BetterPhoto Q&A
Category: Traditional Film Photography

Light Kits

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November 14, 2008

Fluorescent based studio fixtures are attractive because:

a. Continuous light that outputs little heat.
b. Continuous light with reduced electrical power consumption.
c. Equipment costs are reduced compared to electronic flash.
d. Light is diffused due to large lamp size.

Fluorescent based worrisome because:
a. Likely yields odd colors – outputs different color spectrum than daylight or electronic flash – some colors not present - interrupted spectrum.
b. Particularly deficient in red - renders blue green cast.
c. Lamps fast flicker (not seen by human eye) due to alternating current – use shutter speeds 1/60 sec. or faster to avoid inconsistent exposure.
d. Requires fine-tuning of white balance.
e. May be impossible to correctly render some colors.
f. Lamps coated inside with proprietary mix of phosphorus color output changes with age replacement lamp likely dissimilar.

Lamp have evolved, many or all objections may have been solved. Banks of fluorescents make wonderful “broad” sources. “Broad’s” produce flat, shadowless lighting. “Broad’s” allow the subject to meander about the set because the exposure remains constant over quite a span of distance.

I like to point out that most photography is a two dimensional rendering of three dimensional subject. Shadows are needed except in specialized cases, they provide an illusion of depth. Shadowless is often boarding, devoid of life.

Electronic flash, for studio lighting, has long been established as the de facto standard. The reasons are too many to enumerate here.

Alan Marcus (marginal technical gobbledygook)
alanmaxinemarcus@att.net

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November 15, 2008

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November 15, 2008