Advice on challenging interior lighting set up?

[Bernard Languillier]

Dear all,

I am seeking advice for what appears to me like a rather difficult situation.

First, being mostly a landscape shooter, I have no experience with lighting/interior besides reading a few books on the topic, and do currently only own 2 Nikon flashes (SB600, SB800).

A friend starting to seel Chinese furniture is asking me to help her shooting some images of these for promotion purpose. The idea is to show the furniture in a away as to show how it can integrate in a non Asian interior and contribute to the life style of the person.

The situation I am facing:

• the place where it has to be shot is a pretty dark room facing north. The garden isn't very deep, and tall trees filter most of the natural light. A second floor balcony further worsen the problem. My guess is that the natural light will be little, and a bit greenish,

• a very un-attractive neon light source on the ceilling is the main artificial light source in the room (it is a whitish thing with 4 neons in it),

• the flooring is made of reflective wooden floring that has character but appears to be likely to induce more un-wanted reflections,

• the furniture itself is mostly black lacker and are typically pretty large, up to 2 m wide by 2 m tall. Diffuse reflection should contribute little, it seems that a good usage of direct reflections would be best,

-> the questions

1. Is there anyway to cover a subject like this one using Nikon strobes only (I could buy a few more SBs),

2. Knowing that I have been considering buying into lighting equipment for some time now, what would be the best set up to cover both this extreme situation (probably a rare case) while being normally more aimed at portrtait shooting. The criterias would be:

• max 3000 US$,
• powerful enough for such cases,
• transportable without a car (but no need for batteries),
• compatible with US and EU voltages.

3. What would be the best way to handle the scene in terms of colors?

• the window, neon and possible flash heads will all have different color temparatures. I can probably filter the flash heads to produce neon cast, but how about the windows?

• my guess is that my locating the furniture far enough from the window, it should be possible to have the neon and window light mix in such a way that the whole piece is lit by uniform light, which I would then color correct with a white balance click. On the other hand, the window light is pobably the best source for direct reflections in the black lacker, and I do therefore not really want to locate it too far from the windows.

4. What do you guys use nowadays to determine what color filter to put on flash heads? Do you use a color meter to measure the exact tint of the neons used?

5. What is the best way to produce nice reflections in black lacker furniture when shooting the whole room? Shooting the furniture alone would make it possible to control the environment, but it isn't the case here.

• Would it make sense to re-inforce the window light by locating a strobe outside shooting through the window? This could be a way also to better control the color temperature of the window light, right?

6. How would digital double exposure techniques help in this case?

Thank you in advance for your kind help.

Best regards,
Bernard

 

[Peter Berressem]

Before going too deep into worries you may do test shots using the camera from a tripod.

I'd suggest to extinct the fluos and use the window as main light. Plus fill-in flash light, bouncing to walls and ceiling (assuming they're white).
If you go with multivoltage monolights there are Hensels Integras....
--
Kind regards,
Peter B.
(English - not my native tongue)
June 06. Football WC is coming - where to go and hide?

 

[Bernard Languillier]

Before going too deep into worries you may do test shots using the
camera from a tripod.
I'd suggest to extinct the fluos and use the window as main light.
Plus fill-in flash light, bouncing to walls and ceiling (assuming
they're white).
If you go with multivoltage monolights there are Hensels Integras....

Hello Peter,

Thanks for your kind help.

Regards,
Bernard

Peter B.
June 06. Football WC is coming - where to go and hide?

Don't come to Japna...

 

[LJSmak]

-> the questions

1. Is there anyway to cover a subject like this one using Nikon
strobes only (I could buy a few more SBs),

start with lighting a wall that isn't in the picture but is reflected in the baclk furniture; it will give the furniture some shape.

2. Knowing that I have been considering buying into lighting
equipment for some time now, what would be the best set up to cover
both this extreme situation (probably a rare case) while being
normally more aimed at portrtait shooting. The criterias would be:

• max 3000 US$,
• powerful enough for such cases,
• transportable without a car (but no need for batteries),
• compatible with US and EU voltages.

Profoto Acute.

Note that you will also need stands and a flash-kit can (very) quickly become difficult to transport without car.

3. What would be the best way to handle the scene in terms of colors?

Switch off the neons and set camera to daylight.

neons in general are a bad idea because the spectrum they produce isn't continuous.

4. What do you guys use nowadays to determine what color filter to
put on flash heads? Do you use a color meter to measure the exact
tint of the neons used?

I make a custom wb these days, if needed, I never use filters anymore. In general I set up using 1/125 or so with flash, to get the flash exposure and aperture determined, then make the shutterspeed longer to get the existing light in the picture to the right degree. (halogens, neons, whatever) Of course I try to minimize the cast but for examples a few halogen ceiling lights have te bo a bit orange...no problem. I just try to minimize their influence on the real subject.

5. What is the best way to produce nice reflections in black lacker
furniture when shooting the whole room?

You'll just have to aim the lights right. (probably at a wall facing the furniture). It's difficult to give more precise advice.

• Would it make sense to re-inforce the window light by locating a

strobe outside shooting through the window? This could be a way
also to better control the color temperature of the window light,
right?

depends on the situation but I doubt it. You can control the window now using the shutterspeed, and the flashes using the aperture (and their power setting, of course), much more practical.

6. How would digital double exposure techniques help in this case?

You could increase dof by 1 stop by flashing 2 times, if you have to use max. power of the flashes and still don't get enough dof.

;-)
Lourens

 

[Bernard Languillier]

Thanks a lot for your kind help!

Regards,
Bernard

 

[Robert Strom]

Since the furniture is black, the only way to bring out detail is to reflect white back into it. Buy 2 sheets of 4'x8' foamcore or similar and experiment with bouncing your flashes into the foamcore and positioning the foamcore as close to the furniture as possible to keep it out of the frame. Start with each sheet vertical and at 45 degree angles to the furniture. Review your shots and play with the angles until you get nice sheen on the furniture.

I say to use large sheets of foamcore because if the furniture has any curves, it will take a lot of relfective surface to give a ckean, unbroken reflection. Look at some studio shots of a black car and you will see the technique I am talking about, though they use huge 30'x30' softboxes for a car.

This is a tricky way to start learning how to shoot furniture!

Robert
--
http://www.streamlinestudio.com

 

[Bernard Languillier]

This is a tricky way to start learning how to shoot furniture!

Robert,

Thanks a lot for your kind advice. I am painfully aware of how challenging this assignement is...

Cheers,
Bernard

 

[LJSmak]

In general I set up using 1/125 or so with flash, to get
the flash exposure and aperture determined, then make the
shutterspeed longer to get the existing light in the picture to the
right degree. (halogens, neons, whatever) Of course I try to
minimize the cast but for examples a few halogen ceiling lights
have te bo a bit orange...no problem. I just try to minimize
their influence on the real subject.

I can add that sometimes I work the other way round; I then use a normal no-flash exposure as base, and add lights (one by one preferably) to fill in where it is needed. It depends a bit on how good (nice looking) the existing lighting is.

;-)
Lourens

 

[Bernard Languillier]

Thanks a lot for your help.

Here are some images for the shoot. I would really appreciate additional feedback from those with experience shotting interior. How bad is it?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bernardlanguillier/sets/72157594180219768/

cheers,
Bernard

 

[Robert Strom]

Thanks a lot for your help.

Here are some images for the shoot. I would really appreciate
additional feedback from those with experience shotting interior.
How bad is it?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bernardlanguillier/sets/72157594180219768/

cheers,
Bernard

Ummm, Since this is your first effort I would supply the following advice.

• You needed bigger reflective surfaces and/or larger softer lights. There are bad hot spots on almost every shot and very uneven lighting which blocks detail in the shadow sides of the furniture.

Some shots have severe off color casts and/or obvious mixed lighting (green casts, flourescent lights??).

I know you had constraints with the room and lighting, but, as you found out, lighting furniture is not a mater of using a couple small strobes.

Your client (friend?) may be able to sell some of this furniture from the photos, but I would not call these professional shots.

Keep practicing and get some larger light sources, or large pieces of foamcore to bounce your lights into as I advised in an earlier post. Do a custom white balance on the camera. If you cannot soften or eliminate the hot spots, learn how to re-touch them out in PhotoShop.

A decent first effort, but don't stop practicing.

Good luck, Robert
--
http://www.streamlinestudio.com

 

[wrphoto]

I agree with Robert's critique.
One suggestion when working with limited light source.

when shooting a long piece of furniture...
1.set camera in desired position (on tripod of course)

2.set lights in position but you find you can only light the left side of furniture. No problem, go ahead and make that exposure.

3. reset lights to light right side, making sure shadows are all in right direction. Make second exposure.
4. In PS blend in layers the best of the two images.
This process works great and is a life saver in many situations.
--
Walt Roycraft
Walt Roycraft Photography
http://www.wrphotography.com

 

[Bernard Languillier]

Thanks a lot guys for the kind advise.

Actually, this was shot entirely using natural lights coming from the windows.

Regards,
Bernard

 

[Ryder221010]

Hi:
I don't shoot furniture and I am not a real pro.

I have shot interiors for the last year or so. I was/am "under the gun" so to speak most of the time and cannot spend all day laboring over post processing or dragging lights around. I do use strobes but I can't set up every shot in every house. Just too much time and work.

I bought some software called Photomatix and it is very helpful. It layers/merges different exposurers. It doesn't do anything you can't do in PS or many other softwares.... it just does it fast. You can batch process quite easily. It's made my day shooting interiors much easier and it might help you too. It really helps with DR issues.

--
Craig Ryder

 

[Shullinger]

I haven't read all the posts, but it seems to me that the thing to do is to determine the predominate "color" in the scene, and balance for that. with all different kinds of light, it's really impossible to balance for all of them at the same time. Do a little experimenting to decide how best to balance, get as close as you can, and photoshop it later if you need to.

 

[Lee Kupfer]

ditto with Stroms post, but also very controllable light source(modifiers) to provide accents, fill and contrast... unless you are content w/simply bland...you're in over your head...if the man wants to sell he needs to budget for experienced people in the business...don't mean to hurt your feelings, but shooting furniture, cars, appliances, jewelry, architectural, fashion, art...have specific industry needs and require experience. Along w/that experience come's knowing what equipment to use, when to use it and have an idea of what your photography is going to compete against. There are so many 'tricks' of the trade that each specialty photo requires ... there have been books that delve into this superficially, but unless you've actually had to do those specialties for a living, on a competitive basis to keep your position and feed your family all is nothing but conjecture and soon to become shattered dreams. Some of my best friends are in the furniture biz and have hundred's of thousands of dollars invested in 35-50 thousand sq ft warehouses specifically to do furniture. I'm not going to say you couldn't do a quality shot bare bone's..but w/o experience and no real knowledge of lighting that is germain to furniture, your attempts will simply cost your friend business.
--

 

[Bernard Languillier]

Hi Lee,

Thanks a lot for your help.

My friend's "business" is basically a small direct import of furniture done as a side business. Money is very little, and they do not currently have the capability to pay a pro owing suitable lighting equipment.

I had thought about investing in a basic light set up myself, but the scale of the investement, and the lack of prospect for return has made me stop considering that seriously...

I am fully aware of my shortcomings in terms of gear, experience and probably talent, but will have to keep doing the best a few more times...

As a side comment, the main thing I do in photography is landscapes... a very different field obviously.

Cheers,
Bernard

 

[Bernard Languillier]

I haven't read all the posts, but it seems to me that the thing to
do is to determine the predominate "color" in the scene, and
balance for that. with all different kinds of light, it's really
impossible to balance for all of them at the same time. Do a little
experimenting to decide how best to balance, get as close as you
can, and photoshop it later if you need to.

Thanks a lot for the advice.

In the end, I did the shot entirely with natural light.

Regards,
Bernard

 

[Robert Strom]

Natural light can be good.

Try hanging some thin white material over the window to soften and enlarge the light source.

Then hang another piece of white fabric or a large wall of foam core (as large as the space will accommodate just outside of the frame on the opposite side of the window to add fill and create some white reflection in the dark wood.

You will be using a much slower ss so a sturdy tripod and use of the camera self timer to fire the shutter will keep the camera stable.

Pull the furniture as far from the back wall as possible to reduce harsh shadows.

Have fun, Robert
--
http://www.streamlinestudio.com

 

[Bernard Languillier]

Thanks a lot for this sound advice Robert.

Being a landscape person, I am familiar with tripods and long exposures... actually less than 5% of my shooting is done without tripods.

Best regards,
Bernard