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Need an easy backlight/hair light solution
I’m shooting video against a backdrop in an enclosed room, softbox lighting and need to have a backlight/hair light. The problem is that I can’t use a dimmer because of the electrical hum it produces. (in the past I used a simple clip on shop light, with a bulb that I dimmed to what I needed) What should I be looking for, a certain wattage or brightness, etc? It needs to be able to be mounted to the ceiling or wall directly above/behind the subject being lighted.
It’s a pretty small shooting area, 8′ wide backdrop, subject is very close to the backdrop (I know, it’s not a Hollywood production), lights are about 10 feet away mounted to ceiling, using two of these https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005NJIWYY/ref=pe_175190_21431760_M2T1_ST1_dp_1 with two bulbs on in each box.
Something I could easily attach to the wall or ceiling directly behind the subject so it can shine down and forward on his head and shoulders to separate him from the backdrop just a little bit so it’s noticeable.
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3 Replies
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Use the shop light or a small “pepper” or PAR can light, modulate the amount of light by adding metal mesh screens. You can DIY them from a 2-foot piece from the hardware store, or buy the, pre-made, in full, half and quarter versions.
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I’m unfamiliar with those kinds of lights. When you say DIY from a 2ft piece, do you mean 2 foot piece of metal mesh? Wouldn’t a metal mesh create a bunch of mesh looking shadows on the subject? I could use the clip on shop light again, but the issue was the dimmer creating noise. What kind of bulb and wattage could I use in the shop light so that I could just turn it on and not have to worry about modulating the amount of light?
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Like this:
no, the mesh doesn’t make a pattern, it merely reduces the amount of light and spreads or diffuses it more.
Check out the tips on this site to learn more about your tools in a general way.
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