DIYPhotography.net Photography and Studio Lighting

I love it when a bunch of DIYed hacks make into a compete lighting solution. We've had our share of Walmart hacks, PVC pipes, Clamplights and fluorescents all came into use one way or another. Nick Koch brings it all together in a home made video.

Also don't be alarmed if you see cloth hangers, car shades and (a personal fav) some Velcro. Movie right after the jump. (Volume is a bit bouncy, but definitely worth the watch, even on mute).

As part of the ongoing Studio @ Home series, I asked DIYP readers, what is your favorite photographic light. 

By that question I meant what is the light source you love most when you are taking pictures. Strobists you can cheer, but it was a close match. Again, thanks for all who voted and commented, it helps us learn about the trends, and makes a great community feeling.

Results and some thought after the jump.

This self portrait on the left by Reuben Krabbe was taken (believe it or not) by Reuben Krabbe. Now, I know that you know that time/space fabric will tear if a person is present at two different places in the same time.

So, once we remove the impossible option we remain with the possible option - Pocket Wizards. 

Until today there was only one way I knew of to put starts in my eyes - to get a hefty blow to the jaw from the guy you just shot candid.

Until today, that is. Until I saw Laya Gerlock's amazing Stars Ring Light.  Fortunately for us DIYers, when Laya heard what we need to get through to see stars, he agreed to share the making of this beautiful modifier.

While I've done some considerable efforts to disconnect the Gordian knot between bodily functions and lighting, my efforts are futile once and again.

Visit Tony's excellent picture tutorial for the quickest toilet gridspot ever.

Click image for larger version on flickr

Of course, you can always make your snoot in a more conventional way - with a cooling grid or coroplast (or heavens forbid, buy one).

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Yesterday I posted a cheat sheet that tried to question the applicability of the Inverse Square Law (ISL) on the way we use portable flashes I called this post The Inverse Square Law Cheat Sheet - Myth Busted.

The post stirred up a great conversation from which I learned about Light, some physics and some in camera processing facts. But mostly I learned that it is great fun to experiment and to share your findings. It definitely helped me get my knowledge to a higher level (at the small price of throwing a way my totally wrong fringy and conventions breaking experiment.

UPDATE: This Experiment is all Wrong. I should hit my head on the same wall I used to measure reflected light off. Some great comments about what went wrong, and great discussion going on - I posted the main points here.

Have you heard about the Inverse Square Law? It's the law that says that light intensity falls the farther you move your light from your subject. It also tells you that if you move your light to be twice as far it will fall by 4 (the square of 2). if you move the light three times as far, it will fall by 9.

We all swear by that law. The only thing is this law does not apply to the way most of us use flashes.

I'm gonna explain this in a beat, but first here is my newest cheat sheet. (I love cheat sheets. If you are as senile as me, you can print them and then pop them up later and look really smart).

Just got word from the great guys at Wix. They've been working hard on adding features and templates to better suit us photographers. (If you just want the coupon, skip to the end :)

We reviewed Wix in the past and were very pleased, we're even more pleased with the addition of the new features.

On the last installment of S@H lighting we covered the usage of LEDs as a light source. While LEDs give you great control over your light, there was something missing. Power. The next step up with lighting can be using work-lights.

After doing nothing but moving pausing for a short while to let everyone suck in the goods on Studio @ Home, we're going to continue to explore lighting options. We already discussed LED lights, and we'll be exploring worklights, strobes and big guns next. Till then, I'd love to hear what you use for lighting your pictures. 

If your answer is not on the list, let us know via the comments.

The other thing is that we are going to have a new assignment on S@H. get your cameras ready. And now on with the entrée. 

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