Studio Portraits with Large Format

[AtlantaTerry]

A tracking modeling light is one that changes brightness when the strobe settings are changed. My 4803 pack has no provision for changing the level of the modeling lights. They're always full on or off, no matter how many watt-seconds will be used during the flash. My 805 packs allow me to manually turn down each modeling light according to the power that the flash will be for that head. Fancier lights do this automatically. The advantage of tracking lights is that you can set them by eye, taking only a reading for the key plus fill. If the modeling lights don't dim in sync with the strobe settings, then you have to take reading of each light, and the image might not look like it does on the back of the camera.

Actually one does not need "fancier lights" for tracking. Any Alien Bee strobe from Paul Buff, Inc. will do it. I own seven.

$225 Alien Bee 400: https://www.paulcbuff.com/b400.php

All of the Bees: https://www.paulcbuff.com/alienbees.php

Sorry, swmcl, but I do not know what is available in Oz.

[Noah A]

They're also called proportional modeling lights, and I agree that they're very handy. My key light is often at full power, but it's nice to see the effect of th e other lights. Especially since the days of polaroid proofing are over for the most part.

I thought this was a pretty standard feature these days on most studio strobes.

[Peter De Smidt]

It probably is standard. My Speedotron units are likely 20 years old or more. They're heavy, bulky, and basic....but they're also super heavy duty, very reliable, fast recycling, high output, inexpensive used, and there's a ton of reasonably priced accessories for them, and they can be easily repaired. I like them. When I worked at the Kohler Company photo studio, they had Speedo packs that were at least 30 years old still giving reliable daily use.

[mdarnton]

This thread got me to grazing Ebay and Craigslist to see how cheaply I could pick up one single 1200 or 2400WS light, to get me down to f/22 or 32, but thinking about it, it seems like there must be a special place in hell for people who fire those things off four feet away from their portrait subjects. Is is not as bad as I think, or am I right about that? I know I don't much like shooting self-portraits with my little 300WS things.

[Peter De Smidt]

Well, as an assistant, I've had these things get set off in my face from a foot away. That's no fun. I'm thinking of you, Jeff L.! The key is to have a lot of lights on so that people's pupil's are small when the flashes are fired. The bright 250watt modeling lights on high help. This is how it was done for decades. As long as the sitter isn't especially sensitive, it should be ok. When I come down to Chicago next, I can bring a pack and head so that you can see for yourself. I can tell what a speedo pack is set at by sound. At full power they (4803 packs) make a whaaaamp!

In your softbox, you might only need a 102 head with a 805 pack. I'll test mine with a 48" Fotodiox Octobox tomorrow.

[mdarnton]

Thanks. I'll be interested in that.

[swmcl]

Cheers to those who responded to me,

Terry, Oz has the same mains voltages as Europe pretty much. So I've imported kit from the UK.

My kit has some Bowens 1500ws and 1000ws. Neither have tracking but variable modelling lights. At present, I don't have anywhere to shoot so I used the back porch the other day. Results are being posted back to me this week.

[swmcl]

Personally, as I don't have an acceptable digital camera, I am waiting for something to crop up so I can use it when doing a shoot. I think that I'll be able to measure each light separately with the flashmeter and set them up without the subject present (usually my impatient kids) then use the digital camera for fine tuning. The digital camera is a very distinct advantage here I would think.

I've got a feeling that one would arrange a studio and be shooting a similar light set-up most of the time. For example, taking shots of various family members or paying customers would be the same, or very similar, each time. There is the full body - vs - head and shoulders variation that would be the greatest difference I guess.

Steve

[mdarnton]

I think you may find that a digital camera initially will not tell you what you need to know--they have a way of working somewhat different than film. I find that if I use what looks good in the digital camera I underexpose, consistently. That's my experience, anyway. However, for years I didn't use a meter at all, and now that I have one, I hardly ever use it. After you get a feel for how they work, the nice thing about strobes is that they do the same thing every time, especially in a studio.

The photographer I worked for in high school had tied a length of string on each of his lights and would set the lights to various knots on the string, which represented specific exposures and lighting ratios. It was fast, and reliable.

[richardman]

I am now using a pair of Acute 2 at 1200Ws, but I used to use Acute E 600Ws. I like to use a giant softbox, so F11 is the most I ever use and I typically use F8. Of course, usually I take at least half body portraits. Anyway, I can't imagine taking studio portraits at F22!!