What type of light bulbs to buy for a homemade lighting kit?
katiebelle411 asked:
I am a poor college student, I can’t afford a lighting kit at the moment, so spare the advice about splurging on real equipment!
I am a poor college student, I can’t afford a lighting kit at the moment, so spare the advice about splurging on real equipment!
I bought some hardware clamp lights from home depot that I plan on using to light my subjects. I took plain, household light bulbs out of my sockets and they 1. aren’t bright enough and 2. give off a tint, even when I change with the white balance.
What type of bulbs should I purchase? I need something bright, white and cheap!
Take the hardware clamp lights back and buy some 500 watt work lights at Home Depot or like store.
I still use them when I need extra light in a large area.
They will cost you about $40 for two 500 watt lamps and a tripod. For now that can be your key light and you can use a large piece of white cardboard as fill.
Later, when you can budget for them, a couple of nice 750 watt Lowel Tota-lights with stands and umbrellas will do the trick, still for under $500
[who] fhotoace
places like walmart, home depot and lowes sell incandescent lights up to 200watts. BUT… safety first!! dont put a 200w light in a 60w lamp socket unless you want to start a fire.
as for the tint… use the tungsten wb setting which is usually represented by a LIGHT BULB symbol. imagine that!
not all incandescent lights are the same color temperature so try several diferent brands or types (soft white, clear, daylight, etc) until you find one that works for you. if you still have color cast problems then use a gray card and a custom wb setting. [who] D L
Good answers above, but before you panic and perhaps so you can do something tonight, try setting a custom white balance. “Tungsten” is better than “AWB,” but it can still be off. Check this out:
(I’m sorry if that is not showing up as a link. It looks okay in the “preview,” but it’s not coming through as a link. Copy and paste the line into your browser.)
Read the commentary. You do not have to run out and buy a Digital White Card, either. Start by using a white piece of paper. A matte photo paper with nothing printed on it is an excellent choice. [who] Sam F