For most photographers, the pressing question is how to create high-quality studio light. Since it is often missing from the window, and stationary lamps do not give the desired result. You can make studio lighting yourself. Simplicity and low budget remain an important factor.
Home photo studio
Most often this great amount expensive equipment in large room. However, if you wish, you can assemble your own portable studio light kit by spending a minimum of money on it.
To do this, you need the following equipment: a camera (with lens), synchronizers, flashes and holders for them, batteries, stands, umbrellas, softboxes, modifiers, backgrounds and, of course, bags to carry and store the entire instrument.
What is studio light like?
The role of lighting in the world of photography is invaluable. With its help you can convey mood, depth, emotions. The most powerful source in the studio is considered to be key light. It’s just not worth using, as the contrast is too great, and half the object ends up in the dark. You can correct the situation with fill light. This will make the shadows smoother and less noticeable.
To get a more ideal picture, you need to add backlight. It will give visibility, the object will be visually separated from the background. Place it behind the model.
There are also types of studio light such as pulsed and constant. Let's look at each of them.
Pulsed light
Such a source provides much more power than a constant one. Even if you compare them by cost, size, and other parameters. Why is this happening? Because constant lighting, while the shutter is open, should reflect photons from objects in the lens all the time. And pulsed studio light accumulates enough energy within a short time and instantly releases it in large quantities. Which will make it easy to beat the sun. Because photography requires a brief moment.
If a large amount of energy is needed for work, this is the best option. A pulsed light source can illuminate a room as if it were a sunny, clear day. At the same time, it will weigh only 100 grams and fit freely in your hand. It is more convenient to use pulsed light when shooting outdoors. Of course, fluorescent lamp tubes do not fold very compactly, and they need to be protected from impacts. The power source is conventional batteries.
Pulsed light is emitted by flares and pilots. They are connected to the camera by a synchronizer. There is only one drawback - selection large quantity heat. The consequence is huge energy consumption.
Constant light
The main sources are LED and halogen lamps. They do not communicate with the camera, which is very convenient to use. Despite the fact that pulsed light, at first glance, is superior to constant studio light, the latter also has its advantages. Using this type of lighting, the photographer will see what his camera sees. There are no restrictions on the use of light modifiers. Since little heat is released. Even without taking a photo, you can see the result simply by moving the light.
Working with him is a pleasure. No need to use a flash meter, shoot in manual mode. You just need to switch the settings until you get the desired result, adjust the camera’s ISO and aperture. Constant light is ideal for learning. The models will like it too. She will not be bothered by sharp flashes, she will just have to get used to very bright lighting.
DIY studio light
The most common attachment for lighting fixtures is the softbox. You can do it yourself. For this you will need:
- cardboard box;
- whatman;
- foil;
- halogen spotlight;
- lining translucent fabric;
- slats;
- knitting needles;
- glue;
- scissors;
- wire;
- nuts;
- hairpins;
- stationery clothespins.
A softbox consists of a frame that can be made from any (square or rectangular) cardboard box. On the one hand, you need to cut off the lid so that it is open. Then we make a reflective layer. To do this, we cover the inside surface of the box with white paper or foil. We will make a diffuser screen from translucent light fabric, covering the open side with it. The softbox has a two-layer case: outer (black) and inner (metallic reflective).
On opposite side screen, it is necessary to make a hole for a lighting device, which is a halogen spotlight. It is attached with wire.
If you need a large softbox for work, then its frame can be made from wooden slats and wire knitting needles. It should be noted that the frame on which the screen is mounted must be much larger than for a spotlight. The finished frame is covered with a cover. It can be made one-piece two-layer. So, it is easier to put on the frame, but it requires a lot of time. Separately we tighten the walls using stationery pins of different sizes.
The softbox is attached to the lamp leg. It is very important to turn it on only when shooting. Because the surface gets very hot. Homemade studio light is ready.
Power and quality of different types of light
For those who like bright, shallow-focus shots with an open aperture, constant lighting is ideal. Although it has little power. For shooting food, still lifes, products and static objects in general, it is better to use pulsed light.
As for quality, opinions on this matter are very subjective. However, constant light is more pleasant and soft.
Work principles
A photographer in a home studio must have everything necessary for shooting. This is it, the background, lighting fixtures, reflectors, attachments. But this is not enough. It is also very important to know how to work with studio light, place it correctly.
Main attributes:
- beauty plate;
- reflector;
- umbrella;
- softbox;
- reflectors;
- color filters;
- tube;
- honeycomb
Using a background reflector will help illuminate the background evenly. Will give sharp shadows, directional hard light. placed opposite the object being photographed. It gives soft directional (concentrated) light, which is complemented by diffused light. A softbox and an umbrella are used for this. You can install a lamp behind it (in the light) or use it as a reflector thanks to the white fabric on the inner surface.
Today, the most popular attachment among photographers is the softbox. The light is diffused and beautiful. Masters use octoboxes (large octagonal) and stripboxes (long rectangular). It all depends on the size, shape, distance to the object. For group shots, octoboxes are used, for portraits, and for full-length shots, stripboxes are used.
To change direction and color, photo reflectors are needed. They are also indispensable for single source studios. Photographers rarely use a spot (tube), since it can only illuminate a small detail.
Color filters are used to change the color of studio lighting. They are installed on the source, directed towards the background and this is how a photo is obtained in a halo. The color of the skin does not change. Honeycombs are used to simulate sunlight.
Monoblocks and generators serve photographers as sources of constant light. Experienced craftsmen choose generators. Although they are more expensive, they are easier to work with.
Synchronization and methods for doing it
Today you can buy a set of pulsed light in stores. This includes:
- rack;
- lamp;
- umbrellas;
- color filters.
The inconvenience is that it requires synchronization and connection to the camera. Otherwise the flash simply won't work.
Synchronization can be done in three ways.
- Transmitter (IR trigger).
- Radio synchronizer.
- Sync cable.
The IR trigger is a small box. Attaches to the camera where the flash usually is. It works on this principle: inside the candy bar there is a “trap” that catches impulses, which makes it clear to the flash: “It’s time to work.” Disadvantage - the infrared beam must be within the visibility of the device, like a remote control and a TV. Due to its inconvenience, this method is rarely used.
A radio synchronizer is more practical to use. Takes pictures from any place where the signal reaches. The principle of operation is the same as that of the transmitter, but it is based on radio waves.
An extremely inconvenient way for a photographer is a sync cable. Since the light source and the camera are connected by a wire, which will constantly get under the master’s feet.
Having decided on the synchronization, you need to configure the flash. It switches to manual mode. Power decreases. We do the same with the camera. The exposure of a frame is determined by a histogram or flash meter.
Handmade items fill the home with special warmth and comfort. In addition, they turn out to be exclusive. We offer an overview of lamps that will completely change the atmosphere in the room, turning into the envy of friends and relatives. Moreover, they are made from everyday items that are usually thrown away.
Cardboard bags for juices or other drinks are a fairly common thing in most homes. Most often it is thrown away. But Malayan designer Edward Chu spent a lot of time cutting them into hundreds of strips and making amazing lamps from them without a drop of glue, a simple origami principle.
Yaroslav Olenev proposed making lamps from disposable plastic spoons and became the winner in the Ecology and Design category from the Future Now magazine.
Natalie Simpson also found an equally original use for ordinary wooden hangers. But they look amazing in the form of a chandelier.
Kevin Champeny must be given his due; not everyone has the strength and patience to string 14 thousand bears to get a chandelier.
Tira Hilden and Pio Diaz have their own vision of the problem of housing lighting. Their lamps make the room look like a forest. All the walls come to life and turn into trees.
A talented welder, Matt Ludwig also turned out to be an excellent designer. For the restaurant "JJ's Red Hots" he made an incredible original chandelier from the old one drum set.
Texas artists Joe O'Connell and Blessing Hancock used parts from old bicycles to create stunning lamps and hang them in a tunnel under the highway.
It will probably be difficult to find a more original chandelier than one made from a pumpkin by a Polish artist. He carves stunning patterns into the peel that never repeat.
Lampshades made from felt hats from Jeeves & Wooster.
One day, Heather Jennings saw an amazing Rhododendron chandelier in a store, but it cost more than $800. Then the designer decided that she could do no worse with her own hands. For this she needed paper cupcake liners.
11. Chandelier for the kitchen
A chandelier made from ordinary metal tetrahedral graters will look incredibly beautiful.
Vases and candy bowls made from openwork napkins are still fresh in my memory. Now it's time to knit chandeliers.
A strange option is proposed by Fansua Lego, he believes that the most The best way storing cutlery is a chandelier.
A large cloud is cut out of wood, but the rest and the switch are made of cardboard.
Several globes can make a wonderful cascading chandelier, a great way to illuminate a flight of stairs.
I work in Kharkov, far from kedrofis and, accordingly, far from all equipment, light, cameras, stabilizers and drones. With the arrival of the cold season, it becomes more and more difficult to shoot outside, which means you need to move indoors. And today I will tell you how I made a homemade softbox with my own hands specifically for these purposes.
Target
In my case, the goal was quite simple: to make a convenient lighting fixture for photo and video shooting at home. Of course, going to the store and buying a couple of softboxes would probably be easier, but, firstly, it would cost quite a decent amount, and, secondly, it would take away the opportunity to make something with your own hands and remove the very DIY magic.
So the main criteria for what should happen in the end were as follows:
- budget, but without much fanaticism
- sufficient power
- foldable design for easy storage
- versatility of placement
Previously, I made a small light fixture from a tabletop “clothespin lamp”, two wire hangers, several sheets of A4, foil, a stapler and adhesive tape. And, naturally, a powerful fluorescent lamp was used, which I grabbed at some time on some promotion. My “Light Mark I” served me for quite a long time, but time has shown that the design of the lamp has a tendency to break, and, moreover, ordinary paper cannot provide sufficient rigidity for the reflective structure.
One more significant disadvantage The first incarnation turned out to be incoherent. Although the Mark I Light turned out to be quite compact, storing it was quite problematic, especially considering the fragility of the design. So now it's in a pretty bad state, although it's still pretty functional. IN new version I tried to take into account all the mistakes and not repeat them again.
Sources
To make the body of my future softbox, I decided to use the most ordinary cardboard box. In my case, its dimensions were 40 x 35 x 28.5 cm. You can buy such a box at the nearest post office or any other place where they pack something. The pleasure, by the way, is quite inexpensive.
Prototype
Naturally, before doing anything with the box, I needed to develop a prototype. I worked with the most ordinary A4 sheets, so the scale was approximately 1:5.
I want to say that if you were ever told that geometry is not useful in life, then here is a refutation of this dubious thesis. So if you've heard something like this, you can find your math teacher and, highlighting everything with a softbox, laugh in her face.
Once I was happy with the prototype, I moved on to cutting a full-size copy out of the box. In order to make the structure easily folded, secured and unfolded, I added small square protrusions, with the help of which the fastening will be carried out. But more on that later.
After the main parts were cut out, it looked something like this. Everything is coming together, which means we can move on to the next phase of the Light Mark II project.
In order to make everything easy to assemble and disassemble, I decided to use the most common Velcro. You can buy it at any fabric store that sells accessories. A meter was enough for me with a large margin, and I paid about $0.50 for it.
As it turned out, the square protrusions were not enough to hold the structure firmly, so two additional Velcro were needed for each of the joints. The protrusions can be used as fastenings for suspension or just conveniently to hold on to.
The lamp itself, which in my case is a socket on a clothespin, bought for about $4 at the nearest hardware store, is also attached to the interior wall with Velcro. To do this, a small area of leftover cardboard was glued to the lamp using hot glue.
Once the entire structure has folded and unfolded successfully, it's time to apply the reflective layer. For it I used ordinary food foil and PVA glue. Having spread the glue in an even layer with a brush, I laid out pre-cut pieces of foil on all internal surfaces, smoothed them out and let them dry. The result was quite impressive.
As finishing touches I attached a wire to each part of the lid, “covering” it with a layer of reinforced tape. This made it possible to secure them in any position if necessary. I use baking paper as a diffuser. white, which can be found in any supermarket. For now I'm still thinking about how to do better fastening for her.
Bottom line
As a result, I got a fairly powerful lighting device. All my requirements were met. It folds, it is budget-friendly, it is, as it is now fashionable to say, modular. I am more than completely satisfied with his work.
My plans are to blow out the Mark II Light with black paint on the outside to make it look more professional, redo the Mark I Light, and also make a Mark III Light, which I will also talk about.
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LED is a semiconductor device that allows you to convert electricity into light radiation. One 220 volt LED lamp allows you to save a huge amount of electricity. The savings are 2 times more than a fluorescent lamp and 10 times than an incandescent lamp. If you use parts from a burnt-out lamp to make such a lamp, you can significantly reduce costs. You can assemble an LED lamp with your own hands quite simply. But do not forget that for this you need to have the appropriate qualifications, since you will have to work with high voltage.
Advantages of LEDs
Nowadays you can find a huge number of types of chandeliers with LED lamps in shops. They have different advantages and disadvantages. Modernization of energy saving lamps allows you to take full advantage of fluorescent light. This applies to the most common lamps with an E 27 base. And the old representatives of this family were endowed with an unpleasant flicker. Fluorescent light sources are truly a miracle. Compared to them, incandescent lamps are losing ground very much. Their high energy consumption and low light output do not offset their high color rendering index.
Durability is their main advantage. Mechanically it is strong and reliable. It is known that its operating life can reach up to 100,000 hours. They are also considered environmentally friendly clean sources light, unlike fluorescent lamps, which, in turn, contain mercury. But as you know, fluorescent lamps have some disadvantages:
- The vapors contained in the pipes are quite poisonous.
- Due to frequent switching on and off, they can quickly fail.
- The design itself requires some disposal.
In order to remove this small minus and turn it into a good plus, you can build a lamp from an LED strip with your own hands. In this way, the cost of the light source can be reduced. It will be much lower than that of luminescent analogues . And also this lamp will have a number of advantages:
- The lamp life will be a record 100,000 hours, but only with proper assembly.
- Price homemade device no higher than that of a fluorescent lamp.
- The watt/lumen efficiency is far superior to all comparable products.
But there is also one drawback - there is no warranty for this product. It must be compensated by the skill of the electrician and strict adherence to the instructions.
Homemade lamps
There are a huge number of ways to create a lamp with your own hands. Using an old base from a burnt-out fluorescent lamp is the most common method. Such resources are available in every home, so there will be no problems finding them. You will also need:
In some schemes, one or two elements from this list may not be useful. However, in others, on the contrary, new chain links may be needed, for example: drivers or electrolytes. In each specific case it is necessary individually draw up a list of necessary materials.
How to make an LED lamp with your own hands
To begin installing the lamp, you need to prepare two damaged fluorescent lamps with a power of 13 W and a length of half a meter. There is no point in buying new ones, it is best to find old ones that don't work. But they must be checked for cracks and chips.
Next in the store you need to purchase LED strip. This must be approached responsibly, since the choice is very large. Tapes with natural or pure white light are best. Since they do not change the shades of surrounding objects and are super bright. Typically, these strips contain LEDs in groups of three. The power of one group is 14 W, and the voltage is 12 volts per meter tape.
After which you need to disassemble the fluorescent lamps into their component parts. You must act very carefully - do not damage the wires or break the tube, as this will release toxic fumes. All removed entrails should not be thrown away. They may be useful in the future. Next, you need to cut the tape into sections of 3 diodes. After this, it’s worth getting expensive and unnecessary converters. Large, sturdy scissors or wire cutters are best for cutting the tape.
In the end there should be 22 groups 3 LEDs or 66 LEDs, which must be connected in parallel along the entire length. To convert alternating current in constant voltage, it is necessary to increase the standard voltage of 220 volts to 250 in the electrical network. This is due to the straightening process. The next step is to figure out the number of LED sections. To do this, you need to divide 250 volts by 12 volts (voltage for 1 group of 3 pieces). Having finally received 20.8 (3), you need to round up - you get 21 groups. It is best to add another group, since the total number of LEDs will be divided into two lamps. And dividing an even quantity is much easier.
Next you will need a rectifier direct current, which can be found in the extracted insides of a fluorescent lamp. Using wire cutters, remove the capacitor from the common circuit of the converter. This action is quite easy to perform, since it is located separately from the diodes; you just need to break off the board.
Using superglue and soldering, it is necessary to assemble the entire structure. Don't try to fit all 22 sections into one lamp. As mentioned above, you need to find 2 half-meter lamps, since it is simply impossible to place all the LEDs in one. There is no need to rely on the self-adhesive layer, which is located on the back of the tape. He won't be able to last for a long time. Therefore, it is better to use superglue or liquid nails to secure the LEDs.
To summarize, we can analyze all the advantages of the assembled product. The amount of light in the resulting lamps is 1.5 times greater than in analogues. But the power consumption is much less than that of fluorescent lamps. The service life of this light source will be approximately 10 times longer. And also one of the advantages - this is the direction of light. It is directed straight down and has no ability to dissipate. Therefore, it will be best used at the desktop or in the kitchen. However, the light emitted is not very bright but has low power consumption.
Constant use of the lamp in the on state will consume only 4 kW of energy in a year. The cost of electricity consumed per year can be compared with the cost of a ticket in public transport. Therefore, such light sources are often used where constant illumination is required, for example:
- Street.
- Corridor.
- Utility room
- Emergency lighting.
A simple LED light bulb
There is another way to create a lamp. Desk lamp, chandelier or lantern needs an E14 or E27 base. Accordingly, the diodes and circuit used will differ. Compact fluorescent lamps are now common . For installation you will need one burnt cartridge, as well as an altered list of materials. Necessary:
Let's move on to creating an LED module with our own hands. First you need to disassemble the old lamp. In fluorescent lamps, the base is attached to a plate with tubes and secured with latches. The base can be disconnected quite simply. It is necessary, having found places with latches, to pry them off with a screwdriver. Everything needs to be done quite carefully so as not to damage the tubes. When opening it, you must ensure that the electrical wiring that leads to the base remains intact.
From the upper part with gas-discharge tubes you need to make a plate to which the LEDs will be attached. To do this, you need to disconnect the light bulb tubes. The remaining plate has 6 holes. In order for the LEDs to be firmly attached to it, you need to make a cardboard or plastic “bottom”, which will also insulate the LEDs. You need to use NK6 LEDs, they are multi-chip (6 crystals per diode) with parallel connection.
Because of this, the light source is super bright with minimal power. You need to make 2 holes in the cover for each LED. The holes should be pierced carefully and evenly so that their location matches each other and the intended pattern. If you use a piece of plastic as the “bottom”, the LEDs will be firmly fixed. But if you use a piece of cardboard, you will need to glue the base with the LEDs using superglue or liquid nails.
Since the light bulb will be used in a network with a voltage of 220 volts, an RLD2−1 driver will be required. You can connect 3 diodes of 1 watt each to it. This lamp required 6 LEDs with a power of 0.5 watts each. It follows from this that the connection diagram will be formed from two series-connected parts of three parallel-connected LEDs.
Before you begin assembly, you need to isolate the driver and board from each other. To do this, you can use a piece of cardboard or plastic. This will avoid short circuit in future. There is no need to worry about overheating as the lamp does not get hot at all. All that remains is to assemble the structure and test it in action. White light makes the light bulb appear much lighter. The luminous flux of the assembled lamp is 100−120 lumens. This may be enough to illuminate a small room (corridor or utility room).
Types of lamps
LED lamps can be divided into two groups: indicator (LED) - used as indicators because they are low-power and dim. The green lights on the router are indicator LEDs. There are such diodes on TV as well. Their uses are quite varied. For example:
- Car panel illumination.
- Various electronic devices.
- Computer display backlighting.
Their colors come in a huge variety: yellow, green, red, purple, blue, white and even ultraviolet. It is worth remembering that the color of the LED does not depend on the color of the plastic. It is determined by the type of semiconductor material from which it is made. In most cases, you need to turn it on to find out the color, since they are made of colorless plastic.
A lighting structure is used to illuminate something. It differs in its power and brightness. It also has a very reduced price, so it is often used in household and industrial lighting. This type of lighting is considered productive, environmentally friendly and cheap. Today, the level of technology development can make it possible to produce lamps with a high level of light output per 1 Watt.