I have been taking photos of my layout, and they turn out extremely sharp and print up nicely, but the color is off. All of the photos have a slight orange\yellow tint. Obviously I am using the wrong light source. What type of lights work well for indoor models?
If you are using a digital camera, you need to set the camera for the type of lighting. Outdoor, flourescent, incandescent, flashlight…hey, it’s on my digital!!!
As noted, you don’t need special lights for shooting digital photos, the camera can be adapted to accommodate your exisitng lighting. Since you said your photos come out red/orange, you probably need to set the WB - White Balance - to Incandescent.
Most image editing programs will also correct images you have already shot too.
See my website on digital model photography in my signature below for some more tips.
I set my camera to “AUTO” White Balance and it works well every time.
I have a 5-bulb swag lamp on a chain that I lower from the cieling to light the area that I will be photographing. That’s how I made the shot below…
I have found that incandescent bulbs work best for lighting, no flourescent or halogen lights for me. What kind of lighting do you use?
-Brandon
I used to have a fully equipped studio, but gave that up a decade ago. Now I use a $10 arcitect’s style lamp for subject lighting, off axis to highlight detail, and a $7 student’s flexible neck desk style lamp for fill, mounted near coaxial with the lens, right on the tripod, to lessen the shadows thrown by the main subject light.
I adjust lighting ratios by distance, since my background lighting is a fixed chandelier and a halogen type floor lamp.
All lighting fixtures in the layout area, and those used for potography, use GE Reveal Extended Spectrum bulbs, which generally run between 50 and 100% more expensive than standard tungsten bulbs, but which give a lot more pleasant and realistic light.
Yes, the digicam will compensate for tungsten lighting, but I’d rather prevent a problem from even starting, than allow the problem and try to compensate for it later.
Thanks for all the help. I reset my camera for incandescent bulbs and the photos came out great.
I know this isn’t the best photo, but it gives you a fair idea of what I use. Now that you’ve got the white balance figured out…
I have a fair amount of halogen track lighting that I aim towards what I’m taking a photo of. At locations where the lights can’t light it on all sides, I bring in some table lamps from ‘upstairs’.
The pictures usually turn out well. Below are an old one and a new one of similar composition, and almost the exact same lighting, with a few variables in equiptment, but as you can see, the lighting is very good for all of them.
Also invest in a fairly good looking backdrop!
P.S. Only the last picture was taken with a digital…
When using film for model photography, I used T-64 with 500 watt Halogen work lights that were mounted on telescoping stands that one time held sheet music or microphones. When I switched to a digital camera, I continued using the Halogen work lights. But I had to set the camera for the type of lighting, ie tungsten, as others have pointed out. With the correct camera setting I get good light/color balance that requires not software work.
Doug Harding