Do you guys know if I can use natural light only with backdrops outdoors, or will I need to transport the lights too? Thanks for any advice!
2012547
I use the backdrops with just natural light all the time. No need to transport the lights too. I even use the backdrops indoors with just window lighting as well for infant portraits.
1865542
I was making an outdoor backdrop. When it was early morning and in the shade with no back lighting it worked fine. But assoon as the sun would hit something bright in the background or the sun came out and hit the back it showed real bad. I did not test to see how it work if the sun was hitting the front.
738211
These lights will work great for any background. When you dont have that natural light or you want to improve the light you have.
1149412
I just bought a 100in screen for $80 or so, but its so bright it wont matter what background really and yes u can use outside, just make sure that no dust or water can get on it, plus 3d is amazing, no joke! Friends are jellooooooo haha, hooe this is helpfull....
719633
I did think that the backdrop should have been more substantial. I actually put something behind it so that it was not transparent. But I did have it set up in front of my living room window. I also had an addition problem. One of the lighting units does not work properly. Sometimes it will come on when I flip the switch then other times it won't. There appears to be some sort of circuit problem. Is it too late for me to exchange that lighting unit for another one.
1942947
These lights were meant to use indoors. You can use it outdoor, but it must be completely protected from the elements. Water damage will also void your 2 year warranty. We hope this helped! Happy Growing
1520477
Dump the crappy CFL's and use proper photo-floods. I use 500w photo floods and make sure the umbrellas are not super close. This is a really good-value-for-money setup. It won't last a million years but if you are doing casual shooting, occasionally, it is just fine.
1098579
yes... just needs to be unplugged... I have red on the house and green on the grass. The red lights (I have two illuminators) have to be a distance from the house in order to maximize the lights. So for me I have them by the bottom of a tree by the sidewalk... so they can get stolen. The green lights ( I have two of these also) are up high on the house focused down on the grass. So the greelna tree ones are a bit harder to steal as you would need a ladder. I hope that helps
1601394
I have my film on a west-facing window (I live in Phoenix). I had a couple of young succulents on the window sill for a few weeks but had to move them outdoors for more light. Depending on the light needs of the plant and which direction you face you might be able to do it.
2001224
Nope but I did notice however LED lights are more effective as additional lighting. Mixing HID lighting or flourscent with is the way to go in my opinion. I've noticed better results and more natural growth. Pretty light tho- it's pink. You can use them by themselves tho too. I would recommend one plant per 135 watt ufo. Once you have 3 or 4 going it can get a bit noisey tho. Low heat is nice
341551
In moderately lit indoor conditions, it looks perfectly fine. The darker you get, the less quality it is (obviously, ;D). For example, I'm in a room with no lights, a single window, on a rainy and cloudy day. The small amount of light coming in is surprisingly enough for the camera to get a decent picture (but I wouldn't want to film anything professionally without first turning on some lights). You can adjust the exposure yourself, which does improve the quality to an extent, but over exposure looks rather funky (on any camera). In the end, it's A-OK for a moderate to poorly lit/naturally lit room. Any darker than that and the camera has trouble focusing and getting decent quality. There are also several pre-set lighting conditions too which are rather useful. Combining those with manually white balancing and adjusting the exposure myself, I was able to greatly increase the quality of the picture compared to the auto-settings. But of course, the camera really is at it's best on a sunny afternoon. The picture quality is great when you're filming outside or in a well lit room. If you have any other questions, feel free to shoot!
980892
With no lighting and no flash, it will be dark. No way around it. try using better lighting. I shoot underwater, and movies are great.
1581943
This is a very subjective question with a lot of variables. I am an artist myself with a large studio. The 10' ceilingIs not the problem, the light distribution is. Four lights is definitely insufficient. My studio is 17' x 30' and I have18 of these LED lights. But again, enough light, is a very personal issue. Make a temporary hookup and test.
2196248
Yes, it's a specific kind of lighting, but I use it for short videos almost every day and it creates soft natural looking light. They are kinda flimsy, not very weighted or strong, but work for my purposes, because they basically stay put in a studio. Good luck...
59789
I agree with all of the previous answers.... keep out of moisture! ambient light is critical... I use it for the dance floor in front of our band and sometimes just as a backwash.... works fine for this both indoors and outdoors depending on how much other light is coming in
1960473
I use these lights for some green screen work - You have four total lights and can flick off half. Also careful use of the light diffusion cloths helps. Be sure to light the background separately from your foreground. I light my sets differently depending on the effect - not know you goal these are some general principles: Make sure your backdrop is as smooth as possible. If you have a more dynamic background you have a more complicated lighting scheme (I sometimes light up bookshelves and the shadows are hard to chase. For my green screen I soften the light with both diffuser cloths. I also can get a softer light by only using one bank of lights. Lighting the screen a couple degrees below your subject keeps you from bouncing light from the screen/backdrop and back to your subject creating harsher shadowing. Just not too dark or shadows will be cast there as well. Try to place your subject as far as possible from the screen/backdrop to avoid shadows. If you are forced to do up close raise your lights and move them to the sides as much as possible. Sometimes I also use a light to bounce back light (small LED lights that I cover with a green gel that I picked up from Harbor Freight for cheap) on the subject from behind to more clearly define my subject. One final bit of advice - avoid your subjecting wearing green or use a blue chroma key if green is needed I keep making this mistake when I am more concerned about the action....I hate the number of rookie mistakes I have made along these lines and ended up reshooting.
2096775
A candle and box of matches can be used as a backup. Okay that's a joke, BUT in my experience all except for the darkest scenarios, available light exposures yield better photos than the flash.