cheap lights, cheap setup..

*** Also posted in comp.graphics.photoshop and alt.graphics.photoshop
Sorry for the cross post, I hit send and forgot this newsgroup

I am looking to get some lights for doing some close up (macro pics),
nothing extreme just close ups of small objects. Are there some cheap
lights that I can purchase that are pure white or closer to white then
standard light bulbs...

What about the light bulbs called "Pure White" has anyone tried those?

Does anyone have a link that describes how to setup a cheap light box to
minimize shadows on objects?

Thanks.

 

Nice thing about digital cameras is that white balance is flexible. You
can get by with shop lights that you buy at a hardware store, either
the fluorescent or the move convenient tungsten ones on a stand.
Neither has a calibrated color temp so you may have to fiddle a little
to get colors just right. Studio strobe are the best light sources to
work with, followed by hot lights, Lowell, Mole-Richaredson, Pepper, or
Smith-Victor. All of this costs $ but make life much easier.
For a diffuser, buy a roll of Rosco ripstop FIREPROOF Nylon. Costs
about $50 but is well worth the costs especially if you are working
with tungsten lighting which gets very hot. Any good camera store can
get it for you, don't know if Rosco sells direct.
This whole setup shouldn't cost more than $100 total. If you need
framework for your tent use white wire coat hangers.

Tom

 

Thanks for the reply!

 

This isn't a cross post; it's a multi-post. The thread has already begun
in c.g.a.photoshop. Very good reply by Hunt.One also doesn't need to
send a thankyou note in usenet, no matter what your Mum told you.

 

You can do it cheaper. Before I got strobes and a shooting box I used a
couple battery powered slave flashes....useful lots of places....and a
frosted shower curtain from the local dollar store. It worked well.

 

Make a small tent of net curtain material and shine a couple of tungsten
reflector spotlights onto it, the net diffuses the light very well indeed
and you can adjust it very easily, into layers or folds.

Jem

 

I still use a battery-powered slave flash. Much better than a single
on-camera flash in almost all situations. The problem is having a slave
to hold it where you need it. :->

 

I use cheap Aluminum clamp on shop lights (about 4-6 bucks US) with
5000k compact flourescents (about 5-7 bucks US) pick up as many as you
need. You may have to search hard for the color temp on the bulb
packages or on the bases themselves, not all will show temp but those
that do generally have a 5000k version. "Daylight" bulbs can be
anywhere from 3700k to 6300k or so, so read the packages carefully.

 

To do macro photography well, the more light the better. Keeps you
camera shutter speed up and gets you sharper pics. I used to shoot with
a 4x5 and 2-3 1000 watt tungsten lamps. The more light the more control
you have.

Tom