Hi all. . .

I picked up a two-headed Home Depot work light to do some experimenting with while I build a serious light kit.

The light from the work light is nice and bright, but it is surely harsh. Some people have suggested putting baking paper or shower curtains in front of these lights to soften them up, but both of those solutions sounded dangerous to me, so I opted to do something a bit differently.

Since I can't find any frosted heat-resistant borosilicate (pyrex) glass panes to cut out to replace the stock work light glass, I decided to have the stock glass sandblasted to provide a frosty surface. Talk about softening up the light. . . it works great! Granted, there is some light loss (but surely no worse than the parchment paper or shower curtain), but the gain in softness more than makes up for the loss in illumination.

Anyway, I just wanted to know if anyone else has ever done this and what their experience with it was.

Sincerely,

Stephen

Not a bad idea. I'm thinking of using a garment rack with shower curtian rings and a cotton bedsheet. May look ugly, but I think it will get the job done.

Wouldn't that make it heavy and fragile?

I've used worklights al lot, and I've always just clothes-pinned a 12" x 12" diffusion filter in-front of the light. Sometimes for an extra soft light I'll use two diffusion gels with a little space in the middle, but one diffusion gels usually works out fine. I bought a variety pack of Bogen filters at the local still photo store and have been extremely haply with the results. The only thing to watch out for is to make sure that there is a little space between the light and the gel, so the gel doesn't catch fire. The gels run about $20-$25 here for a pack of 12. The other colors in the pack come in handy too.

If you want much softer light, you could bounce it. Take some crinkled tinfoil onto a big piece of cardboard. The tinfoil makes the bounce light pretty directional (compared to other bounce sources except for mirrors) so it's pretty powerful (again, compared to other bounce sources).

This takes no effort, but does require a C-stand and gives you a much softer light (if you prefer that).

2- For some other situations, professional lights are much more convenient. They may:
Have less spill / easier to control the spill
Can be mounted from a ceiling
Have longer / controllable throw
Put out more light / concentrate it where you want it
The shadows can be 'cut' better (i.e. they make shadows with nice hard edges). Fresnel and ellipsoidal lights do this.

If you're simply bouncing the light off something, then worklights should be fine. They might spill a little light; if you don't want that, you can put blackwrap around the light.

depending on how much room you have, you could throw a white bedsheet (or shower curtain) across the space between on some stands...the light should cone out a bit before it hits the sheet and then get softened, so it becomes a much larger light source (softer).

I'm telling you. . . playing with these sandblasted work lights is incredible! Talk about a beautiful, soft light! Really amazing. . . all those little sandblasted holes make for a positively delicious diffusion grating. . . and with no attachments, no change in the light's color temperature.

I'm sold. I'm gonna buy a few more of these things and head back to the sandblaster!

Stephen

IIRC, you can buy a frosted lens for those lights from craftsman (I think it was in the documentation for replacement parts)...but sandblasting one your self would be lots cheaper. You can even buy spray cans of sandblasting stuff.

Not a bad idea. I'm thinking of using a garment rack with shower curtian rings and a cotton bedsheet. May look ugly, but I think it will get the job done.
People, please, please, please, be extra careful using flammable materials in front of these lights (or any lights). They get EXTREMELY HOT and can easily cause flammable materials to easily catch fire.

Stick with materials that have been designed for use with these hight intensity lights!

SAFETY FIRST!

People, please, please, please, be extra careful using flammable materials in front of these lights (or any lights). They get EXTREMELY HOT and can easily cause flammable materials to easily catch fire.Absolutely. I've had gels melt when clipped to these Home Depot lights. I only use the bedsheet method for diffusing sunlight. But I have used the shower curtain method, but I always had it held or clamped several feet away from the Home Depot lights. Another OT concern is to make sure you don't put the Home Depot garage worklights too close to an actor or a crew member. Oil on the bulb (even accidental oil from the touching it with your fingers) can cause the bulbs to burst. Had this happen once, but thankfully only once.

I do like the idea of the sandblasted glass though.

A freidn of mine works at ESPN here in Bristol. He told me they use dryer - the sheets as an imprmptu diffuser. Yep, the fabric softener sheets throw in the clothes dryer.

They're made of a spun material that apparently is fire retardent.

When using things like shower curtains and bedsheets, be sure that there is some airspace between your light and the diffusion material. With a 1Kw source a couple of feet should be okay. If you go to a nearby rental house you can probably buy a partial roll of Gridcloth, or shower curtain type material. Lee and Rosco make all sorts of roll goods that are four feet wide and twenty-five feet long, plus the usual sheets. You can probably find a short roll and pay by the foot. Gridcloth densities are: full, half and quarter. There are also hundreds of other colors, diffusion, color correction and light balancing gels to choose from.

Get some PVC, or aluminum pipe and elbows and make your own diffusion frame. Check out Matthews (http://www.msegrip.com/), Chimera (http://www.chimeralighting.com/), Avenger (http://www.bogenimaging.us/product/catlist.php3?sectionid=23&manufid=6), American (http://www.americangrip.com/) and see their products. Other manufacturers include Modern (http://www.modernstudio.com/aboutus.html) and Norms (http://www.macraesbluebook.com/search/company.cfm?company=600285), both in L.A. Norms doesn't really have a website, but I think they still offer a discount with C.O.D. shipping. All of these companies produce excellent grip gear.

One thing about softness: in addition to diffusion, the size of the light source relative to the size of the subject and the distance of that light source to the subject. A large source close to the subject will be very soft and the light will wrap around. If you back the same source away from the subject, it's eventually become harder because it's size relative to the subject is diminishing. Light travels in a straight line.

Diffusion comes in many flavors.... Check out this cute light:

http://www.cooperlighting.com/images/obgdatabase/giant/Regent/PHL300.jpg

These are really cool "Painter's Lights" with diffused glass plus dual 150/300 output and can be found at your local HD/Lowes/Ace places for $29 or so. They're either Cooper or Regent brand model PHL-300. Ideal for cyc lighting from ground level or hanging from overheads with the swivel base. Add a light stand adaptor and make them as ubiquitious as an Omni or Tota. They're easily bounced for even better spread.

Mods that make them even more useful are a rotary dimmer instead of the hi/lo switch (don't forget to white balance!) and a flag or two for limiting the spread. The cords are detachable so any extension cord can be used. Neat item with a cute industrial design and cheaper by the dozen at any electrical supplier that reps Cooper. You'll want more than one.

And to happy them up for on set use, you can get black spray paint for the inside of grills (heat friendly) to matte black the exteriors of them.

Frosted glass scrims are available for the Lowel lights as well.

In terms of cheap diffusion material, bakers parchment is a good quick soft look. I've used rolls of it over the years. Just keep a roll in your gaffers kit. Never had it burn or brown.

The manufacturers of filters for lighting make diffusion material as well and it's available on rolls. The softness of the light is going to vary with the size of the diffusion material and hence its distance from the light as well as the amount of diffusion provided by the material. A thin diffusion material placed some distance from the light will act like 2 lights on the same axis - the hard light from the source plus the diffused light from the diffusion material.

Home Depot also sells a 2x4' white plastic grid you could pair up with your diffusion material to control direction of the light.

Found a cheap fire resistant option for you guys to try out. Im trying this out tomorrow on a shoot. I have the dual head 500 watt worklights on a 46" stand. So been messing around with a easy way to diffuse the light.

I came up with this. I bought aluminum baking containers 11x9 by like 3"s deep. Walmart has a far selection of sizes. I then bought what is called cooking parchment paper comes in packs of 8 and is 12x16"s So all I did was simply trace the square of the light on the back of the aluminum baking container, and cut it out with a knife. Then tape the parchment paper on the front of the container, and simply slide it onto the light. Ill post some pics tomorrow to make it more clear. Almost 2am here, but the quick test I did showed the light was quite soft and looked good. Ill shoot with this setup with 2 sets of the lights tomorrow afternoon, and evening.


This solution is very very cheap, very very easy, and is made to be cooked in an oven, so no chance of fire. ;) Ill post some tomorrow after I get all of the lights done.

All of these ideas sound really interesting. One thing I've found is that since the twin lights tilt up & down independently, one can be bounced off the ceiling for diffuse light, the other can be direct. A nice trick for certain situations.

H.

I looked into the light Jay suggested: http://www.regentlighting.com/common/brands.cfm?pg=Detail&id=12010&CFID=8822139&CFTOKEN=13993360

I have never purchased lights, but it looks like the perfect fit. With the dimmer switch it seems like diffusion would not be as hard core. With the ability to tone it down to 150W, I might buy a couple of them.

seems like most of these lights sit on the floor, great for a green screen maybe but what issues might it create lighting people?

seems like most of these lights sit on the floor, great for a green screen maybe but what issues might it create lighting people?


The ones I bought are on stands about 46" high or so. Ill have a little hdv tutorial on how I made my cheap diffusers tommorow or so. Capturing the footage now.

Kewl!!! Can't wait to see it Ryan.

Kewl!!! Can't wait to see it Ryan.

Did a video tutorial on it. Rendering it now Ill upload it in a bit.

Very interested in seeing this when it is uploaded.

Did a video tutorial on it. Rendering it now Ill upload it in a bit.

I'm sitting in front of my display like a puppy waiting for milkbone. I'm not panting
though. Not yet anyway...

I'm sitting in front of my display like a puppy waiting for milkbone. I'm not panting
though. Not yet anyway...

Haha Im being finicky about quality right now. 4th render gah. After last nights shoot though I can tell you without question this works quite quite well. And costs about 1.00 per light, and is never ever going to catch fire. Maybe I can have this method named after me if everyone likes it. The Ryan diffuser or something... lol :)

Ok here is the vid I did of how to make these, and a bit of eye candy at the end of a model we were shooting. I wouldnt say its nsfw, but it is a cute girl in a tanktop and santa hat hehe.

http://www.varaoke.com/diffuser.html

This is the embedded link, for those of you that have .flv players you can do the direct download if you like here

http://www.varaoke.com/diffuser.flv The file is about 63mb so some connections might have difficulties with streaming the embedded. If it chops pause it for a while and let it buffer the whole way. Let me know what you think.

This was quick and dirty, and just barely edited it. I may do a prettier version later, but too much going on right now to spend much time on it.

Bravo. Great tutorial,thank you

Bravo. Great tutorial,thank you

Thanks Id love to see results if anyone else gives this a shot. :)

Looks good to me!

Oh, and the tutorial was nice as well...

Wouldn't it be easier and safer and faster to use clothes pins to attach the parch paper?

How about that big handle bar thingee, can it be removed? looks likes it's in the way.

Looks good to me!

Oh, and the tutorial was nice as well...

Wouldn't it be easier and safer and faster to use clothes pins to attach the parch paper?

How about that big handle bar thingee, can it be removed? looks likes it's in the way.

No thats the base the lights mount to. The bottom portion is just the stand. The top half comes off the stand and can sit flat on the floor also. To be honest after 2 hours plus of shooting with those lights on the tape and foil were still completely touchable not even close to being a hazzard of any sort. The tape I used to just have a more permanent box. Id probably switch to heavier gaffer tape later on though. I slowed it down for the video, but I made all 4 boxes in probably 10 minutes at most using the tape. ;)

Thought Id of gotten more feedback by now :( lol

what type of feed back are you looking for? I plan on keeping tin pans and parchment paper around in my lighting kit from now on. I'm concerned that the paper may brown a bit over the length of a shoot, but 2 hours with no problems is pretty good for a $1 solution :)

what type of feed back are you looking for? I plan on keeping tin pans and parchment paper around in my lighting kit from now on. I'm concerned that the paper may brown a bit over the length of a shoot, but 2 hours with no problems is pretty good for a $1 solution :)

The paper doesnt even get warm to be honest hehe. I would guess somewhere in the 30 hour range before you would have to change the paper. Well other than if it gets torn or ripped etc. :) So feedback is sounding positive so far hehe. Thats good. ;)

Saw the tutorial and I love the idea Ryan!!! I'm one of the people that has been using parchment paper on these Home Depot lights for a while now and I like this much better than just attaching the paper to the light heads with clothes pins because now it is a more "controlled" and neat softlight source. It's probably much closer or similar to having a real softbox light now with this technique versus the sloppy technique of just attaching it with clothes pins. This Idea definitely has a place in my indie light kit. Bravo!!

Saw the tutorial and I love the idea Ryan!!! I'm one of the people that has been using parchment paper on these Home Depot lights for a while now and I like this much better than just attaching the paper to the light heads with clothes pins because now it is a more "controlled" and neat softlight source. It's probably much closer or similar to having a real softbox light now with this technique versus the sloppy technique of just attaching it with clothes pins. This Idea definitely has a place in my indie light kit. Bravo!!

Excellent. Its amazing the ideas that come to you while walking around walmart at 2am and trying to figure out how to soften your light setup before a shoot the next day hehe. ;) Whats the saying necessity is the mother of invention? hehe. Hope other people make good use of the idea.

Thought Id of gotten more feedback by now :( lol

I have some feedback. Part of the genius of this solution is its affordability and that if the crew complained about craft services, just remove the soft box, fill with 2 cans of tuna (drained), cover with breadcrumbs and 1/3 cup diced celery, bake for 40 minutes and Presto! Tuna Casserole!

It's a fairly elegant solution. My complaint is that the diffusion surface is still way to close to the element. If you look at any of the commercial softboxes, they are anywhere from 12 to 24 inches deep. The further you are from the element, the broader and softer the light. You're still about the same distance as clipping the diffusion onto barndoors, maybe even less. The benefit is that the pan helps controll spill. SO as a spill controll solution plus diffusion for worklights, its pretty good. As a diffusion device only - I rank it fair... needing more distance between source and diffusion material.

Interesting!

I love DIY... made some mic clips and sound reflectors for my sax, and in the past few days found I needed to soften the light, and viola! here is your tutorial. checked the cabinet and my wife has a roll of parchment paper, so I'm good to go.

I was test shooting in my small office for a project, and using a 500 watt Lights of America flourescent work light (daylight balanced, something that I forgot in the test) and it was a bit harsh, and a bit blue..DOH!

now once I get over this cold and laryngitis I can get back into production..

Thanks! this lamp is larger than the lights you used, so the roasting pan might not be large enough. I also need to work up a support since it only has the floor stand, and my office is small.

It's a fairly elegant solution. My complaint is that the diffusion surface is still way to close to the element. I.

I had the same though and am wondering if what this solution REALLY does is merely dim the work lights and not really soften it.

It's a fairly elegant solution. My complaint is that the diffusion surface is still way to close to the element. If you look at any of the commercial softboxes, they are anywhere from 12 to 24 inches deep. The further you are from the element, the broader and softer the light. You're still about the same distance as clipping the diffusion onto barndoors, maybe even less. The benefit is that the pan helps controll spill. SO as a spill controll solution plus diffusion for worklights, its pretty good. As a diffusion device only - I rank it fair... needing more distance between source and diffusion material.

They do make deeper pans. I had a fairly good distance I could pull back the lights too, which also helped diffuse it. Though its not perfect, and not near the result you would get from a 5 or 600.00 commercial light setup, two sets of lights and the items I used in the tutorial cost me less than 70.00 I know it made a huge difference between no diffuser, and the solution I made. I have a professional still photographer as a partner, and he thought the results were excellent considering the solution. ;)

That's a great solution. I think a Turkey baking tin would solve the distance issue, those things are about 10 or so inches deep. i think i'll try this myself on my next shoot to soften the light.

Thanks for the great tutorial! I think that to get rid of the wrinkles in the paper you could just quickly dry-iron them out. another option is that there is parchment paper available in a roll rather then the folded version.

I use the small yellow lights like you have, and also the larger red ones so i can get 1000W light. One thing I did that made my "cheap kit" more usable was to buy an extra extension cord and split the lights so that i could use them separately on individual stands as well as hook them up to the original dual stand. Just gives a little more leeway with the individual lights.

I think you should aim for a minimum of 12 inches from the element to the diffusion. Remember, you want the widest possible 'hot spot' on the diffusion to get the maximum 'softness'.

I understand that it's a cheap solution. ANd well done. There have been others who posted their diffusion material stretched on an independent frame, and them moved the worklights. (Which is how it's done on a set for large volume lights anyway.) Again, just a thought. My point was simply that it's strongest assett was its ability to eliminate spill. One of the best solutions I've seen at that price point.

Also, keep in mind, when one's home-made solutions start reaching the fifty to seventy five dollar range, you can start looking for used lowel lights and such as well. Just another thought.

I think you should aim for a minimum of 12 inches from the element to the diffusion. Remember, you want the widest possible 'hot spot' on the diffusion to get the maximum 'softness'.

I understand that it's a cheap solution. ANd well done. There have been others who posted their diffusion material stretched on an independent frame, and them moved the worklights. (Which is how it's done on a set for large volume lights anyway.) Again, just a thought. My point was simply that it's strongest assett was its ability to eliminate spill. One of the best solutions I've seen at that price point.

Also, keep in mind, when one's home-made solutions start reaching the fifty to seventy five dollar range, you can start looking for used lowel lights and such as well. Just another thought.

Thats 70.00 for 2 sets of lights though, Each yellow 500w light set is around 26.00. So for one set would be around 35.00 I might hit the store today and see if I can find a deeper solution. The other thing that could be done also is double up on your paper to reduce the light a bit more even. Glad for all the positive responses. Glad if I can help others out in any way!

Doubling up on the paper won't "Soften" it any more, it will just lower the overall output.

The size of the spread on the diffusion element, is what makes the light "Softer". The further you can get the element from the paper, the broader will be the beam... the softer will be the resultant light. It's why there are 'baffles' INSIDE of softboxes... to dispurse the light. To keep from getting a hot spot in the middle of your big white surface. Ideally, the entire white surface should be as evenly lit as possible.

I got my baking tin today and yes, it needs to be deeper, but in a pinch it works well. Also, maybe some ideas for creating light weight barn doors for this? I was thinking about cutting up some of the aluminum and using hinges, but I havne't tried it yet...

Also, maybe some ideas for creating light weight barn doors for this?

Here's a DIY tutorial on doing just that:

http://www.bealecorner.com/trv900/barn/barndoors.html

H.

It won't work with baking tin because of the weight so another solution is probably necessary...

It won't work with baking tin because of the weight so another solution is probably necessary...

Sorry. I misunderstood your intent. Barn doors on the softbox. But do softboxes uusally have barn doors?

H.

It's funny, I never really thought of this as a softbox even though I guess it is!