Filters 'n Strobes

[tanzylynne]

Hi all,

I've gotten some really good recommendations and advice here, so I'm back for more.

I've been reading "Photographing Buildings Inside and Out" by Norman McGrath and have noticed that for interiors it is essential to have some strobe lighting to supplement and bring out dark areas in a room. McGrath mentions that he uses Starflash Balcar units with 3200 watt seconds of output. I'm looking for some additional recommendations, as well as some guidance on how to look for this equipment on the used market.

Secondly, it seems as though most of his pictures have some sort of filtering on them, and I'm beginning to think it's time to get some filters because I'm certain to encounter fluorescent light or some combination of daylight/tungsten lighting in my work. Anyone have a pick for filters that fit a Sinar F1? Also, what do you think about using Photoshop to correct lighting in some cases? Is it relatively easy to correct daylight on tungsten film (and vice versa?) In as many cases as possible I want it right on the slide/negative, but there are always times when you have to work with what you have, compensating in the print for what lacks in the film.

Okay, so that's a lot of stuff. Feel free to pick it over and respond to your favorite parts...

[Ron Marshall]

Hi all,

I'm looking for some additional recommendations, as well as some guidance on how to look for this equipment on the used market.

Secondly, it seems as though most of his pictures have some sort of filtering on them, and I'm beginning to think it's time to get some filters because I'm certain to encounter fluorescent light or some combination of daylight/tungsten lighting in my work. Anyone have a pick for filters that fit a Sinar F1? Also, what do you think about using Photoshop to correct lighting in some cases? Is it relatively easy to correct daylight on tungsten film (and vice versa?) In as many cases as possible I want it right on the slide/negative, but there are always times when you have to work with what you have, compensating in the print for what lacks in the film.

Okay, so that's a lot of stuff. Feel free to pick it over and respond to your favorite parts...

For used strobes look at Speedotron 4800 packs, the ones with the white toggle switches are the latest models. They go for between 700 to 900 on Ebay and will run up to four heads.

Filters attach to the lens not the camera. If you have mixed lighting it is probably better to use negative film, and then correct the color later in PS.

[Mark Woods]

I second the thought on Speedotrons. I have 4 packs and a Quad Head that packs a punch. If you're into lighting, realize that the strobes are about 5600*K. And local tungsten lights are closer to 2800*K & Quartz lights about 3200*K. Fluorescents generally have a green spike in them and are a non-continuous light source. They can be corrected locally to match day light (if they're cool whites or similar) and match the strobes. There is so much one can do with color interpretation that I'm going to stop here and suggest testing the waters with a digital camera and get some swatch books where the gels will cover the lens and see what looks good to you.

Good luck. It should be a fun journey.

[neil poulsen]

Hi all,

I've gotten some really good recommendations and advice here, so I'm back for more.

I've been reading "Photographing Buildings Inside and Out" by Norman McGrath and have noticed that for interiors it is essential to have some strobe lighting to supplement and bring out dark areas in a room. McGrath mentions that he uses Starflash Balcar units with 3200 watt seconds of output. I'm looking for some additional recommendations, as well as some guidance on how to look for this equipment on the used market.

Secondly, it seems as though most of his pictures have some sort of filtering on them, and I'm beginning to think it's time to get some filters because I'm certain to encounter fluorescent light or some combination of daylight/tungsten lighting in my work. Anyone have a pick for filters that fit a Sinar F1? Also, what do you think about using Photoshop to correct lighting in some cases? Is it relatively easy to correct daylight on tungsten film (and vice versa?) In as many cases as possible I want it right on the slide/negative, but there are always times when you have to work with what you have, compensating in the print for what lacks in the film.

Okay, so that's a lot of stuff. Feel free to pick it over and respond to your favorite parts...

I was able to take Norman McGrath's workshop in 2001. That's a while ago, but more recent than when he published his book. My question to him was, if he had it to do over again, what set of flash units would he get. He replied that he would purchase Dynalites. I've heard since then that he had used Dynalites in workshops, so he was familiar with them when he gave me that advice.

So, I purchased Dynalites and have been happy with them. Speedotrons are nice, but they're heavy. Dynalites are more suitable for location work.

Back to Norman, at that time he carried five heads and two packs, so he had a total output of 6400 watt-seconds. That's the power he needed for taking 4x5, matching inside and outside, etc. If he needed negatives, he used Fuji NPS (now Pro-S) for any daylight or mixed lighting situation. For most flourescent lighting situations, he used a 30 magenta to filter out the green. While he had one, he tended not to use a color meter. He had the most recent Canon digital camera, but we didn't spend much time on digital.

With all that said, in shooting and scanning negative film, I would want to use tungston film for tungston lighting situations and Pro-S for everything else. Thereafter, fine tuning color should not be a problem in Photoshop. In shooting and scanning slide film, I would want to use tungston for tungston and daylight for daylight, and choose the appropriate film for whatever type of lighting dominates in mixed lighting situations. (This is consistent with his recommendation at that time.) As with scanned negative film, one could use Photoshop to fine tune color in the scanned transparency.

And with all that said, While there are notable exceptions, most of current architectural is being done with digital. Filtering is being done in Photoshop, and not as much horse power is needed for lighting. One can more easily work with a highly dynamic situation. Plus, most clients want digital images. Etc.

How much architectural work do you plan on doing? How are you rendering the images, as prints or as digital? If it's significant amount of work, I would want to use digital. If it's less than that, one could shoot scanned film. Don't forget that one can shoot scanned medium format film using a roll film holder on 4x5, if the camera has a wide-angle bellows.

[tanzylynne]

Thanks for the responses. It sounds somewhat like what I expected - that a lot of the work filters have historically done can be done well in Photoshop, with many exceptions. I will definitely have to save my shekels for a few months before getting the lighting equipment, but in any case it's good to have some time to explore my options. Oh, and I also have to find some opportunities to practice interior photography.

Neil, to answer your question my primary reason for picking up LF was to do full HABS documentation. For archival reasons the National Parks Service and the Library of Congress must have at least 4x5 black and white negatives and contact prints in order to satisfy documentation requirements. This is why I really want the film to be right - there is no opportunity for me to fix things later on.

As I was out photographing my favorite commercial building, however, an architect from one of the city's oldest and best architecture firms wandered past and expressed interest in my setup. The encounter ended with an exchange of business cards so now I'm wondering if there might be potential for me to pick up current architectural work somewhere in the future when I have learned to work efficiently and skillfully (which I can assure you is NOT the case right now). Thus the questions about strobes and filters. Maybe if I do end up doing current architecture work it will be time to get a digital back or a DSLR with perspective correction lenses.

As a side project (and for practice, really) I'm shooting mid-century modern architecture in Riverside, CA. I'm using black and white film and afterward will colorize contact prints with photo oil in a technicolor-like palette. Ultimately I'd like to see the prints put up in the local art museum or some smaller gallery to engender some appreciation for modernism in this conservative city. It is step one to establishing a local modern committee dedicated to promoting and preserving the recent past.