Led lights + filter for natural light?
 

Hi guys,

I´m going to start a small personal project soon and the 2 main characters are always seated next to this big window. I really would like using the natural light that comes from it, but as the light moves I was thinking of getting one of those cheap led lights that come with a natural light filter. Do you guys think it could work?

thanks in advance

Rafa

Re: Led lights + filter for natural light?
 

Nope! An LED v the sun? It may work when the sun is low in the sky and weak, but there is a reason people use HMI to try to outdo daylight. I suspect you may see some of it's light, but a big window will be a predominant light source.

Re: Led lights + filter for natural light?
 

I forgot to say that the light that comes from the window is partially bounced from another building, giving it a more neutral whitish tone. Would a fluorescent light kit like this help?

http://www.tudoparafoto.com.br/media...ua-4-pe_as.jpg

Like I said, it´s a small personal project. There is no room for investing in something like an HMI, even if it´s just for renting.

Re: Led lights + filter for natural light?
 

Are you planning on using the led as a fill to open up shadows going into the window OR using it to "take the place of the sun" as it moves thru the window?

Re: Led lights + filter for natural light?
 

Open up the shadows without looking to artificial. Do you think the fluorescent light would be a more appropriate solution?

Re: Led lights + filter for natural light?
 

Yep, I do. Unless you are planning on some 1X1 LED panels I don't think they would be powerful enough to cover the shadows without being in the framing. the small one are just to weak to be effective at any kind of distance.

Re: Led lights + filter for natural light?
 

Thanks, Don.

Re: Led lights + filter for natural light?
 

Led lights do come in variety of brightness or should I say lumen/lux figures. In general the narrower beam, the brighter the light will become. That is why any led light fixture that has a wide and/to narrow field of coverage may show a huge difference in brightness when going from wide to narrow. That difference may be as high as 4 F stops difference depending on the angle of the beam. As a very rough guide, one may consider that a household 100 watt ( it consumes 100 watts from the utility company) light bulb has a brightness rating of approximately 1800 lumens emanating from it. Led lights are generally measured with a LUX rating at the standard 1 meter ( 3ft) distance as a brightness reference. It is not uncommon to see a led light have a whopping 10,000 lux at 1 meter when it projects a very narrow beam like 6-10 degrees. That same light would most probably have a 1200 lux rating if the beam was widened out for a larger area. A led light to be effective at say a distance of 4 metres ( 12 ft.) for daylight fill, would need approximately 1400 lux at subject surface which at 4 meter distance would require the led light to be 16X as bright ( the inverse square law of light) so 16 X 1400lux = 22,400 lux. Almost impossible to find one even remotely close to that UNLESS the beam angle is narrowed down or in the area of 10-15 degrees.Now you would have a powerful fill light for the shadows at a comfortable working distance and that beam would cover an area of approx 4 feet high X 4 feet wide. That would be the same brightness and coverage of a 1400lux light BUT at a shorter distance of 1 meter. The narrow beam was NOT creating more lumens but channeled all the lumens in a tighter area for a brighter surface lux value. Sunlight brightness, even through a window and reflected off another surface is a tough to deal with, perhaps a silvered reflector is sometimes best suited ( and cheaper) than a light source. You can even shut down existing flos or incans bu using this method. Then again, it depends on the given situation and effect desired.