Rick Wise
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Todd, do you mean this $25 one: https://www.harborfreight.com/rechargeable-led-work-light-with-magnetic-base-94668.html? It has half the number of LEDs so probably about a stop less bright.
Rick Wise
Cinematographer
Lighting and Camera Instructor Academy of Art University
San Francisco Bay Area
https://www.RickWiseDP.com -
As long as you are shooting at night, these 3050K lights should work OK for you. In daylight they will be very, very orange. You will need to add at least 1/2 CTB gels, which means adding the barn doors so you can clip on your gel, or else the tota frame. The ice light and DIY equivalents are daylight balanced.
You may also want to diffuse the light as raw it is probably a bit harsh.
Rick Wise
Cinematographer
Lighting and Camera Instructor Academy of Art University
San Francisco Bay Area
https://www.RickWiseDP.com -
PS: A little Google Searching turns up some DIY “ice lights” for far less money. Definitely not as slick, but for around $50 you can make something pretty good (no dimmer) as explained here: https://www.digitalartscape.com/tag/ice-light-alternative/ And, I think, instead of that 2′ plastic diffuser, a strip of 1/2 grid cloth would work pretty well.
Rick Wise
Cinematographer
Lighting and Camera Instructor Academy of Art University
San Francisco Bay Area
https://www.RickWiseDP.com -
About the gear: I did find it interesting that he bailed on Canon (which I own) for Nikon. As all photographers (film/video/still) will say, it’s not the camera, it’s the eye behind the camera. Having said that, there are cameras that make your work easier/more rewarding. For his reasons, it’s the latest Nikon. Given his remarkable photographs, I would respect that choice, though I would not rush out and buy his choice….
None of the pictures in his demo video appear to use the ice light. That came later and would appear to be a useful if expensive tool.
Your Craftsman version: an interesting possibility for the budget conscious. I cannot find anything about its photographic qualities. As is, it’s raw, but a bit of 215 or 216 or other diffusion would take care of that. There is always another and less expensive way, though sometimes it’s not quite so good. Much to be explored.
Rick Wise
Cinematographer
Lighting and Camera Instructor Academy of Art University
San Francisco Bay Area
https://www.RickWiseDP.com -
If you go all the way to the end of the video you are invited to go to his website, where he sells the “ice light” he designed and Westcott makes(available on both Amazon and B&H.) Very pricey: $500. Mostly rave reviews. Obviously he did not have one when making the shots in that video. I would imagine today that’s what he’d use since he designed the unit.
Also note the use of a flash for the very last photograph. After that, it’s hype.
You can also subscribe for a mere $300/year to his lessons. https://icesociety.com/plans
His page on gear is very, very interesting: https://icesociety.com/about/gear. Especially his story about why he abandoned Canon to go with Nikon (D3 then D4.)
Rick Wise
Cinematographer
Lighting and Camera Instructor Academy of Art University
San Francisco Bay Area
https://www.RickWiseDP.com -
Several things strike me about this guy’s photography that have little to do with a sun-gun:
–brilliant use of backgrounds and framing
–terrific ability to quickly pose/adjust subjects and at the same time get them to laugh or smile in convincing ways
–marvelous use of shallow depth of field
–superb post manipulation
Rick Wise
Cinematographer
San Francisco Bay Area
https://www.RickWiseDP.com -
Indeed, a 4×4 on a high combo stand would extend shooting time a lot. Most of the time it’s not windy here, but in case of gusts multiple sand bags would be good. But no good place to store all of that. I’ve learned to read my window of opportunity and make that work. Maybe some day I’ll buy a “daylight” LED and become independent of the sun. I’ve been doing it this way now for about 3 years. For my simple needs it works.
Loved many of the available-light portraits by Lord Snowdon that Todd mentioned. (Google image search produces tons.) Like this one of his ex:
Rick Wise
Cinematographer
San Francisco Bay Area
https://www.RickWiseDP.com -
A lot depends on what else the room is used for. Sheer curtains will do the job and also look acceptable. Otherwise, Todd’s vinyl or any number of other diffusion materials will work. The thicker the diffusion, the softer the light, but also the less light intensity.
I use a combination of diffused sunlight and bounced hard light for the food shots I take for my wife’s food blog. You can see the basic setup on my website, https://rickwisedp.com. Click on “still photography,” then “food photography.” Click on the last thumbnail to see the setup. The major drawback: As were the early filmmakers, I am entirely dependent on the weather and the position of the sun. In the summer I have a very short window when the sun is clear of a tree outside but not yet so high that its rays are blocked by the roof overhang. In the winter the window of opportunity is much longer.
Rick Wise
Cinematographer
San Francisco Bay Area
https://www.RickWiseDP.com -
My perhaps incomplete memory of the techniques used for the “Private Ryan” look was that the shutters of some of the hand-held cameras during the landing were purposefully set slightly “wrong” so that the claw started to pull down the negative before he shutter was closed. This produced a slight smearing.
Rick Wise
Cinematographer
San Francisco Bay Area
https://www.RickWiseDP.com -
Leave the lights up at 100%. You can control the intensity of these lights with ND gels, which come in various strengths. You can buy them either by the sheet or the roll. Probably start with a few ND3 gels, which cuts the light by one stop. See how that works.
You can also cut down on the intensity by adding diffusion to the front of the lights. That will make the light softer, and also cut intensity. How much the diffusion cuts intensity depends on which you use. There is a large selection from which to choose. Lee has a terrific table of diffusions with f/stop light-loss details here: https://www.leefilters.com/lighting/diffusion-list.html. Be sure to scroll down. The list is long and complete. One of my staples is light grid cloth, elsewhere referred to as 1/2 grid cloth. But DPs have many favorites.
Yes, it’s irritating that the vaunted dimmabilities of these lights turn out to be less than practical. But they are relatively cheap…. And with a bit more effort you can control their output.
Rick Wise
Cinematographer
San Francisco Bay Area
https://www.RickWiseDP.com
