, 2007, 08:28 AM

So now you have the lights what do you do? Learn to use them of course :P

Anyway for something thats a pretty useful tool to understand the basics, or for another perspective for pros, I recommend the Walter Graf DVD's. I have disk one and two.

http://www.bluesky-web.com/new-pagemerchandise.html

Bill Davis · February 8th, 2007, 05:26 PM

Good advice here.

As a contributing editor for a major consumer video magazine, I did digital video seminars all over the country for years - one of the lines I enjoyed delivering most was when I reminded my audience that your equipment doesn't make the video - YOU DO.

We somehow understand that buying a piano doesn't make ANYONE a pianist. But we still somehow confuse being able to PURCHASE a cool camera or a nice light kit with the ability to shoot or light.

So congratulations on your new tools. Let the learning begin!

My advice is to concentrate not just on HOW to do things, but to try and uncover the WHY of things.

Why do people who are really good a lighting talk as much about THE SHADOWS as they do about THE LIGHT?

Why do they spend so much time looking at the areas where the light BECOMES shadow.

What are they seeing there that helps them understand not just THIS light, but ALL lights.

Get a subject and turn on ONE light. Any light. Move it around. Look at the picture. What effect does moving a single light have on how the audience perceives the subject. With one light straight ahead - does it look like a flat and boring drivers license photo? Is that what you want? When you move the light off, what happens to the shadow from their nose? When the light gets WAY far over, do they start looking sinister?

How about a single light from above? Or below?

If you don't like the nose shadow from one light, and you add another light, do you simply get twice the problems with TWO unpleasent shadows instead of one?

Keep asking yourself questions like this, and keep reading and learning and in a few years, you'll look back on the work you're doing now and wonder "what was I THINKING!"

Just like everyone here has (and continues to do) every day.

Enljoy the journey.

Carlos E. Martinez · February 16th, 2007, 09:54 AM

I practically made up my mind to buy this portable light to use with my Sony Z1.

Has anyone used it and didn't like it, or has anything to comment about it?

Carlos

Waldemar Winkler · February 21st, 2007, 06:37 PM

It is a reduced in size modification of the pro light. I've used them for years, and really like them. Caution. they do get hot.

Ralph Keyser · February 22nd, 2007, 01:04 PM

I don't use on-camera lights very often, but I've owned one of the I-lights for years and found it to be a great little light. Chimera makes a micro-softbox that works very well on them, and I've also just clipped a little diffusion over the barndoors with good results. The built-in dimmer is a huge help, just be aware that it goes a little orange (as all tungsten lamps do) as you dim below 50% or so. I've also found numerous uses for it as a lamp in situations where cabling is a challenge, such as the glow of treasure inside a pirate's chest.
A valuable little light, and I'd recommend it.

Carlos E. Martinez · February 22nd, 2007, 01:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ralph Keyser

I don't use on-camera lights very often, but I've owned one of the I-lights for years and found it to be a great little light. Chimera makes a micro-softbox that works very well on them, and I've also just clipped a little diffusion over the barndoors with good results. The built-in dimmer is a huge help, just be aware that it goes a little orange (as all tungsten lamps do) as you dim below 50% or so. I've also found numerous uses for it as a lamp in situations where cabling is a challenge, such as the glow of treasure inside a pirate's chest.
A valuable little light, and I'd recommend it.

Thank you all for your comments.

As it was taking time for the comments to come, I went ahead and bought one. All based on my past experience with Lowel products. Fortunately I seemed to have been right.

As I am thinking ahead, I may not be using it many times over the camera, particularly because I think it's a bit too tall. But it might fit well on a tripod or even on a monopod, just by the camera. I bought several accessories which will let me do several combinations.

I also just bought a softbox for my Ianiro Lilliput that might go well with the i-Light too. I am not buying the dimmer, as I don't think I will need one, with the barndoors and all that. I did buy the diffusing glass.

One thing I intend to try are those MR16 lamps that carry 42 LEDs.

February 5th, 2007, 07:31 PM	#46
Michael Wisniewski Wrangler Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Makati, Metro Manila Posts: 2,706 Images: 32	As a general rule of thumb, you could use the Rifa as a key, the Pro as a hair light, and the Omni or Tota for your background. But that's just a starting point. As Ralph pointed out "it depends" not only on the situation, but on the person lighting the scene. Give your kit to 10 different people, and you could end up with 10 different viable setups. I prefer DVD learning over books, so I'd recommend: DV Enlightenment - A comprehensive look at lighting techniques and equipment. Light It Right - Watch a master lighting pro in action. Worth it to see Victor Milt's gears turning as he lights. He simplifies the process by focusing on key principles and experimentation. Also, the DVeStore at DV creators has several short & free demos by Guy Cochran. __________________ "Ultimately, the most extraordinary thing, in a frame, is a human being." - Martin Scorsese

February 16th, 2007, 09:54 AM	#51
Carlos E. Martinez Trustee Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Rio de Janeiro, Brasil Posts: 1,138	Lowel i-Light I practically made up my mind to buy this portable light to use with my Sony Z1. Has anyone used it and didn't like it, or has anything to comment about it? Carlos

February 21st, 2007, 06:37 PM	#52
Waldemar Winkler Major Player Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Durango, Colorado, USA Posts: 711	It is a reduced in size modification of the pro light. I've used them for years, and really like them. Caution. they do get hot. __________________ Waldemar

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February 7th, 2007, 11:36 PM	#48
Carlos E. Martinez Trustee Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Rio de Janeiro, Brasil Posts: 1,138	Have a look here: http://www.efplighting.com/ The basic lighting situations are very well dealt with, and you might learn how to start. IMO you should begin by learning the basic qualities of each spot. Start with lighting one person, following the instructions on that site, using hard and soft light. Use one spot only at first, so you can see the light working on your subject, and how it accentuates several features. Then add a second spot to lower contrast. Look at the results on a TV screen, if possible edited one after the other. Then add a spot on the background, and watch to see how a backlight or hairlight helps or not to separate your subject from the background. Lighting two persons is not different from lighting one. You just have less freedom to put the lights around. Sometimes using one subject's frontal light to work as backlight for the other subject. Follow the simple setups on the site and you will learn a lot. Carlos

February 8th, 2007, 08:28 AM	#49
Noel Evans Regular Crew Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Tokyo, Japan Posts: 157	So now you have the lights what do you do? Learn to use them of course :P Anyway for something thats a pretty useful tool to understand the basics, or for another perspective for pros, I recommend the Walter Graf DVD's. I have disk one and two. http://www.bluesky-web.com/new-pagemerchandise.html

February 8th, 2007, 05:26 PM	#50
Bill Davis Trustee Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Scottsdale, AZ 85260 Posts: 1,538	Good advice here. As a contributing editor for a major consumer video magazine, I did digital video seminars all over the country for years - one of the lines I enjoyed delivering most was when I reminded my audience that your equipment doesn't make the video - YOU DO. We somehow understand that buying a piano doesn't make ANYONE a pianist. But we still somehow confuse being able to PURCHASE a cool camera or a nice light kit with the ability to shoot or light. So congratulations on your new tools. Let the learning begin! My advice is to concentrate not just on HOW to do things, but to try and uncover the WHY of things. Why do people who are really good a lighting talk as much about THE SHADOWS as they do about THE LIGHT? Why do they spend so much time looking at the areas where the light BECOMES shadow. What are they seeing there that helps them understand not just THIS light, but ALL lights. Get a subject and turn on ONE light. Any light. Move it around. Look at the picture. What effect does moving a single light have on how the audience perceives the subject. With one light straight ahead - does it look like a flat and boring drivers license photo? Is that what you want? When you move the light off, what happens to the shadow from their nose? When the light gets WAY far over, do they start looking sinister? How about a single light from above? Or below? If you don't like the nose shadow from one light, and you add another light, do you simply get twice the problems with TWO unpleasent shadows instead of one? Keep asking yourself questions like this, and keep reading and learning and in a few years, you'll look back on the work you're doing now and wonder "what was I THINKING!" Just like everyone here has (and continues to do) every day. Enljoy the journey.

February 22nd, 2007, 01:04 PM	#53
Ralph Keyser Major Player Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Albuquerque, New Mexico USA Posts: 287	I don't use on-camera lights very often, but I've owned one of the I-lights for years and found it to be a great little light. Chimera makes a micro-softbox that works very well on them, and I've also just clipped a little diffusion over the barndoors with good results. The built-in dimmer is a huge help, just be aware that it goes a little orange (as all tungsten lamps do) as you dim below 50% or so. I've also found numerous uses for it as a lamp in situations where cabling is a challenge, such as the glow of treasure inside a pirate's chest. A valuable little light, and I'd recommend it.