Using "work lights"

[Ash]

I had to rush into town today to purchase a portable and convenient method of diffusing light for a few mug shots I've been asked to do. I bought a White diffuser brollie for the "hillbilly" digital lights I have (the cheapo sets you see advertised).



I'd love a set of Bowens or similar, but I can't afford them and right now won't be using them often enough. I've noticed some DIY Studio setups recommend worklights, replacing the bulb/tube inside for a pure white-output.


Has anybody here used worklights as modelling lights?

I'm tempted as £30 for a bright light made for builders seems a better option than £300 for a light I can't afford to replace the bulb on.


Also, this is tempting when viewing the outdoor/rechargeable light sources, as a convenient and almost throwaway option for outdoor portraits.



Opinions?

[Geert]

Ash,

you can use builders (halogen) lamps and bounce them on white foamcore or the ceiling as needed. Works like a charm for B/W. Output control is by placing them closer of further away.

De do get very hot after some time. In my garage studio I connected them in a plug with on/off switch to control the lights and keep temperature under control.

G

[Ash]

Geert,

Nice to know someone 'real' (as in, not just the author of an article) has tried it.

I've had the issue of locations being too cold, rather than too hot, so maybe it's both a curse and a cure :)

[Greg Lockrey]

The real difference between Lowels and work lights is how well the stipeling is on the reflector and the color temperature of the lamps themselves. If you're working B&W it's not an issue. If you are working with color, the color temp is something like 2800 kelvin vs 3200 for Lowels if memory serves. You can check that with polaroid.
BTW,750 watt might look like a lot of light, but you will be in 1/2 to 1 sec exposures at f/11 ASA 100 film and that's pretty slow for portrait work.

[Geert]

Some months ago, I ripped the 2 lights of an AGFA Repromaster and those are now permanently pointed toward the concrete ceiling.
Besides those, I use a 250W builders light with a quite large diffusor (CAUTION: keep far enough from light -or heat - source!) and an el cheapo continuous daylight source from Walimex on a wall mounted moveable arm.

It keeps me happy and exposure times are in the 1 second at f16 @100ASA range but I don't do portraits in the garage :)

G

[BrianShaw]

Nice to know someone 'real' (as in, not just the author of an article) has tried it.

I'm "real" too (or at least I like to think so). Same goes for me... I've used both halogen work lights and regular flood lights, but only with B&W.

[Ash]

I believe there are suitable bulbs with neutral colour temperature, but they may cost more or be more difficult to get. I have seen them on the articles though.

I totally understand what you say about the power output. That's why I thought I'd ask, since they may be fine for fill, or else double up for more power.

[Frank Petronio]

If you are scanning you can usually color correct daylight color negative film but you sometimes get cross-curves depending on the color of the room, textiles, and reflectors. The problem usually stems from the fact that you rarely are usually only one consistent color temperature source when you're doing something "down and dirty" and mixing different color temperature light sources really confounds your color corrections. It's not only the bulbs that can be different but the materials used to bounce the light around can influence the color temperature. Even the clothing matters. And at least with the older color neg daylight films, I felt you gave something up with the color palette when you made an extreme color shift/correction.

So shoot B&W ;-)

Digital seems more forgiving, I shoot color digital with tungsten all the time. But, when I get sloppy and mix light sources, as I am apt to do, it gets difficult if not impossible to make the color of various shots (from the same take) match and be consistent. That is the big challenge of shooting people on location for catalog projects... and why most good photographers stop messing around and just crank out high quality strobes (consistency and speed is what you're paying for when you upgrade the strobes).

FWIW, with my various Lowels -- only 350 or 500 watts -- I rarely have people complain about the heat except when it is already above 80F. Often I will switch them off for a spell to let things cool, and if I know it will be warm, I bring a fan along (which works wonders for hair if used right.)

I use 400 ISO and can shoot 1/125-1/30 at f/5.6-8 all day long in a hotel room or umbrella/background/chair, using one or two bounced lights.

[Vaughn]

If anyone is working in a very cold environment, or need the extra light, I have a bunch of 1000W FHM (3200K) halogen lamps for either trade for 750W (EMD) or 500W (FDN) lamps, or for sale.

The Lowell Tota Lights use to be rated for 1000W, but are now rated for "only" 750W. The Tota lights I have for student check-out are rated for the 1000W, but the students tend to melt them into slag accidently.

Vaughn

[Kirk Gittings]

FWIW, as an architectural photographer, for fill light we never use 3200k color correct halogen bulbs, but always use the hardware variety. They are much cheaper, seem to last longer and are closer to the color of household incandescent and the halogen in commercial buildings. We then, with film, filter at the camera or with digital do a custom white balance. In addition to our Lowell lights (8 Tota and 2 Omni) we also have a fleet of small work lights when we don't need as much control) that we use for supplementation, lighting big exteriors for twilight shots etc

[SampleMeagan]

I've used work lights before and hung a white sheet infront of them. It's a bitch but it works well enough for black and white.

I mean, it was so much a bitch that I stopped worrying about lights and went back to solely natural light.

[Skorzen]

Sometimes you can find used studio strobes for cheep, might be worth keeping your eyes open to see what pops up on the market (craigslist can be a good source in the US, I don't know about the UK).

[Harold_4074]

I've used work lights before and hung a white sheet infront of them. It's a bitch but it works well enough for black and white.

A large, flammable piece of anything hanging vertically in front of a very hot light is an invitation to disaster; one try with a setup like this was enough to send me out looking for good, used studio strobes.

It can be done, of course, but by the time you have put enough effort into ensuring that nothing combustible will fall, sway or blow into contact with a hot light, you could probably have arranged something safer. A bedsheet in front of a large window is one of the best, if it suits what you are attempting.