| Did
you ever think to yourself after watching a well-produced
video, "I could do lighting like that if
I had the budget they have"? Well, fortunately
you do not have to have a big budget and thousands
of dollars of expensive lighting equipment to
create professional lighting. All it takes is
a trip to your local hardware store, art supply
dealer and perhaps even your attic, garage or
closet. In this article, we'll look at alternatives
to expensive lighting equipment and accessories.
So buckle up, put the window down and enjoy that
fall air as we take a ride to the neighborhood
hardware store.
Hardware
Heaven
Every
time you walk into a hardware store, you can find
something new to enhance your lighting gear. But
you must remember one very strict rule: there
are no rules. As long as you get light on your
subject the right type of light at the correct
color temperature, of course who cares what the
light looks like? So, let's start with the lights
themselves.
Your
best bet is a couple of quartz shop lights. The
higher the wattage, the better. These lights come
with a mechanism for attaching to walls or ceilings.
Some models come already set up to attach to light
stands. If not, find a clamp that you can use
to secure one to a light stand, table or other
surface. If you plan on attaching one to a table,
glue some rubber to the teeth so you don't scratch
the table surface. Jar-opener pads provide excellent
sources of rubber for this. They are nonskid and
you can easily cut them to fit your clamps.
If
you can't find any quartz lights, the next best
option is a standard incandescent shop light with
a clamp built into it. These lightweight, durable
lights have large reflectors that spread light.
Their clamps makes it easy to place them anywhere
you need light. Again, the more wattage you can
get, the better.
Another
lighting option is a fluorescent shop light. These
short tubes are usually DC-powered and will stick
almost anywhere there is a flat surface. The only
real problem with these lights is that you have
to color-correct them to match incandescent or
quartz lights. The best use of these lights is
in a situation where they are the only light sources
in the shot and you can white balance your camera
to them. |
Once
you have your lights picked out, you need to think
about how you are going to hang or support them.
Included clamps or lighting tripods that some
shop lights offer are obvious first choices, but
what are some of the other options?
Hardware
stores carry a variety of clamps. These clamps
are very sturdy and with a little ingenuity, some
duct tape and a length of 1/2-inch PVC pipe, you
can make a light support that will get your light
anywhere you need it. Tape or screw an 18-inch
long piece of PVC pipe to the clamp, add a T-joint
to the end of the pipe and you now have a surface
to clamp onto and a hole to slide your accessories,
such as a gel frame or flag. By clamping the light
stand to the edge of a door, table, chair or other
surface, you can get your light anywhere you need
it.
To
control your light's beam, you need to visit other
areas of the hardware store. Cheesecloth makes
a great diffusion gel as long as it is far enough
from the lights so that it doesn't burn. Use flat
black window screening as a scrim to reduce the
intensity of your light. You can also use black
landscaping cloth as a flag. Attach all of these
to a PVC pipe frame using spring-clamp clothespins
or tape. If you build your frame with screw ends
at the corners, you can take the frame apart for
storage.
You
may want to stop by the paint area while walking
around the hardware store and get a can of flat
black paint to use on your PVC pipe (or just use
black PVC where available).
While
in the hardware store, don't forget to buy a long
extension cord with three outlets. There is nothing
worse than getting to a shoot and not being able
to get power to your lights.
Art
Store
Once
you've collected everything you need at the hardware
store, hit your local art supply store. Here,
you want to pick up some posterboard with a black
side and a white side. This two-sided posterboard
is very versatile because you can use it as both
a reflector and a flag. It is also flexible, so
you can curve it to intensify and direct the light
to your talent.
In
the art supplies, you may also find some translucent
plastic sheeting you can cut to use as a diffusion
gel. You may also find various colors of clear
plastic sheeting you can use to change the color
of the light in the background to add a dramatic
touch to your lighting scheme. Be careful; because
these plastic sheets are typically not made of
professional gel material that is heat resistant,
keep them away from the lights. |
Home
Again
After
your trip to the hardware store and art supply
house, it's time to go home. However, you're not
done yet. Reach under the seat of your car and
pull out that windshield sunscreen. One of the
most convenient reflectors is a sunscreen that
folds into a one-foot loop. One side of the screen
has a diffused silver surface and you can spray-paint
the other side gold. It will act as an inexpensive
diffused reflector that will make your talent
look great.
When
you finally get home, go to your linen closet
and pull out the white sheets you were ready to
throw out because they were getting thin. They
make great diffusers and reflectors. You can also
use a white towel as a soft reflector.
In
your kitchen, pull out the aluminum foil. With
a little effort and some carefully taping of the
foil to a piece of foamcore you can make yourself
a hard reflector. By crumpling up the foil and
then taping it down, you create a diffused reflector.
You
can also use white trash bags as diffusion material
or flexible reflectors. Black trash bags make
great flexible flags. Again, make sure you keep
them away from the heat of your lights.
In
your closet, you may find a variety of lighting
accessories. An old hula hoop makes a great diffusion,
reflector or flag frame. Carefully tape or sew
one of your really thin white bed sheets to the
hoop to create a reflector or large diffusion
gel. Place this in front of your light to spread
out the beam and create a soft shadowless light.
If you are shooting outdoors, you can place this
diffuser between the sun and your talent and create
a beautiful soft light for a closeup shot.
Lighting Setup
Now
you have the tools, how do you use them? In a
standard three-point lighting setup, you have
a key, back and fill light. You can create the
same look with hardware store tools . If you are
using quartz work lights, set one of them up for
the key and one for the back and use a sheet of
foamcore to bounce the key light into the talent's
face for a fill. To soften the key light, position
some cheesecloth in front of the light to spread
the beam. You will probably have to move the light
closer to your talent to make up for the loss
in intensity. Using a chair, table, the edge of
a door or a light stand, you should be able to
get your light where you need it. Add a bit of
drama to the lighting by placing a blue gel in
front of a work light that is focused on the background.
Make sure the light from the key light is flagged
off the background so that the blue light is not
diluted with white. Place a set of miniblinds
in front of the blue light to create a window
effect.
Lighting
does not have to be expensive. It just takes a
little ingenuity; some imagination and a little
scavenging around for those little treasures that
will make your lighting come to life. |
