Home › Forums › Explore Subjects › Still Life › What kind of light do you use for your still life setup?
- This topic has 12 replies, 3 voices, and was last updated 2 years, 4 months ago by KristianBouwkamp9.
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January 2, 2020 at 3:01 am #482135
Hi All,
I am not sure what kind of light to buy. What do you use?
There’s desk lamps, soft box photography light, LED ring light etc.Is 4000k temperature okay? Or does it need to be 5000k?
Hard to find 5000k.
I am on a tight budget.For example,
There is this https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/183122732822My paintings are shown on the following:
https://www.instagram.com/mario_knez_artist/
https://www.facebook.com/marioknezartistJanuary 2, 2020 at 3:20 am #927685I think the most important here is to have only one directional light source that results in distinct shadows in your setup. If you will have two shadows going into different directions for each object, that will be very confusing. So the most simple is your existing soft flooding room lights, plus a desk lamp for your setup. The desk lamp must overpower any deep shadows from your room lights.
For a cheap setup, don’t think a lot about temperature. 5000K is for professional applications, expensive. 4000K may be too warm, 6500K may be too cold. Get both, try and mix them.
Ilya K
C&C always welcomeJanuary 2, 2020 at 7:18 am #927680I think the most important here is to have only one directional light source that results in distinct shadows in your setup. If you will have two shadows going into different directions for each object, that will be very confusing. So the most simple is your existing soft flooding room lights, plus a desk lamp for your setup. The desk lamp must overpower any deep shadows from your room lights.
For a cheap setup, don’t think a lot about temperature. 5000K is for professional applications, expensive. 4000K may be too warm, 6500K may be too cold. Get both, try and mix them.
Thank you for replying.
Do you mean to say “The desk lamp must NOT overpower any deep shadows from your room lights.”
I ask because I’m thinking you need shadows?I’ve seen on YouTube that 5000k is the sweet spot, not too cool and not too warm. Wouldn’t mixing cause confusing light?
Would that involve two lamps then or can you get lamps that can hold 2 bulbs?My paintings are shown on the following:
https://www.instagram.com/mario_knez_artist/
https://www.facebook.com/marioknezartistJanuary 2, 2020 at 9:06 am #927686No, without NOT. I meant that you would use the desk lamp as your modeling light – you can move it, see the shadows caused by it, decide what you like. The main room lighting is for you, not for the objects you paint. And if it causes, despite being softer, some shadows, they should not be as distinct as those from the modeling light. Ideally they should nearly disappear once you direct the desk lamp on your setup.
5000K is best to be used for overall lighting or above the easel, to see the colors correctly. That is less important for the objects you paint, up to you. Since it costs more, you better start with household lights and decide later if you need it.
Some people say that mixing 4000 and 6500 is not good for the eyes. I don’t know. I often turn on both for a couple of hours, I don’t feel any strain. They are not in the same reflector.
A book tip: https://www.amazon.com/How-Paint-Course-Art-Painting/dp/0823024563
Not only lighting. Everything.
Ilya K
C&C always welcomeJanuary 2, 2020 at 10:30 am #927678I remember painting a pot of flowers from life, using sunlight from the window…I had to keep moving them across the floor as the light shifted…not the most practical lighting for a still life, but fun.
January 2, 2020 at 5:49 pm #927681No, without NOT. I meant that you would use the desk lamp as your modeling light – you can move it, see the shadows caused by it, decide what you like. The main room lighting is for you, not for the objects you paint. And if it causes, despite being softer, some shadows, they should not be as distinct as those from the modeling light. Ideally they should nearly disappear once you direct the desk lamp on your setup.
5000K is best to be used for overall lighting or above the easel, to see the colors correctly. That is less important for the objects you paint, up to you. Since it costs more, you better start with household lights and decide later if you need it.
Some people say that mixing 4000 and 6500 is not good for the eyes. I don’t know. I often turn on both for a couple of hours, I don’t feel any strain. They are not in the same reflector.
A book tip: [url]https://www.amazon.com/How-Paint-Course-Art-Painting/dp/0823024563[/url]
Not only lighting. Everything.
Thank you for clarifying!
My paintings are shown on the following:
https://www.instagram.com/mario_knez_artist/
https://www.facebook.com/marioknezartistJanuary 2, 2020 at 8:45 pm #927679Good question, Lighting is a primary concern for painters of all levels. Inside using light bulbs or window light, outside dealing with changing levels and angles as well as an overlit painting surface (that’s why umbrellas are used)
Some good advice here already. I want to add, if using light bulbs to illuminate your subject, it is important to use the same color/ temp bulbs to illuminate your painting surface.
I think it is ideal to use window light, but it is more difficult, especially for a beginner. However, when I was starting, I was encouraged to use sunlight as much as possible.January 2, 2020 at 8:49 pm #927682Good question, Lighting is a primary concern for painters of all levels. Inside using light bulbs or window light, outside dealing with changing levels and angles as well as an overlit painting surface (that’s why umbrellas are used)
Some good advice here already. I want to add, if using light bulbs to illuminate your subject, it is important to use the same color/ temp bulbs to illuminate your painting surface.
I think it is ideal to use window light, but it is more difficult, especially for a beginner. However, when I was starting, I was encouraged to use sunlight as much as possible.Thank you.
Yeah that’s a good idea.
My globe in the garage is 4000k.
I think this is the best I can find and I can adjust the temperature to match…
https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/18-3200K-5600K-CRI-90-Dimmable-LED-Ring-Video-Fill-Light-2M-Folding-Lamp-Holder/174081810740?hash=item288815a134:g:5GoAAOSwmeNdulxpMy paintings are shown on the following:
https://www.instagram.com/mario_knez_artist/
https://www.facebook.com/marioknezartistJanuary 3, 2020 at 6:09 am #927683I think I’ve found the lamp for me in a store, looking at buying tomorrow.
And I made my own still life box today using MDF board and hinges like in this video, except I won’t paint it as the sheet will cover it all. I found out afterwards that MDF is carcinogenic, I might make another box with hardwood.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lspL1DQUrvM&t=192s
My paintings are shown on the following:
https://www.instagram.com/mario_knez_artist/
https://www.facebook.com/marioknezartistJanuary 7, 2020 at 6:37 am #927684Finally! I’ve got my set up sorted.
Made a still life shadow box today and used a cheap lamp with a good quality bulb attached to a piece of wood as a stand. I got the shadow box build instructions on YouTube but added something and changed one bit of material.[ATTACH]870370[/ATTACH]
[ATTACH]870371[/ATTACH]
My paintings are shown on the following:
https://www.instagram.com/mario_knez_artist/
https://www.facebook.com/marioknezartistFebruary 1, 2021 at 11:57 am #1379549I found some good 5500k “daylight” LED bulbs at the hardware store, and just use a few cheap aluminum clamp lamps from Ace Hardware. Some daylight bulbs are too-blue, you need to try a few different brands. One box I bought were so “blue” they freaked my cats out …I returned them for a different brand.
Radical Fundemunsellist
July 5, 2022 at 6:47 pm #1476530For my work, I used an Olympus EVOLT E-500 camera mainly because of the ability to shoot in both AUTO and manual mode. When I set up the camera, we turned on one light source and put it slightly to the side to reproduce the texture of the flower petals. For the lighting, I used a set of two light sources. Each unit includes a parabolic reflector, smart light bulbs, a 250-watt bulb, a wire with a switch, and a stand. The advantage of constant lighting is that you can see the effect on the subject as the light changes and additional illumination is added. After adjusting the light to our liking, I shot a few test shots, changing the aperture and shutter speed settings to get the best depth of field. Well, the best way to minimize contrast and illuminate the left side of the calla lilies would be to add a second light source from the opposite side at about the same angle as the first.
July 11, 2022 at 4:54 am #1477136I usually use ring lamps for photos. Most of the time, I take pictures to promote a studio where we paint cars. Since these explosion proof lighting paint booths absorb a lot of light, I have to use additional 5000k softboxes as well, to get a better quality and more detail in the final image. If you’re on a tight budget, I suggest you look at 4000k. The difference between them is insignificant and only makes sense if you are a professional photographer.
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